9 Days with Dominic Savio: The Contemplative

Yesterday, March 9th, ordinarily the feast day of St. Dominic Savio, was Passion Sunday. We are going to continue with a few more interesting notes about the life of this extraordinary teenage saint.

I was amazed to learn that on top of the high level of virtue he exhibited, Dominic grew deeply contemplative - something that can only be prompted by God's grace. It was God's gift to Dominic, but one he did not quite understand.

Dominic, when praying, would sometimes get "distracted". He would complain that he would lose track of his thoughts and hours would pass by as if mere minutes.

Don Bosco spoke with the boy about these "distractions", probing. As the questions got more intimate, he grew embarassed and burst into tears. Don Bosco ceased any further attempts to understand these "distractions", but worked to protect him by keeping them a secret.

One morning, Dominic failed to show for breakfast. He was missing from classes and from lunch. After learning of it, Don Bosco quietly went to St. Francis Church nearby. In Fr. Lappin's book, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint, we get the following account:

Once there, he went to the rear of the altar. What he saw moved him deeply. Dominic was standing behind the altar, one foot almost on top of the other, his right hand holding on to the bookstand and his left hand on his chest. He was completely lost in contemplation.

Don Bosco watched him for a moment before he dared to speak.

"Dominic," he called out softly.

There was no response.

"Dominic," he called, louder than before.

Finally he took the boy by the arm and shook him gently.

Dominic seemed to come out of a trance. He looked around vacantly for a moment. Then he noticed Don Bosco.

"Oh," he said, "is Mass over already?"

"Dominic," said Don Bosco quietly, "it's now almost two o'clock."

The "distraction" had lasted seven hours!

Dominic looked confused, humbled, and completely at a loss. Don Bosco, too, was beside himself with emotion but he carefully hid his feelings so as not to make Dominic all the more confused.

"Go and have something to eat, my son," he said. "And if anyone asks you what happened, tell them you were doing something for me."

Other Related Posts
Day 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal
Day 2: "Death before Sin!"
Day 3: Patron Saint of the Falsely Accused
Day 4: The Saint Meets a Saint
Day 5: The Stone Duel
Day 6: Founder of Society of Mary Immaculate


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About the St. Dominic Savio Series...

I was just wondering if anyone was following with interest the series on St. Dominic Savio.

Journeying through the lives of the saints is not only adventurous, but gives us ideas on how we should approach our faith. So much namby-pamby is passed off as Catholicism and yet, it does not make saints. The theme with saints is repeated over and again:

Eucharistic Devotion
Marian Devotion
Confession
Virtue driven living
Mortification & Sacrifice
Deep prayer life
Simplicity

On that last issue, I have not posted on it, but the book does describe how simple Dominic dressed and kept his hair. He did not burden himself with fashion. Contrast that with today's emphasis on designer clothes and fashions that change almost weekly.

The list goes on.


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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: Founder of the Society of Mary Immaculate

From the book, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint by Fr. Peter Lappin:

In the year 1854, Dominic made a novena to the Immaculate Conception with
special fervor. Each day of the novena his love fo the Mother of God increased until finally he could no longer hold himself in. He felt he had to speak to somebody about what was on his mind, and with Dominic that somebody always meant Don Bosco. In the evening, Don Bosco accustomed to receive his boys, he knocked at the saint's door.

"Father," he said, "I should like to do something very special for our Lady during this Novena."

"An excellent idea, Dominic," said Don Bosco.

"Yes," replied Dominic. "But what do you think I ought to do?"

"Nothing but your duty," said Don Bosco. "Although you might pay particular attention to your prayers."

"I'd like to do something more than that."

"Then go often to Holy Communion."

"I'm doing that already, Don Bosco," said Dominic. "Soon I hope to be able to go every day. But I'd still like to do something more."

"What then?"

"I'd first like to make a general confession, then offer myself completely to our Lady and ask her to keep me from sin. You see, I want the grace to be allowed to die before I ever commit a mortal sin."

December 8, 1854, was a day of great public rejoicing for Catholics around the world, for the Holy Father, Pope Pius IX, proclaimed the dogma of Immaculate Conception.

That evening, in a quiet corner of the Oratory church, Dominic knelt at the altar of the Mother of God and consecrated himself completely to her service for the rest of his life. He repeated to her his heroic motto: Death before sin!

"From this moment," wrote Don Bosco, began that exemplary kind of life, that exactness in the performance of his duty, beyond which it is difficult to go."

He was only twelve and a half years old, and this was his second important step along the road to sanctity.

With that, we jump to a website that jumps forward a couple years. Dominic did more for our Lady than he realized he would do. From the site of the Motherhouse of the Salesians of St. Don Bosco (SDB) in Turin, first repeating what is above (emphases mine):

8th December, 1854, Dominic Savio entered this church, knelt in front of the altar of the Immaculate and consacreted himself to the Virgin Mary with this short prayer (that for a long time, the Salesian boys learnt by memory and made their own):

"Mary, I give you my heart, make it always yours. Jesus and Mary, You are always my friends, but for pity's sake, make me die rather than let me suffer the disgrace of committing a single sin".

The altar of Our Lady where Dominic Savio consacreted himself to her is the work that recalls the foundation of the Society of the Immaculate, the 8th December, 1854. Two years later, Dominic Savio returned to kneel before this altar, no longer alone, but accompanied by the best boys from the oratory. He had founded the "Society of the Immaculate". He had asked himself:

"Why must we try to do good to others alone? Why don't we - all the most kind-hearted young people - unite and become a "secret society" of little apostles among the others?". Don Bosco approved of his proposal.

Dominic did not know that he had only 9 more months to live but he created a masterpiece.

Those "first founders" would become Salesians, except for Dominic who would go to heaven.

The Society would be transferred to every Salesian house for more than 100 years, becoming, everywhere, a group of committed young people certain of their vocation.

More stories on Dominic Savio
(Novena Prayer is at the bottom of Day 1 for March 9th Feast)

Day 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal
Day 2: "Death before Sin!"
Day 3: Patron Saint of the Falsely Accused
Day 4: The Saint Meets a Saint

Day 5: The Stone Duel

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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: The Stone Duel

Bob and Penny Lord who appear frequently on EWTN have the story of Dominic Savio on DVD (click the pic)

Continuing with another story from the 1954 book, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint by Fr. Peter Lappin, we look at a duel between quarreling boys and how Dominic courageously brought it to a safe ending.

In the 1800's quarrels were settled with duels. Duels typically made use of firearms. But, many of the poor boys could not afford them and so they had duels using stones. This could be very dangerous and damaging to say the least.

Well, Dominic caught wind that a duel between quarreling boys would be taking place and made it a point to find out where it was at. He did not run and tell Don Bosco as some thought he might. But, he knew it was displeasing to God because it involved hatred between the two boys and did not want to see anyone hurt.

First, Dominic wrote a letter to the boys trying to convince them not go through with it. When that failed, he told them he wanted to come to see it. He promised not to tell Don Bosco - a promise Dominic never broke. One of the boys involved in the duel later told the saintly priest about the incident.

When the boys arrived at the chosen place, Dominic had communicated that he would not squeal, but on condition - a condition he would not reveal just yet.

The boys had assembled with 20 stones at each of their feet, only 20 paces apart from each other. Dominic knew this could be a slaughter. Dominic was charged with giving the signal and as the time grew near, he began to fumble around in his pocket. He knew they were waiting impatiently and reminded them that he still had a condition to lay down.

From his pocket, he pulled up his hand holding high into the air, a crucifix. He shouted to them to start throwing and he braced himsef. Everyone paused and Dominic rushed over to the bigger of the two boys:

"Here's the condition," he said. "You've got to throw the first stone at me and say: Christ died innocent and pardoned His enemies, but I want my revenge."

This knocked the boy off his balance.

"But . . . . but I don't have anything against you, Dominic. Why I'd sock
the guy that'd hurt you!"

Dominic went up to the other boy.

"All right then, you go first."

"Aw, gosh, Dominic!" said the second boy. "I can't throw at you! You
don't come into this...."

Dominic then spoke warmly to both of them and showed them how foolish they were to act this way. in the end, he forced the boys to make up and shake hands and walked away from the filed with a duelist on each arm.

Sculptors and painters have preserved the memory of Dominic standing in this position and holding up a crucifix.

Seems to me that Dominic was just over 12 years old when this took place.



More from 9 Days with Dominic Savio

Novena prayer to St. Dominic Savio whose feast day is March 9th can be found at the bottom of "Day 1".

Day 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal
Day 2: "Death before Sin!"
Day 3: Patron Saint of the Falsely Accused
Day 4: The Saint Meets a Saint


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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: The saint meets a saint

As we continue to look more closely at the life of St. Dominic Savio, we need to look at how the young boy ended up at Don Bosco's oratory. Father Cugliero discovered that Don Bosco would be visiting his native town of Becchi which was only a half-an-hour from Moriondo by foot. Don Bosco's successes had spread all over and Father Cugliero made a brief trip to Turin to speak to him about the young Savio.

We now pick up the story in the book when St. John Bosco and St. Dominic Savio meet for the first time. From the 1954 book, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint by Fr. Peter Lappin:

"What's your name, son?"

"Dominic Savio, Father."

"Where from?"

"Moriondo, Father. Father Cugliero said he spoke to you about me."

"Yes, he did indeed. How are your studies?"

Dominic told him. What he said was borne out of his father, who added proudly that his son knew the Catechism by heart.

As was his constant habit, Don Bosco gradually brought the conversation around to the state of the other's soul. Their talk took on an air of cordial intimacy.

"We were soon in each other's confidence, " wrote Don Bosco. "He in mind, and I in his."

Toward the end of the interview, Dominic wanted to settle things definitely.

"Do you mean to let me come to the Oratory?" he asked the priest.

"Yes," Don Bosco smiled. "You see I think I see in you a lot of good material."

"What do you think it's good for, Father?"

"To make a beautiful garment for our Lord."

"So I'm going to be the cloth . . . you the tailor?"

"Precisely. Only . . . "

"Only what?"

"Well, to tell the truth, Dominic, you don't seem to be any too strong."

"Oh, don't mind that, Don Bosco! God will give me enough for the future."

"And when you finish your studies, what would you like to be?"

"A priest. If God gives me strength enough, Father, I should like to be a priest."

"Fine. Fine!" exclaimed Don Bosco. "Now, Dominic, I want to see how much that head of yours will hold."

He picked up a little volume of his own Catholic Readings.

"Take this book and learn this page by heart. Tomorrow when you have it down pat, come and see me again. Meanwhile, you can take some fresh air and let your father and myself discuss the ways and means of sending you to the Oratory."

The priest turned to Dominic's father. "now, Mr. Savio . . ."

Details concerning Dominic's departure were discussed and about eight minutes later they were finished. Dominic reappeared in the doorway.

"Excuse me, Fahter, but if you want to hear that lesson now . . . "

"Mind you, Dominic," warned Don Bosco, "I meant you to learn it by heart!"

"I know, Father, and still I'm ready."

"So soon? Very well. Let's hear it."

"When a man considers the value of his soul . . . "

Dominic sailed through the lesson with one or two stops for breath. He followed up a brilliant performance with explanations of what he had memorized.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Don Bosco in genuine surprise. "Bravo, indeed!"

Don Bosco looked at Dominic for a moment. His piercing blue eyes searched the boy's face.

"Dominic," he said at last, "since you anticipated the lesson, I'll anticipate my answer. From this very moment, I count you as one of Don Bosco's boys. You must start praying from now on tht you and I may do God's holy will in your regard."

Dominic took the priest's large leathery hand in his own small white ones and kissed it warmly. Don Bosco blessed both him and his father and the two set out again along the road to Moriondo.

This meeting, incidentally, took place at the humble Bosco home in Becchi. Afterward, Don Bosco used to point out to his friends exactly where he and Dominic stood while they had talked together. After that first meeting he wrote his impression of the boy: "A cheerful youngster with a smiling face . . . I recognized in him a soul made wholly according to the spirit of God, and I was not a little astonished to see the marvels that grace had already wrought in one so young."

If you are doing the Novena to St. Dominic Savio for March 9th, go back to Post (day) 1 and scroll to the bottom. More storiest

Day 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal
Day 2: "Death before Sin!"
Day 3: Patron Saint of the Falsely Accused



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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: Patron Saint of the Falsely Accused

As we work our way toward's the March 9th feast day of St. Dominic Savio, we look now at one of the stories that likely led to his being named a patron saint of the falsely accused, among other titles.

It was the new boys who got to "fix the stove". That is, it was Dominic's duty to clean out the stove early in the morning and reset it so that when the teacher, Father Cugliero came in from the cold, he could put a match to it. Dominic was diligent. After it was all cleaned out, he went out for some firewood as the boys in the classroom fired off spit-balls at each other and horsed-around.

However, some of the boys wanted to have more than a little fun in the form of a prank. Here we pick up the story in Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint, by Fr. Peter Lappin:

"Say!" exclaimed one of the boys, suddenly. "Know what?"

"No," said the others.

"Let's fix the stove!"

"But it's already fixed. Savio fixed it."

"Yeah, but not the way I mean," said the first. He rose, went outside, and returned with his arms full of large round stones. He dropped them heavily on the floor. Then he lifted the lid from the stove, took out the biggest sticks, and to the surprise of the others, put the stones in their place. He closed the stove, put the extra wood on the pile, and came back to his desk. All comments were cut short by the opening of the door.

"Good morning, Father!"

"Morning, boys!"

Father Cugliero unwound the folds of his large, black cape and immediately gave his attention to the stove. Rubbing his dry palms noisily together, he bent down and opened the little iron door. He was so used to the routine he did not even look to see if the fire had been laid. Instead, he applied a lighted match to the paper in one or two places, waited until the paper was well lit, then threw the match into the heart of the flames and banged the iron door shut.

He looked up sharply. Had he heard something - a giggle? He must have been mistaken. Every head was bent over a book and lips were moving urgent, whispered preparation.

Turning to the textbooks on his desk he took up the one on top, opened it at a marker, and with his back as close as was convenient to the fast-warming stove, commenced the morning session. As question and answer continued, he began to sense rather than feel that things were not quite what they should be. He was inclined at first to attribute this uneasiness to a vague air of distraction in the class. If only he could put his finger on the trouble! The thought then occurred to him that there might be something wrong with himself. Finally it came to him - he was still cold. Perplexed, he turned and put his hand close to the stove. He touched it with his finger tips, gingerly at first, then laying his palm flat on the smooth top. It was stone cold! Amazed, he raised the lid and peered inside. Down at the bottom lay a grayish mass of crinkled, burned paper, over small pieces of kindling that still gleamed with dying sparks. On top of all this lay four or five large round objects blackened by the smoke. These had crushed out the fire.

[snip]

The teacher glared at the class. They stared back at him in wide-eyed innocence.

"Who did it?" he asked, quietly.

No one answered.

"Who did it?" he asked, this time in a roar.

Still no one answered, so he decided to go about his investigation more methodically.

"Who's responsible for the stove this week?"

"Savio!" Everyone said.

"Savio?" cried the priest, hardly able to believe his ears.

He shouted angrily, "Come up here, Savio!"

Dominic came up and stood before him.

"Who did this, Savio?"

No answer.

"Did you do it?"

Dominic refused to answer the priest's question and instead hung his head.

The book goes on to talk about Father Cugliero's great disappointment. He recollected the saintly boy's First Holy Communion. Father wondered if he had been corrupted since that day. How could he play such a mean trick without the courage to own up to it.

Father softly and slowly explained his disappointment in the young boy. The priest would have punished him far more severely had it been anyone else, but instead had him kneel for the rest of the period until recess. All of the boys were unusually quiet as Dominic knelt in the center of the room.

Before recess began, a group of boys approached Father Cugliero and told him that it wasn't Savio. We go back to the book again:

Father Cugliero glared at the faces staring at him over the desk. They didn't know who it was, but they knew it wasn't Savio. How very odd! He decided, nevertheless, not to press the point. Instead, he dismissed the boys called and Dominic up again.

"Savio, was it you who put the stones in the stove?"

Dominic again hung his head in silence.

But this time Father Cugliero insisted.

"Answer me, yes or no, Savio. Was it you?"

"No, sir."

"Then why on earth did you not say so at first? I'd soon have found the culprit and...."

"Well, sir, the one who did it was already on his last chance, and if you'd found it out, you'd have sent him home. It would only have been my first chance and I knew you'd let me off with something lighter. Besides," he added, lowering his eyes, "I thought of our Lord when He was unjustly accused. He didn't say a word either."

Father Cugliero was immensely relieved for a moment at the boy's explanation. Then he grew even more indignatn than before, not at Dominic this time, but at the others who had allowed Dominic to suffer for the trick they had played on him.

"Do you know what I'll do?" he said, breathing rather heavily, "I'll get the name of everyone who had a hand in this business and I'll..."

"Father," interrupted Dominic, "Do you think you could let them go just this once?"

Dominic smiled and put all the appeal he could muster into his entreaty. He would have suffered more htan the boys if they had been punished.

Father Cugliero looked at him for a moment, and then fought back a smile on his own face.

"Well," he answered as gruffly as he could, "since it's for you. Just this once. But you won't save them the next time."

More posts from the "9 Days with St. Dominic Savio"

Post 1 contains the novena prayer, as well, at the bottom.

Post 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal
Post 2: Death before Sin!

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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: Death before Sin!

Dominic was 7 years old when he received his First Holy Communion in 1849. Dominic had pleaded with the priest to let him receive Our Lord.

Back then, Jansenism was the heresy of the day. Following along in the book, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint by Fr. Peter Lappin, it explains:

"Jansenists taught that Catholics should receive Holy Communion only after long and serious prepration, at the most only once or twice a year, and then
with great fear and trembling. As for children Dominic's age - not by any means!"

Father John was not a Jansenist, but he did not like just yet to make an open stand against the current practice. When Dominic, therefore, at age of seven begged to be allowed to receive his First Holy Communion with that year's group, Father John hesitated.

"I'll have to think this over" he said. He decided to first consult Father Cugliero, an old classmate from seminary days.

"Look, Father," he told his friend, "when that boy was only five years old, if he found the church door closed early in the morning, he would kneel down right there and wait until it opened. The weather never worried him. He'd kneel down in the mud as soon as on dry ground. I tell you I found him outside the church one winter morning waiting to serve my Mass, and he was actually stiff with the cold!"

When Father heard the other's description of Dominic's conduct, he decided immediately: if the boy can distinguish between bread and the Eucharist, let him receive.

[snip]

"what will all the other parents say?" This was the only objection several other priests could find against allowing Dominic to receive his First Holy Communion at such an early age. The two priests, therefore, boldly decided to violate the custom still in use of not permitting children to receive until they had reached the age of eleven or twelve. When Father John returned to Murialdo he told Dominic to go ahead and prepare to make his First Holy Communion.

[snip]

As to what Dominic felt when he first received Holy Communion, we can only guess. He always referred to that day with delight. "I did not know," he declared, "whether I was in heaven or on earth!"

For the occasion, he made four resolutions:

1. I wil go to confession very often and to Communion as often as my Confessor will allow.
2. I will keep the feast days holy.
3. Jesus and Mary shall be my friends.
4. Death before sin!

[snip]

This resolution, "Death before sin," places him side by side with the little saint of our own time, St. Maria Goretti, the martyr for purity. Their similarity lies in the firm intention both had of giving their lives before they would offend God by committing sin. Maria Goretti, however, was offered the opportunity to lay down her life to prove her intention. Dominic was not. Apparently God did not want a schoolboy martyr as a model. The death offered to Dominic was the death of his flesh, a slow martyrdom of mortification and penance that he accepted with a characteristic little smil on his lips - a martyrdom that was later illustrated in a vision Don Bosco had of Dominic shortly after the boy's death.

I couldn't help thinking about how Jesus wanted us to be like children. As we progress through additional stories from the life of St. Dominic Savio, you will get a better picture of authentic, God-pleasinhg purity. It does indeed project a child-like innocence with regards to purity.

The Novena prayer to St. Dominic is the same each day. It can be found in Day 1 of our "9 Days with St. Dominic" series.

Post 1: The pint-sized boy and the Missal



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9 Days with St. Dominic Savio: The pint-sized boy and the Missal

March 9th will mark the feast of St. Dominic Savio, a teenage saint, and student of St. John Bosco.

I decided to do a little more reading and I wanted to make my bed time reading more light and thought it would be nice to focus on the lives of the saints. I had been in the St. Jerome lending library looking through books and spotted one called, Dominic Savio - Teenage Saint by Fr. Peter Lappin. This was written in 1954 and several editions of the book have been released. Unfortunately, you can only find those various editions among used books. The book is out of print.

You can google his name and find many overviews, including this one from Catholic Online on Dominic Savio.

I was simply hooked on the story of this young saint from beginning to end. While the book was probably targeted to teens, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wanted to share some things with you from the life of Dominic and thought by posting some excerpts over the next 9 days, perhaps not daily, but as much as I can, followed by a novena prayer I found. I thought this would be a way to bring to light this boy's extraordinary life of virtue.

This first excerpt is more delightful than anything. Among our many altar boys at Assumption Grotto, I can totally envision this.

Dominic at the young age of 5, couldn't wait to serve Mass with Fr. John Zucca. He awakened and asked his mother why she didn't wake him fearful he would miss his opportunity. He bundled up, headed out into the dark, cold, snowy morning and headed over to the church where he waited for Father. Here we pick up the dialogue from the book:

"Bless my soul! Is it you Dominic?" exlaimed the priest in surprise, when he saw the boy curled up in the doorway.

Dominic watched teh way the priest's breath made smoke as he talked. He himself did not speak, but smiled and waited until the priest had opened the door. Then he rose and followed him.

While Fr. John, with Dominic's help, prepared the vestments, he thought he would have some fun with the boy. Dominic's answers were so straightforward and naive they often made him laugh. As he drew out a long shallow drawer in which the vestments were laid out, he looked at Dominic.

"Dominic," he said, shaking his head in doubt, "somehow I think you're rather on the small side to be serving Mass alone."

"Oh, but I know all the words, Father! And I've done all the rest lots of times with the other boys....and lots of times by myself."

"Do you say Mass at home, Dominic?"

"Well, you know, Father....just play-acting..."

"Yes, but how about your height, Dominic? You're too small for the Missal. Why, you're not even as high as the altar!"

"I know, Father...but maybe you could help me. You know..."

"All right, Dominic. If you get into any difficulty with the Missal, just call for help."

"Oh Father, I don't need to call for help. That would disturb the Mass. Just pull the bookstand over to the edge of the altar so that I can reach it, that's all. You don't have to worry, Father. I'll get by."

"All right, then. Let's go. But the Lord help you if you drop any Latin words on my feet!"


"Introibo ad altare Dei....I will go unto the altar of God. To God, Who giveth joy to my youth."

Father John glanced at the tumbling blond hair of the boy at his side, and smiled. Then he brushed away the distraction and gave his whole attention to the Mass.

When the difficult responses were over, Dominic began to wonder about the angels who were suppose to surround the altar during Mass. He'd never seen any. Did they ever sit down? Did their breath smoke in the cold? Did they...

"Deo Gratias!" He quickly answered the priest's glance in his direction and moved to the epistle side. This was for him the most anxious moment of the Mass. He liked to serve Mass, but he hated having to shift that heavy book. It was set away back on the altar; it was so big it covered his chest, and so weighty it made him top-heavy. When he walked across the altar steps it nearly toppled him over.

Fr. John saw two blue eyes signal to him and understood. He drew the bookstand as near to the edge of the altar table as it was safe to do. Dominic stood on his tiptoes. The fingers of his outstretched arms groped for, and found, the bottom of the stand; he tipped the stand up so that the edge rested against his chin. From there he slipped it down to his chest. He was all set. He climbed down the steps carefully, feeling his way. At the bottom he crossed over to the other side. He felt with his foot for the bottom step, climbed it. He felt for the second, climbed it. He felt for the third, raised his foot....suddenly, the book shifted on the stand, pushed him back, pulled him forward....Down crashed teh book and bookstand with Dominic underneath!

Dominic got up quickly, however, snapped the bookstand rest into the proper slant, put the Missal on it, and placed both on the altar. Then he flipped the Missal open at the red marker and made his way down again to the bottom of the steps.

"At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: Unless ye become as little children..."

Father John signed himself with his thumb, glanced out the corner of his eye, and saw a small white face with red lips set in a grim little smile.

I found a Novena you can pray each night for the next 9 days (don't worry if you missed the first day, I'm sure St. Dominic will understand). This comes from a Kuwait website where the feast day is listed as May 9th. Perhaps it varies by country.

DEAR Saint Dominic, you spent your short life totally for love of Jesus and His Mother. Help youth today to realize the importance of God in their lives. You became a saint through fervent participation in the Sacraments, enlighten parents and children to the importance of frequent confession and Holy Communion. At a young age you meditated on the sorrowful Passion of Our Lord. Obtain for us the grace of a fervent desire to suffer for love of Him.

WE desperately need your intercession to protect today's children from the snares of the world. Watch over them and lead them on the narrow road to Heaven. Ask God to give us the grace to sanctify our daily duties by performing them perfectly out of love for Him. Remind us of the necessity of practicing virtue especially in times of trial.

SAINT Dominic Savio, you who preserved your baptismal innocence of heart, pray for us.


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