St. Dominic Savio was born in 1842 in the small village of Riva, near Chieri, Italy. From a very young age, he displayed a deep love for God and a serious commitment to living a holy life. At the age of twelve, he became a student of St. John Bosco at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Turin. Under Don Bosco’s guidance, Dominic grew rapidly in virtue, forming a group of boys dedicated to encouraging holiness among their peers. Although his life was short—he died at just fourteen years old due to illness—Dominic’s intense love for prayer, the Eucharist, and care for others left a lasting impact. He proved that sainthood is not reserved for the old or powerful, but is possible through daily faithfulness and joy, even at a young age.
Practical Lessons:
- Make Small Daily Sacrifices: Dominic offered up small annoyances and duties for God. Today, we can do this by offering up traffic delays, work frustrations, or chores with a prayerful heart rather than complaining.
- Choose Friends Who Help You Grow: Dominic surrounded himself with friends who shared his desire to be holy. In our lives, this can mean intentionally choosing friendships that uplift us, strengthen our faith, and encourage good choices.
- Use Your Talents to Serve Others: Dominic didn’t wait to be “important” before helping others. We can imitate him by using whatever talents we have—whether it’s listening, organizing, teaching, or encouraging—to build up our families, schools, or parishes right now.
Prayer:
St. Dominic Savio, you who lived a life of joyful holiness even as a young person, pray for us. Help us to offer our daily struggles and joys to God, to choose friendships that lead us closer to Christ, and to use our gifts to serve others. Teach us to seek heaven above all else, trusting that God can do great things through even the smallest acts of love. Amen.
Quote:
“I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.” — St. Dominic Savio
Other Saints We Remember Today
- St. Evodius (64), Disciple, Bishop, first to use the term “Christian”
- Blesseds Edward Jones and Anthony Middleton (1590), Priests, Martyrs
- St. John before the Latin Gate (95), Apostle