About Our Stained Glass Windows
Saint Dominic Savio
Canonized – June 12, 1954
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“I honestly believe that Dominic Savio is the best Model for the Youth of our times. A teenager, such as he, who bravely struggled to preserve his baptismal innocence to the very last and who, moreover, showed no signs of real defects during his short span of life, is indeed a saint!” One saint said this about another. For these are the words of Pope Pius X who on May 29, 1954 entered the army of the saints.
Dominic Savio was born on April 2, 1842 in a small Italian town six miles from Becchi – the birthplace of St. John Bosco. At seven he made his First Holy Communion and promised in writing to guide his life by these rules:
– I will go often to Confession and will communicate as often as my confessor will allow.
– Jesus and Mary shall be my Friends.
– I will prefer death rather than sin.
At twelve he begged Father John Bosco to take him into the Oratory where he could learn to be a priest.
“Well you seem to have good stuff in you”, was Don Bosco’s reply.
“Good stuff, Father? What is it good for?”
“To make a lovely vestment for our Lord“.
“Then you are the tailor and I am the cloth. Please take me into your workshop and make me into a beautiful vestment for Him“.
One day Don Bosco told Dominic that he would like to give him a present and asked him what he would like. “What I would like best of all”, he replied, “is that you make a saint of me. I want to give myself to God forever; if I don’t become a saint I feel that I shall have done nothing worth while”.
Dominic spent only three years at the Oratory. During those short years giant strides towards perfection were made under the guidance of Don Bosco. Frail in body, he was strong of character – so strong all respected him, even the worst toughs of the street. His helpfulness towards others knew no bound; his devotion to Mary Immaculate never waned. After three years of being a boy-Christ, he was ordered under obedience by Don Bosco to return home in order to regain his failing health. Knowing he was going to die, he sadly closed the door on his beloved Oratory never to return. Eight days later on March 9, 1857, he celebrated his birthday into Heaven with the last mortal words: “O what beautiful things I see…”
The book and pen at the feet of Dominic refer to his well-known maxims: “Death rather than sin” and “serve the Lord with joy”.
Saint John Bosco says this about Dominic Savio: “In his humble condition Dominic led an industrious, virtuous and exemplary life, which was crowned with a holy death. Let us imitate him in life, and we shall have the happiness of sharing in his wonderful death. Above all, let us imitate him in going often to Confession and Holy Communion, for it was in these Sacraments that he found the secret of a good life and death.”