St Dominic Savio was born in Italy in 1842. He wandered from home at the age of four and when his mother found him, he was kneeling in prayer. He became an altar boy at five and received his First Holy Communion at seven.  When he received communion, he began to live by a motto, “Death, but not sin!” He had an extraordinary love for God and entered a school run by Don Bosco at the age of twelve. He spent hours in prayer and always used to say, “I can't do big things. But I want all I do, even the smallest thing, to be for the greater glory of God." Don Bosco showed him how you can live heroism even in the ordinary and also taught him the sanctity of common sense.

Dominic was very well behaved and self-disciplined but sometimes got into trouble by his teachers for breaking out laughing. Even though he was one of the youngest, he looked out for the other boys at the school and was concerned they would lose the grace of God through sin. He stopped some of the boys from looking at a bad magazine and others from starting a stone fight. He later gained respect from the other boys in school.

Dominic was sent home because he had tuberculosis, and received last sacraments. He was not afraid to die; rather, he was joyful for the thought of Heaven. His last words before he died were, “I am seeing the most wonderful things!” He died at the age of 15 in 1857. St. Pius X canonized him a saint in 1954. He is the patron saint of choirboys and the falsely accused.

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