He agreed and a few days later I went with my opponent and we made our confession. As he went through them Dominic answered clearly and said every word himself at the end of each one: Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me When his father reached the final part which runs: When for the first time my soul will see the wonderful majesty of God, do not drive it away, but take it to heaven to sing your praises for all eternity he said, Yes, Dadthat is what I want so much, to sing the praises of Jesus for all eternity! He dropped off to sleep again, but it was like he was reflecting on things of great importance. How I wish I could say it to the whole world, when Jesus is with us there is no fear of anythingnot even of death itself.. You will work on me to make something beautiful for the Lord., I wonder if you are strong enough for a long course of studies?, Dont worry, Our Blessed Lord has helped me so far and I am sure he will continue to do so., And what are you going to do when you finish studying Latin?, I should love to be a priest, if that were Gods will., Very good. Time that he might have legitimately spent in walks and various pastimes was spent in helping others, by word or by any other means possible. You never heard a word of complaint from his lips about summer heat or winter cold. However, his illness flared up again after two months and despite every care he grew steadily worse and in a few days he died. Any left-over soup or second course or other kinds of food he would collect and eat. Dominic used it as an opportunity to do something virtuous. And what can I say myself that you would not already know?I shall never forget he used to come to school with such recollection, how eagerly and attentively he used to listen to what I said, do his duty. If I am not trying to be a saint, I am doing nothing at all. There are many edifying things said or done by Savio during this next year at school and the one to follow, and we will continue to tell you about them bit by bit as we outline the deeds connected with them. Whenever there was a boy who was a bit scatterbrained and talkative the teacher would put him beside Dominic, and his influence and example would lead the boy to better behaviour and application. Thus we have the testimony of Fr Picco to the boys, expressing his deep sorrow and sense of loss at the news of the death of his beloved pupil Dominic Savio. I thought I saw a great plain full of people enveloped in thick fog. The humanities year or 1st rhetoric he seemed a little better and was sent to Fr Picco Matteo(14). As a father who has endured the adolescences of seven children, I am convinced that the notion of a "teen saint" is an oxymoron. It was not so with Dominic. He ran home trembling with excitement and joy to tell his mother. We should go frequently and with the right attitude to draw from this source of salvation in our life. I had great and wonderful hopes for him but was increasingly afraid that he would not be able to continue his studies either because of poor health or lack of finances. On March 5, 1950 Pope Pius XII beatified Dominic Savio and on June 12, 1954 he canonized Savio, a 14-year-old as a saint. Dominics life at the school at Castelnuovo can be a model and an inspiration for any boy who wants to get on with learning and in piety. For us here it means making holiness consist in being happy. Others were inspired by his generosity and produced little treasures of their own; a very successful raffle was held and with the proceeds all the required materials were brought. Everything I have is yours, O God, And I abandon myself completely To your holy will., Chapter 25 His final moments and his wonderful death. He was the second of eleven children born to Charles and Brigid Savio. On April 2, 1842 in the village of Riva, 2 miles (3 km) from the town of Chieri, in Piedmont, northern Italy a son was born to Carlo and Brigitta Savio.) Anyone who just heard him talking quietly and saw the peace and serenity on his face could only have thought that he was having a quiet rest in bed. He wrote many works of great erudition. Father Robertson retired Jan. 1. I praised Dominics good desires but urged him not to let himself get too worked up, because in that state it is not easy to know what God wants. At any rate, he said to one of his companions, come and wake me up as soon as you have finished; I want to be one of the first to see our altar in honour of Mary Most Holy., Chapter 14 He goes frequently to the sacraments of confession and communion. He was very diligent and applied himself to his lessons, and his good-naturedness and readiness to help won him the affection both of his companions and teachers. December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, was drawing near. It is a truth of faith that at the hour of death we gather the results of what we have done during life. His clothes were poor, but he was always neat and clean and his manners and bearing were easily equal to those of boys who came from richer and nobler families, a good number of whom went to this school. He began by going to Confession and Communion every fortnight and then every week. When on one occasion he was asked what he thought about something which he had not even noticed, one of his companions burst out impatiently: What is the use of having eyes, if you dont use them to look at what is going on around you? Dominic replied: Instead of using my eyes on useless things, I should like to keep them to gaze on the beauty of Mary Most Holy, when, by Gods mercy, I shall be in heaven., He had a very special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He did not want to give in and only went to bed out of obedience. On the occasion of his First Communion, at the age of seven, he set out his plan of life: "I will go to Confession frequently and Communion as often as my confessor allows. After the examinations at the end of the school year, the boys used to go home for the holidays. An interesting episode lets us see his great love of devotion to Mary. Nothing stood in the way of Dominics being allowed to make his First Communion. Bellflower, CA 90706 Phone: (562) 920-7796 info@saintdominicsavio.org Weekly Bulletin News Sacraments Donate Archdiocese of Los Angeles Archbishop Angelus News Schools Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries 2023 The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a corp. sole. In order to make sure that he understood the rules and discipline of the school well, he went to one of the teachers and asked him to help and advise him how best to be faithful to them and to correct him if he neglected any of his duties. It was his routine practice to remain in the refectory after the others had left, picking up the crumbs of bread on the table or the floor and eating them as if they were a tasty morsel. 184. In fact, he's the youngest non-martyr to be canonized in the Catholic Church. Someone near me said: This is England. I was just going to ask some questions, when I saw Pope Pius IX just like I have seen him in pictures. Dominic said to his friend one day, Dont let us stop at saying we want to be priests, but let us get busy trying to grow in the virtues that are needed by a priest., Quite true, the other replied, but if we do all we can, God in his goodness will give us the great grace of becoming Ministers of Jesus Christ.. I love you and I wish to love you for all eternity! Savio came too, thinking from a distance that they might be some religious pictures. What can we save of a young man who spends his entire life forgetful of the purpose for which God has created him, has never found a moment to think of his Creator, never had a place in his heart to lift up a prayer to God? Dominic then went very close to the man, and speaking softly into his ear he said, Do you think that, when you are in a temper, you could say something else instead of blasphemies about God?, The man was both astonished and full of admiration for the boy, and said: Well said, you are quite right. If among those who read this book there are any who have yet to make their First Communion, I would urge them strongly to take Dominic as their model. I should like to state categorically that anything recounted here which seems paralleled by incidents in the Scriptures or the lives of the saints, was seen with my own eyes and that the accounts written of them are written with a scrupulous concern for the truth. About a month after Dominics death, one night after I had been unable to sleep, I thought I saw the ceiling of the room spring wide open and there, surrounded by a bright light, Dominic appeared, smiling and happy but majestic and striking. He let me have this little book to look at and I give them here in their original simplicity. They have put up with many inconveniences for me; the least I can do is recompense them in some way! Unpleasant medicines he took without any sign that they were unpleasant, and he submitted to being bled ten times without showing any sign of resentment. Not seeing much harm in gazing at smut like this is a sign that your eyes are already accustomed to looking at it, and these habits do not excuse you from harm, but make you more guilty. It was 1858 and he became very ill and what with being in the hospital for a long period of treatment and having to rest after it, he was not able to take the examination at the end of the school year. They also said many other prayers for him and received Holy Communion in reparation for his soul. Where are you? Savio was among those who had a great desire to keep the feast very well. The aim was to obtain the special protection of the Mother of God in life, and especially at the hour of death. Remember that true religion does not mean simply saying things, but doing them. He was fully alive to everything and his conduct was irreproachable. My husband lapsed from the church and became a Protestant: now he is dying and begging for a priest so he can die a good Catholic.. Pope Pius XII canonized Dominic Savio, making this spiritual child prodigy from Don Bosco's Oratory a Saint. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a seamstress. Somewhat ashamed of all the abuse I had heaped on his head, I took him aside and asked him: Why did you not tell me you were not responsible? He replied: I knew that these boys had already been up to so much mischief that this would certainly earn them expulsion, and I thought I would try to save them, as I probably would not be expelled, seeing that it was my very first time also, I remembered that Jesus had been blamed unjustly and had not said anything, and I thought I should do the same.No more was said, but all admired Dominics patience, which was able to return good for evil and was even ready to accept serious punishment to save those who had told such lies about him. (Fr Cugliero). I would gladly spend the night working Dominic said. Nothing in the wide world. One day he told off a friend who had a bad attitude. Some boys for a variety of reasons used to ask to remain at the school during the holiday period. Ed. He carried out implicitly whatever was laid down by his superiors, and made the journey without letting his eyes roam everywhere or his ears listen to things that were far from good. Then he said: Poor us! You would only have been troubled with me for a little time longer but Gods holy will be done. I felt thoroughly ashamed that a boy like Dominic had had to go so far to make me see sense. He was at a loss wondering what to do and then an idea struck him. The reply was: Belonging to God. There you are, he said, you see how right I am in asking you to make me a saint. Chapter 10 His decision to become a saint. He did all this with wonderful peace of soul and even-temper even in the bad winter months in cold, rain or snow. Dominic visited him regularly while he was ill and as the end drew near wanted to spend the night at his bedside. One day it happened that a young man from outside the House unadvisedly brought a newspaper with him with obscene and irreligious pictures in it. This was done several times and there seemed to be an improvement. I did not question him any further. I pray to God to give you health and to make me good. And with that he would offer him a chair or stool to sit on, would keep him company and do a thousand little things for him. He used to try to spend a part of his free time in reading a good book, or in making a visit to the church. Stomach aches and headaches robbed any chance of sitting for my exam which was of the greatest importance to me. After a few months he became unwell, but not thinking much of it, he did not want to interrupt his studies. The eyes, he used say are like two windows. Anything that wants to can come through those windows. This will make for greater clearness and understanding. In the bitter cold of January this was all he had. If there was an exemplary, studious and diligent pupil praised by his teacher he soon became a close friend of Dominics. (the names of the others follow), after receiving the sacraments of Confession and Communion, this day, June 8, give ourselves completely to Mary Immaculate and promise to work unceasingly for her and with her: to help ourselves to do this and to maintain our love for her we, here before her altar, solemnly promise, in agreement with our spiritual director, to follow in Louis Comollos footsteps to the best of our ability. I have full confidence in my confessor who is so kind and helpful to me and I dont think I have any trouble that he cannot cure. Nevertheless his confessor did suggest that occasionally, e.g. The first four days at home, he went about as usual, but his lack of appetite and his increasing cough, made his parents send him to the doctor. Be assured that the First Communion very well made is a solid moral foundation for the rest of the childs life. Dominic grieved deeply at the loss of his friend and although he accepted it completely as Gods will, he was in tears for several days. He received the last sacraments with great reverence and joy and gave up his soul to God on December 30, 1856(20). Here I would like to tell you about some special graces and uncommon facts. And then classes would begin with him applying himself - I recall his angelic face as he hung on every word from me! Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. Canonized: June 12, 1954 by Pope Pius XII. The name Dominic means belonging to God and the name Savio means wise. There is no basic disease: but given his delicate constitution, the keenness of his mind and the intensity of the spirit continually at work in him are gradually wearing him away., To my mind the best remedy would be to let him go to heaven: he seems to me to be very ready for it. If he saw one who did his best, was obedient, tried hard at his lessons, he made him his friend. Chapter 7 I first get to know him Interesting episodes to do with this. Dominic had begun his grammar year at Mondonio and, with the progress he made by his hard work and more than ordinary intelligence, he was very soon moved from fourth class or, as we say today, second year Latin grammar. His best friends, however, were the other boys in the Sodality of Mary Immaculate. Thats how it will be if everything we do is to offer ourselves to the supreme Giver like Dominic did. If I have some particular need I go to Holy Communion in which I receive the body, blood, soul and divinity quod pro nobis traditum est. In any community of boys of any size there are always some who are left on their own by their companions. He said sometimes. With these he had regular meetings, and they would gather together also for acts of devotion. He prayed to Savio his friend with a short prayer and was immediately recovered. One day when such a little procession with the Viaticum was passing by, it was raining and the ground was very muddy. May God keep us always in his holy grace and help us to become saints, but quickly because there is little time left. The first advice Dominic was given to help him become a saint was to set out to win souls for God, because there is no holier work in this life than to work for the good of souls for whom Jesus Christ shed the last drop of his blood. Every day he made some little act of mortification in her honour. He is immersed in the real world, the world that . He was like this both in school and beyond, in church and everywhere. The only thing which is likely to preserve his life is to take him away from all study and keep him busy with manual work proportionate to his strength., Chapter 22 His care for the sick He leaves the Oratory What he said on that occasion. Such was his zeal for study, the rapid progress he made in his early studies that in brief I was anxious to have him enrolled amongst my own students and had great hopes for this. It was two oclock on the afternoon of March 1 when Dominic left Turin. Our Blessed Lord says that if I dont do penance I will not get to heaven. Towards the end of 1852 his parents left Murialdo and set up house in Mondonio, a village near Castelnuovo. One day he came into my room saying: Come quickly! His family was poor but hardworking. Online Mass. He tried again. Not daring to ask him to do so, he took out his handkerchief and spread it on the muddy ground in front of him. At the age of seven, he took his first communion before the usual age because of his great piety. He called him but there was no response. Dominic himself did this a number of times. His devout family was poor, but hard-working. Whoever looked at Savios outward composure would have found him so natural that he would have said he was made this way by the Lord. He hurried off and got a very nice book that had been given him as a prize, and brought it back to his companions telling them to raffle it and so get money that way. This boy too was upset and trembling he said that he was his friend and would not do anything bad to him. He never assisted at Holy Mass or at any exercise in church without remembering him before God. (29) Such veneration and confidence in young Savio grew largely from an event told by Dominics father, who is ready to confirm what he says in any place and in the presence of anyone. On one occasion a companion wanted Dominic to go with him to a fancy-dress event. He said: I would like very much to do something in honour of my Mother Mary; but I will have to do it quickly, as I do not think I have much time left.. Take this little book, go over this page (it was a copy of the Catholic Readings), learn it by heart and tomorrow come back and both explain it to me and recite it by heart.. (18) At this point Don Bosco offers, with some variations, the Regulations for the Immaculate Conception Sodality from the original manuscript which can be found at no. I hesitated, but on his renewed insistence, went with him: similar instances had happened before. How happy we will be then to meet Jesus Our Saviour who will judge us according to his mercy, and in his goodness lead us to an eternity of happiness. Alberto Caviglia, Savio Domenico e Don Bosco. One day I asked Dominic how he could have known that there was a dying man there. It was here that he showed such piety and union of his soul with God. As soon as I am a seminarian, I will go to Mondonio and get the children together so that I can teach them their catechism, tell them stories and encourage them to become saints. What did you say? he asked. When the meal was put on the table, the man sat down and began eating without making the Sign of the Cross or saying any prayer. Another time, as I was going out of the sacristy after finishing my thanksgiving, I heard a voice which seemed to be engaged in argument. The name Domenico means "belonging to God" and the name Savio means "wise". Give him a chance and you will find you have another St. Aloysius. It was arranged that Dominic should come to see me when next I visited the Becchi. Sign up for our newsletter and information on events. He thought he would at least manage it in the autumn for the Feast of All Saints and so avoid the loss of a school year, but when he returned to Turin and started to study again his illness returned with renewed force. His love did not stop at his parents; his love of God was older than his years. On the eve of the feast he went to Our Ladys altar and, on the advice of his Confessor, renewed the promises he had made at his First Communion, and then he repeated many times: Mary, I give you my heart, please keep it always as your own. But, he did not improve and after some weeks Dominic received the following letter: Dominic sent John what he had asked him to get from his desk and together with it he sent the following letter: You dont know how pleased I was to get your letter - at least it let me know that you were still alive. Then he said to the one who had sworn: Come with me. I know you will like it. He started off fasting for Lent, but after a week his Rector heard about it and stopped it. Chapter 27 Emulating Savios virtues Many pray to him for heavenly favours and are heard A reminder for everyone. At the end of the year his hard work won him promotion to a higher class, but, when the new school year began,, the third year of grammar, it was decided to let him study privately at the Oratory, as he seemed to be failing in health.