Today, the sixth of May, is the feast day of one of my most admired saints. He is St. Dominic Savio, a student of St. John Bosco. He is the youngest non-canonized martyr of the Catholic Church. He lived an exemplary life prior to his death by the age of fourteen. He is the patron saint of children choir members and juvenile delinquents.
St. Dominic was born in a devout Catholic family on April 2, 1842 in Turin, Italy. However, he grew up in Murialdo. Due to the pious example of his mother, Dominic grew up praying a rosary and going to mass everyday. In the age of five, he learned to serve at mass. In that time, it is customary for children to be allowed to go to confession by the age of twelve. But since the parish priest saw how Dominic in his young age, already has a deep desire to go to confession and receive communion and that he already understand the catechism about the sacraments, he was permitted to go to confession and receive the First Holy communion by the age of seven. In his later years, Dominic described that day as the happiest day of his life. And on that day as well, he made four promises which he wrote on his little notebook:
1. I will go to Confession often, and as frequently to Holy Communion as my confessor allows.
2. I wish to sanctify the Sundays and festivals in a special manner.
3. My friends shall be Jesus and Mary.
4. Death rather than commit a sin.
It was 1854 when Dominic with his father met St. John Bosco when he took his students in Murialdo. Dominic expressed his desire for priesthood under his guidance and St. John Bosco agreed to take him to the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Turin.
His favorite topic is about sainthood. The words of Don Bosco that impressed him are;
1. That it is God's will that each one should become a saint.
2. That it is easy to become a saint.
3. That there is a great reward waiting in heaven for those who try to become saints.
In the Oratory, he resolved to become a saint. He lived an exemplary life of prayer and penance. He diligently followed school rules, happily listened to sermons and catechisms, fasted on just bread and water on certain times, doing acts of sacrifices like putting stones on his bed, wearing a hair shirt and not trying to defend himself when falsely accused. He chose his companions carefully and he frequently instructed them to avoid certain bad habits like swearing and cursing. There were instances when he did not join swimming and recreation to avoid hearing his friends saying bad words.
When the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed on 1854, he had a stronger devotion to Mary Immaculate. In his young age of twelve, he founded the Solidarity of Mary Immaculate, which aims to honor Mary in various means and to encourage frequent communion. Many members of the solidarity also lived exemplary lives and some became priests. Later when his health was deteriorating due to a severe cough, he offered his illness in honor of the Passion of our Lord and to Mary Immaculate. Doctors describe how he remained calm during blood letting and other painful medical treatment which when asked, Dominic would reply that Christ did the same on the cross. St. Dominic Savio died due to the inflammation of respiratory system on March 9, 1857 while listening to his father reading his favorite book, Exercise of Happy Death to him.
A month after his death his father had a vision of him as written in his diary: "I was in the greatest affliction at the loss of my son, and was consumed by a desire to know what was his position in the other world. God deigned to comfort me. About a month after his death, during a very restless night, I saw, as it were, the ceiling opened, and Dominic appeared in the midst of dazzling light. I was beside myself at this sight, and cried out: "O Dominic, my son, are you already in Paradise?" "Yes," he replied, "I am in Heaven." Then pray for your brothers and sisters, and your mother and father, that we may all
come to join you one day in Heaven." "Yes, yes, I will pray," was the answer. "Then he disappeared, and the room became as before."
His life truly impressed his spiritual mentor, St. John Bosco that soon after his death, inspired him to write a book about him entitled, The Life of Dominic Savio. He was considered "a living saint" by Don Bosco. His biography as well as the witnesses of those whom he had left became the basis of his canonization although some bishops argued that he is too young to be declared a saint. St. Pius X, who was the pope at that time insisted that this was not so, and started the further study of his life to process canonization. Dominic Savio was declared Venerable in 1933 by Pope Pius XI, was beatified in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, and declared a saint in 1954. Pope Pius XI described him as "small in size, but a towering giant in spirit."
The life of St. Dominic Savio shows that holiness is not a matter of age and state of life. We are called to be holy whether we believe it or not, whether we believe it is impossible for us or not. We can do good things if we chose to and we can stay away from sin if we have that firm resolution to do so. And we have good friends to help us in our resolution, our spiritual directors, the priests are there to hear our confessions and to give us fatherly advice. And there are our good friends and our parents. And in case they failed to be holy, we have Jesus in the sacraments especially in the Holy Eucharist and his words are also in the Holy Scriptures. And there is Mary who never fails to help us and "never was it known that anyone who fleds to her protection was left unaided."
Being the patron saint of choir members let us pray to God through his intercession that these children, as well as the youth leaders may grow up with the true love of God and in their young age, lead their fellow youth closer to holiness.
We also pray for the "unchurched" youth that through his patronage, they may be able to know and understand their rightful place in the Church and in the community.
St. Dominic Savio, pray for us!
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