St. Dominic Savio
1842 - 1857
St. Dominic Savio was born in Italy in 1842. One day when he was just four, he disappeared and his good mother went looking for him. She found the little fellow in a corner praying with his hands joined and his head bowed. He already knew all his prayers by heart! At five, he was an altar boy. When he was seven, he received his First Holy Communion. On that solemn day, he chose a motto: "Death, but not sin!" and he kept it always.
"A teenager such as Dominic, who bravely struggled to keep his innocence from Baptism to the end of his life, is really a saint," said Pope St. Pius X.
Yes, Dominic was an ordinary boy with an extraordinary love for God.
At the age of twelve, Dominic entered the school run by St. John Bosco. Don Bosco examined him first and at the end of the questions, Dominic asked,
"What do you think of me?"
"I think you're good material," answered the priest, with a big smile.
"Well, then," said Dominic, "You are a good tailor, so if the material is good, take me and make a new suit out of me for Our Lord!"
Everyone in the school saw from the way he prayed that this boy was different. He greatly loved all the boys, and even though he was younger, he used to worry about them. He was afraid that they would lose the grace of God by sinning.
One day, a fellow brought a magazine full of bad pictures to school. In a minute, a group of boys had gathered around him to see it.
"What's up?" wondered Dominic, and he, too, went to look. Just one peek was enough for him. He grabbed the magazine and tore it to pieces! "Poor us!" he cried in the meantime, "Did God give us eyes to look at such things as this? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Oh, we were just looking at these pictures for the fun of it," said one boy.
"Sure, for fun," answered Dominic, "and in the meantime you're preparing yourselves to go to hell!"
"Oh, what's so wrong about looking at these pictures anyway?" another fellow demanded.
Dominic had a ready answer. "If you don't see anything wrong," he said sadly, "this is even worse." It means you're used to looking at shameful things!"
No one said anything after that. They all realized that Dominic was right. Another time he stopped a terrific stone-throwing fight between two angry boys. Holding up a little crucifix between them, he said, "Before you fight, look at this and say, 'Jesus Christ was innocent and He died forgiving His murderers. I am a sinner, and I am going to hurt Him by not forgiving my enemies.' Then you can start - and throw your first stone at me!"
The two boys were so ashamed of themselves that they apologized, and promised to go to confession too.
One day Dominic began to feel sick and was sent home to get better. While at home he grew worse, instead, and received the last Sacraments. He was only fifteen then, but he did not fear death. In fact, he was overjoyed at the thought of going to Heaven. Just before he died, he tried to sit up.
"Goodbye," he murmured to his good father. Suddenly his face lit up with a smile of great joy and happiness. "I am seeing such wonderful things!" he exclaimed. Then he spoke no more, for he had gone to Heaven.
Dominic is the patron saint of choir boys and of the falsely accused.
This latter title was given to him due to the following incident. One time, two boys filled the school stove with snow and garbage during the cold winter months. When the teacher came back into the room, they falsely accused Dominic of doing the "dirty" deed. Although disciplined in front of the entire class, Dominic refused to tell on the two mischievous boys. When the truth was later revealed, Dominic was asked why he didn't confess to his innocence. He remarked that he was imitating Our Lord, Who remained silent during His persecutions and crucifixion.
His feast day is March 9th.
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Dear Saint Dominic,
I pray for my Husband who has been wrongfully accused, I pray for his strength and pray for justice. I pray for his accuser, although we do not understand the reasoning for her accusation, I hope that she finds peace and recieves forgiveness.
Dear Saint Dominic,
Please pray for my son, Dominic Savior and heal him from his fitting sickness. He is only 3 years old.
Thank you
Dear and Brave saint,
Pray for me and my sons Joshua and Jeremy to have the same zeal asyou had towards Jesus Christ and help us to choose death rather than to sin. Amen.
WOW!!!! Wat a story!!! I loved you from the very first time I heard about you Saint Dominic!! how I would wish I had a heart like yours, so pure..., but its not impossible, right? Please pray for me that I become a saint also, I am in campus and am an alter server. Your my Role Model. pray for my brother too to be like you, please do. I love you!!!
St. Dominic please intercede for me and my family concerning the problems with a young nephew. In particular I ask for your intercession on Nov 6 and Dec 5, 2012. We need healing in the family with the accusations that are being leveled. Please be with the young members of our family and show them God's love. Thank you for blessing my family in this time of distress.
this is a good work done by writers of these catholic issues.
Please kindly keep these works going for God wil surely bless you abundantly.
PLEASE ST. DOMINIC, YOU ARE THE PATRON SAINT OF ALTER SERVERS OF BOLGATANGA SACRED HEARD CATHEDRAL PARISH, GHANA. YOU WITH ALL OTHER SAINT SHOULD PLEASE PRAY FOR ME....
I ask of you St. Dominic, in Jesus name, please bless my husband with his freedon , he was falsley accused and has been in prison now for 12 years, we have done everything that we could do for him but to no avail, we have tried to get attorneys to help him, but they have also been very unjust and not helpful at all to my husband. My husband is innocent of all the charges that were put onto him St. Dominic. I pray to you sweet St. Dominic, to please work a miracle for my husband so that he can finally be home with me and his family and make good his promises that he has made to our Lord and Savior. Please open those prison doors so that he may be a free man very soon. Please don't forget my husband, he is in need of justice, please St. Dominic hear my prayer in Jesus precious name...Amen
Saint Dominic Savio is a great saint! He died when he was 14!!!
He is a great example to all boys, this is what kind of life we should lead
YES, ST DOMINIC SAVIO IS A GREAT BOY SAINT, THO WHOM GOD ANOINTED HIM PATRON OF BOYS AND MEN. I HAVE GREAt respect for him, and always rmembering him during my prayers.
All young people should know about St. Dominic! What a wonderful example for us today.
St. Dominic, pray for us!
"All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired."
-Martin Luther
hi, every one. i like st.bernedette
one more thing. i have bean falsly acusded PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!
im doing a research project on you St. Dominic i nead and miracles you performed and im done. Please help
your friend, Chase Hillier
st. dominic please pray for my son who has been falsely accused and is in need of a miracle. thank you very much.
I'm so hopeless without this Saint.he consoled and stood beside me and i knew it!
this is helpful. i want to start a club about him so we can make a change to the world. I am 10 years old and want to make a difference.
i am a good child i live in guihulngan
i am proud of ur honesty but i cannot be like u at all cause my rude mother pusshes me too far over the line and thats where i am honest obout how much i dislike her so plese if u can in any way help me and dear lord help to