Born in northern Italy in 1842, Dominic was one of ten children. His father, Carlo, was a blacksmith, and his mother, Brigitta, was a seamstress. 

We know the story of St. Dominic through St. John Bosco who wrote a book about him after he died at the age of just fourteen. In his book, The Life of Dominic Savio, St. John Bosco describes Dominic as a model for other boys. 

He was studying to be a priest and helped St. John Bosco reach out to poor and neglected children. He was wise beyond his years and skilled at settling disputes among his friends and other children but he was also very good at explaining to them why it was important to refrain from fighting in the first place. 

Dominic spent many hours in prayer and had a great devotion to The Blessed Mother. After Pope Pius IX published the Dogma of The Immaculate Conception he established a group called, The Company of The Immaculate Conception. From this group, every boy who joined ended up becoming a priest, except Dominic, who died before he could become one. 

At one point Dominic said: “I can’t do big things but I want all I do, even the smallest things, to be for the greater Glory of God.” 

After struggling with his health for most of his life, he succumbed to lung disease and died in 1857. 

St. Dominic Savio, please pray for us.