Saint Dominic Savio

Saint Dominic Savio was born on April 2, 1842, in the village of Riva, belonging to Castelnuovo d'Asti, in Italy. He was one of three children of Carlos Sávio, a blacksmith, and Brígida Agagliate, a seamstress. Domingos Sávio was a student of a very special master: Saint John Bosco. He was a young man full of great sensitivity, Saint John Bosco said in a quote that he was “good-natured and very pious”.

A Life in Search of Holiness

Domingos Sávio's entire life was a great and beautiful search for holiness. Even as a child, he went to church to pray even when it was closed. He received the First Eucharist at the age of seven and established his life motto: “I would rather die than sin.” This spiritual maturity was the result of the wonderful pedagogy created by Saint John Bosco.

The false accusation and the lesson of Domingos Sávio

One day, some classmates filled the classroom greenhouse with stones and accused Domingos of having placed the stones. The master, who was a priest, had no choice in the face of the “evidence” that his colleagues forged. Domingos did not defend himself. Just one day later, the truth came out.

The priest sought out Domingos and asked why he had remained silent in the face of a false accusation. Domingos said he needed to imitate the Lord Jesus, who had also been accused through no fault of his own and remained silent, assuming guilt that was not his. Domingos also said that if he spoke in his defense, the other students could be expelled and he did not want harm for his colleagues.

Your Company of the Immaculate Conception

At the age of twelve, Domingos Sávio met Saint John Bosco and began his secondary studies. Taken by the charisma of Saint John Bosco, and by the great ideal that was summed up in the expression “Give me souls”, Domingos wanted to save more and more people. Therefore, he founded the Company of the Immaculate Conception.

Death and canonization

Taken down by tuberculosis at the age of fifteen, Domingos Sávio returned to his parents' house, where he died peacefully with the joy of going to meet the Lord, exclaiming to his parents: “Goodbye, dear parents. I have a beautiful vision! How beautiful!" Domingos Sávio was beatified in 1950 and canonized on June 12, 1954 by Pope Pius XII. Today he is the patron saint of people who suffer false accusations, of young delinquents and of singers in the church choir.

Saint Dominic Sávio was a young man who, even with a short life, left a great example of how we should live our lives. He teaches us that holiness has no age limits and that we should not defend ourselves at any cost – we can seek to imitate the Lord Jesus in all situations.