Chapter 3. 

His first communion 

– Preparation, recollection and memories of the day

Nothing stood in the way of Dominic's being allowed to make his First Communion. He knew the basic catechism by heart, and understood very well what the Holy Eucharist was. He had also a great desire to receive Jesus into his heart. There was only one difficulty, his age. At that time boys and girls did not normally make their First Communion until they were eleven or twelve years old. Dominic was only seven. To look at him, he seemed even younger, and so the parish priest hesitated to put him forward. He sought advice from some of the other priests and they, knowing Dominic's state, said that he need not hesitate. The way was now clear and Dominic was told that he could make his First Holy Communion.
It is not easy to describe the joy which filled him at this news. He ran home trembling with excitement and joy to tell his mother. Much of his time was given to praying and reading; he made visits to the Blessed Sacrament and it seemed as though he was trying to outrival the angels in his devotion.
The evening before he went to his mother and said: “Mother, tomorrow I am receiving Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time; forgive me for anything I have done to displease you in the past: I promise you I am going to be a much better boy in every way”. Having said this, he burst into tears. So did his mother, as she put her arms round him, unable to say anything except. “Pray for me and for your father, pray that God may keep you always his own”.
Dominic was up early next morning, dressed himself in his best clothes and hurried off to church. It was not yet open so he knelt down on the steps, as was his custom, and tried to pray until the other children arrived and the church was opened. With Confession, preparation, thanksgiving and sermon, the service lasted five hours. Dominic was the first in church and the last to leave. Time seemed to mean nothing to him and he scarcely seemed to know whether he was on earth or in heaven.
It was a wonderful and never-to-be-forgotten day for him; it was a renewal of his life for God, a life that can be taken as an example by anyone. If one got him to talk about his First Communion several years later, his face lit up with joy and happiness as he said: “That was the happiest and most wonderful day of my life”. He made some promises on that day which he preserved carefully in a little book, and often re-read them. He let me have this little book to look at and I give them here just as he wrote them.
Promises made by me, Dominic Savio, when I made my First Communion in 1849 at seven years of age:
I will go often to Confession and I will go to Holy Communion as often as I am allowed.
I will try to give the Sundays and holy days completely to God.
My best friends will be Jesus and Mary.
Death, but not sin.
These promises were the guiding light of his life until he died.
If among those who read this book there are any who have yet to make their First Communion, I would urge them strongly to try to do as Dominic did; to let him inspire them in their preparation and all that they do. With all my heart too I recommend to parents, teachers and all those who are responsible for the young, to give the greatest importance to this great act. Be assured that the First Communion very well made is a solid moral foundation for the rest of the child's life. It will certainly be an extraordinary thing to find anyone who has made this great act with real devotion and care and has afterwards gone astray. On the other hand there are thousands of young people who have gone astray and who are the despair of their parents and those responsible for them; I would not hesitate to say that the trouble began with the little or no real preparation for the First Communion. It is better to delay making it, or not to make it at all, than to make it badly.

Chapter 2. 

Good behaviour at Murialdo 

– Signs of virtue – Attendance at the village school

In this chapter there are facts which some might find difficult to believe. In giving them I quote from a statement given me by Dominic's parish priest:

“Soon after I came to Murialdo, I would often see a small boy about five years old coming into the church with his mother. I was very struck with the serenity of his face and his unaffected piety, and was not surprised that others noticed the same. If, when he came to church in the morning it was locked, you would see something very interesting. He would quietly kneel down and say his prayers, instead of beginning to play about in some way or other as boys of his age would do. It did not matter if the ground was muddy or the snow was thick on it, he knelt down just the same. Curious to know who he was, I made enquiries and found out that he was the son of the blacksmith, Charles Savio.
If ever I met him on the road he would wave while still some distance away and his face would light up with a smile. At school he made rapid progress not simply because he was clever, but also because he tried very hard. Some of the boys he had to mix with were rather rowdy and far from good, but I never saw him quarrelling. If they did try to involve him in some disturbance, he would patiently hold on and at the first opportunity quietly slip away. If they wanted him to join with them robbing orchards, damaging property, making fun of old people or suchlike, he not only refused, but stated quite convincingly why he thought it was wrong to do so.
This spirit of piety did not drop off as he grew older. He was only five years old when he learned to serve Mass and he always did so with great attention. He tried to be at Mass every day, and if there was someone else serving he would hear Mass from the benches. As he was rather small, he could not reach the missal when it was on the altar. It brought a smile to one's lips to see him anxiously coming up to the altar, standing on tip-toe and reaching as far as he could in the effort to get hold of the missal-stand. If the priest saying Mass wanted to please him, on no account should he change the missal over himself, but pull the stand right to the edge where Dominic could get hold of it and carry it triumphantly to the other side.
He used to go regularly and frequently to confession, and since he already knew how to distinguish heavenly bread from the earthly kind, he was allowed to make his First Communion. Communion was something he did with great devotion. Seeing how grace was working in his soul so marvellously, I often thought to myself, “What promise there is here for the future; may God open up the way for him to reach the heights he is capable of attaining”. That is what the priest at Murialdo wrote.

The life of Dominic Savio
as narrated by Don Bosco

You yourselves have often asked me to write you something about Dominic Savio, and having done what I could to satisfy your earnest wishes, here then is his life briefly and simply written.
There have been two difficulties in particular in writing this life for you. The first one is the talk which writing about things many people still living have seen and heard gives rise to. I think I have got around this by only writing about the things which we ourselves saw. The second one is that, since Dominic lived here for three years, I have had to speak about myself in different ways. I have tried to overcome this by treating things in as historical a way as possible. If, however, in spite of this I seem to refer to myself unduly, consider it to be the result of the the great affection I have for Dominic and for you all; this lets me talk freely to you and keep no secrets from you.
You might ask me why it is I have written Dominic's life and not that of some of the other boys who had such a reputation for virtue and whom you were so fond of - Gabriel Fascio, Louis Rua, John Massaglia come quickly to mind, apart from many others. It is quite true that the goodness of these boys would make their lives very well worth writing, but Dominic stood out even above these. In any case, I have it in mind with God's help to write something about them for you, so that you can do the same as they did.
In this fifth edition, then, I have added some new details which I hope will also be interesting for those who have read this life in earlier printed editions.
In the meantime, reading about Dominic's life, say to yourselves what the great St. Augustine said in similar circumstances, Si ille cur non ego? That is, if a boy of my age, just like me in every way, who had to meet the same temptations as I have to or worse, could follow Christ with such courage and wholeheartedness, why should I not do the same? Remember that true religion does not mean simply saying things, but doing them. If you read something that you admire, don't content yourself with saying: “This is great”; say rather, “I am going to do the same”.
May God give you and all those who read this little book the grace to benefit from it. May the Blessed Virgin whom Dominic loved so much, grant that we may, all of us, love God with all our heart and soul. For He alone deserves all our love and service.
Fr John Bosco


Chapter 1.
Home – The boy's character – His early goodness
>Dominic's parents, Charles and Brigid Savio, were poor, hard working people and belonged to Castelnuovo d'Asti1 >a little town about ten miles from Turin. In 1841 they went to live in Riva.2
When Dominic was two years old his parents decided to return to their native place and they found a home at Murialdo on the outskirts of Castelnuovo d'Asti.
His parents dearly loved their son and had only one idea – to bring him up as a good Christian. Dominic was naturally good, with a heart which was a fertile field for the things of God. He learned his morning and night prayers readily and could already say them by himself when he was only four years old. He was constantly beside his mother, eager to help her in every way. If he did go off sometimes, it was only to go into some corner and try to say some prayers.
>“From his earliest years”, said his parents, “when children find it very difficult to keep still, and are always wanting to touch and pull things about, Dominic was not only obedient and ready to do anything we asked but was also always trying to do whatever made us happy”.
When his father came home at night from work, Dominic would run to meet him, take his hand, or jump up into his arms, something they noted with interest and with pleasure. “Dear Dad”, he'd say, “how tired you must be. True? You work so hard for me and I'm not always good, in fact I cause trouble. I pray to God to give you health and to make me good”. And with that he would offer him a chair or stool to sit on, would keep him company and do a thousand little things for him. “This was real comfort for me in my work” the father said, “and I was impatient to get home and kiss my Dominic who had won over my heart completely”.
His love did not stop at his parents; his love of God was older than his years. He wanted to say his prayers and never had to be reminded, much less driven, to say them at night and before and after meals. The Angelus too. Rather, it was he who reminded others, should they happen to forget.
One day, distracted by something unusual, his parents sat down to the meal without saying grace. Dominic immediately said, “Dad, we have not said our grace yet”, and began himself to make the Sign of the Cross and say the prayer.
On another occasion there was a visitor in the house who was asked to stay for dinner. When the meal was put on the table, the man sat down and began eating without making the Sign of the Cross or saying any prayer. Dominic did not presume to correct the visitor, but left the table and stayed away until the visitor had gone. When asked by his parents why he had acted in this very unusual way, he said, “I did not like to be at table with one who eats just like animals do.”

St. Dominic Savio,

Pray for us!

St Dominic Savio

Many people love him then and now. I myself is a devotee of him. it feels good to talk to him every night, kissing his relic and asking him to accompany me while I sleep. I even ask  God to send me a dream where I can talk to Savio. Its good to have a friend at your side, ready to listen, and when you see him, you will be inspired by his glory which is God himself