July 26, 2025 • 8 mins
Delve into the extraordinary life of St. Dominic Savio, as detailed by his mentor, St. John Bosco. This authentic biography, recounted by someone who knew him intimately, offers a profound exploration of Savios spiritual journey. (Summary by Mozartjr)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section seven of the Life of Saint Dominic Savio by
Saint John Bosco. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
Chapter eleven. Various incidents his attractive manner with his companions.
Although Dominic, as we have seen, was imbued with the
desire to do good to souls, it did not, as
(00:20):
some mistaken people might imagine, tend to make him melancholy
or mournful. On the contrary, he was the life of
the recreation time, though he very wisely knew how to
turn every opportunity to account. When others had something to
say or a story to tell, he never interrupted or criticized.
But when conversation flagged, he had an inexhaustible fund of
entertaining information and anecdotes, which were highly interesting to his companies.
(00:45):
He knew just when to seize the opportunity of speaking,
if it were necessary to deal with grumbling or murmuring,
or something not approved of. His manner was so cheerful
and attractive that he counted among his companions even those
who were least disposed to piety or were of an
opposite nature to his own. And they always took in
good part whatever insinuation or hint he might give them. Once,
(01:08):
when the boys were at play in an open space,
a man came up and joined in the conversation. He
was amusing at first, and had a story or two
that suited the curiosity of young people, But when he
had made himself at home a little, he went on
to speak of religious subjects and priests and the like,
and treated them with ridicule and disrespect. Many of the
boys noticed the change in his conversation and went off
(01:28):
to play. Others stayed on, But then Dominic arrived. He
stopped for a moment to listen, but immediately saw what
the man was about, and without any hesitation, said to
the boys round him, don't stay here listening to such
a degraded man. He is only trying to corrupt souls.
The boys were accustomed to Dominic's influence in regard to
such things, and all moved away, leaving the man alone.
(01:49):
The latter retired, discomfited, and never tried his persuasive arts
in that neighborhood again. The influence of Dominic's gradually increased,
so that he could usually persuade the boys against any
course in which he saw that evil might lurk. There
was at the oratory at the time, a little society
composed of the better and more able boys who endeavored
to check any wrongdoing amongst the rest, and to deal
(02:11):
with any unruly ones amongst them. Savio belonged to it
and played a foremost part in it. Whatever little presence
came to him, he reserved them to add weight to
his persuasion. Sometimes he would seize an opportunity in the
games when a boy on whom he had designs was
a partner of his, to ask him to promise to
go to confession with him on the following Saturday. As
(02:32):
Saturday usually seemed a long way off, the boy generally consented,
but Dominic did not let him forget it, and when
Saturday came, he would take the boy off to church
as pleased with the success of his little ruse as
a sportsman is in securing his prize. In this way,
it often happened that a boy on whom a hundred
sermons would be lost would at once succumb to some
novel method invented by Dominic zeal for souls. However, it
(02:55):
occasionally happened that on the appointed day, the boy who
had promised to accompany him to confession would be missing.
As soon as Dominic saw him again, he would say, ah,
you disappointed me. You didn't keep your promise. The boy
would bring forward some excuse, but he was never able
to convince Dominic, who easily explained to the boy that
he had been caught in one of the devil's tricks
(03:15):
for putting off confession. He would then go on to
show him how happy he would be afterwards if he
made a good confession, and yet him to make another promise.
It always happened that these boys would go to Dominic
afterwards and tell him how glad they were for having
followed his advice that they would go frequently to the
sacraments in future. It is a common thing that among
a great number of boys, a few are left more
(03:36):
or less severely alone, whether on account of their peculiar character,
or of some defect, or of something uninviting about them. Sometimes, too,
these are the object of the ridicule and torment of
their companions, and are sorely in need of a friend.
Dominic was always on the lookout for these. He was
frequently in their company, entertaining them in one way or another.
Others who through ignorance or neglect, were disposed to be
(03:59):
mischievous or bad, Dominic took in hand and always brought
them to a better frame of mind. With the sick again,
he was in great demand, so that in one way
or another, Savia was a real apostle and put into
practice his great ideal of drawing souls to God. End
of chapter eleven, Chapter twelve. His spirit of prayer, his
(04:23):
devotion to the Holy Mother of God the month of May.
Dominic was evidently endowed with special gifts from God, and
among them was his assiduity and fervor in prayer. It
seemed to be part of his very nature to converse
with God in no matter where he was or what
noises or games might be going on around him. His
recollection was never disturbed, and his ejaculations were none the
(04:45):
less frequent at the general prayers of the boys. His
manner can only be described as that of an angel.
His attitude was devotion itself. He never seemed to want
to rest even his elbows, but kneeling and with hands
joined his eyes cast down, he gave himself up to
communing with God to look at him. Thus was to
be edified. In eighteen fifty four, the Count Kays was
(05:09):
elected president of the Sidality of Saint Aloysis that was
established at the oratory. The first time he was present
at the functions of the cidality, he saw a boy
at prayer with such an air of rapt devotion that
he was immediately struck by him. He inquired about him afterwards,
and of course it was our young friend. Dominic always
managed to spend some part of his recreation in the chapel,
(05:30):
generally getting a companion to go in with him, though
he need not stay as long as Dominic did. His
devotion to our blessed lady was like a burning fire
within him. Every day he practiced some act of mortification
in her honor. Attracted by her heavenly beauty, he had
no desire of gazing on things of earthly mold, and
the thought of her purity and modesty prevented him from
(05:50):
taking interest in the ordinary, entertaining sights of the town,
which so much attract the average boy. This abstraction or
deep recollection, when out in the streets, was frequently remarked
upon by his companions, and he generally explained it by
saying that he was thinking of something far more interesting
in connection with our Lady and heaven to her. He
offered special devotions in the course of the day, particularly
(06:12):
on Friday, in honor of the seven Dolores, and he
placed his own purity of soul in the keeping of
that immaculate Virgin. It was therefore a natural development that
he should be carried away with special fervor during the
month of May. There were always extra practices in the
church for the benefit of the public, and the boys
took part in them. But Dominic was not satisfied with that.
(06:34):
He arranged with certain companions to perform extra devotions every day,
and he prepared a stock of examples and anecdotes concerning
the devotion to our Lady. With the aid of these
he urged not a few boys to make an effort
to celebrate the month with fervor. Needless to say, he
received Holy Communion every day during that period, and was
a shining example to all those that came in contact
(06:54):
with him. A little incident is told in connection with
this month. It was proposed by someone that a little
altar should be erected in the dormitory to which Dominic belonged,
and a collection was made all around for contributions towards
its expense. Savio found himself among the number of boys
who had no pocket money at the time. Yet it
was not to be thought of that he should be
(07:15):
out of the contribution to so good a cause. He
soon conceived a plan. He had among his books, one
that was of some value, which he had received as
a prize. He proposed that this should be sold and
the proceeds given to the altar. Others thought they would
adopt the same plan. They accordingly got together a few
of their things that might be desirable in the eyes
of companions, and arranged to have a sort of lottery.
(07:37):
Purchasers were soon found, and the result was ample for
the decoration of the altar. Its adornment was to be
done after night prayers by special permission, but Dominic was
expressly advised to go to bed, as he had not
been well of late. He obeyed, but it was quite
a sacrifice for him to be deprived of doing something
that he thought tended directly to the honor of her,
of whom he was one of the most devout clients.
(08:01):
End of Chapter twelve
Section seven of the Life of Saint Dominic Savio by
Saint John Bosco. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
Chapter eleven. Various incidents his attractive manner with his companions.
Although Dominic, as we have seen, was imbued with the
desire to do good to souls, it did not, as
(00:20):
some mistaken people might imagine, tend to make him melancholy
or mournful. On the contrary, he was the life of
the recreation time, though he very wisely knew how to
turn every opportunity to account. When others had something to
say or a story to tell, he never interrupted or criticized.
But when conversation flagged, he had an inexhaustible fund of
entertaining information and anecdotes, which were highly interesting to his companies.
(00:45):
He knew just when to seize the opportunity of speaking,
if it were necessary to deal with grumbling or murmuring,
or something not approved of. His manner was so cheerful
and attractive that he counted among his companions even those
who were least disposed to piety or were of an
opposite nature to his own. And they always took in
good part whatever insinuation or hint he might give them. Once,
(01:08):
when the boys were at play in an open space,
a man came up and joined in the conversation. He
was amusing at first, and had a story or two
that suited the curiosity of young people, But when he
had made himself at home a little, he went on
to speak of religious subjects and priests and the like,
and treated them with ridicule and disrespect. Many of the
boys noticed the change in his conversation and went off
(01:28):
to play. Others stayed on, But then Dominic arrived. He
stopped for a moment to listen, but immediately saw what
the man was about, and without any hesitation, said to
the boys round him, don't stay here listening to such
a degraded man. He is only trying to corrupt souls.
The boys were accustomed to Dominic's influence in regard to
such things, and all moved away, leaving the man alone.
(01:49):
The latter retired, discomfited, and never tried his persuasive arts
in that neighborhood again. The influence of Dominic's gradually increased,
so that he could usually persuade the boys against any
course in which he saw that evil might lurk. There
was at the oratory at the time, a little society
composed of the better and more able boys who endeavored
to check any wrongdoing amongst the rest, and to deal
(02:11):
with any unruly ones amongst them. Savio belonged to it
and played a foremost part in it. Whatever little presence
came to him, he reserved them to add weight to
his persuasion. Sometimes he would seize an opportunity in the
games when a boy on whom he had designs was
a partner of his, to ask him to promise to
go to confession with him on the following Saturday. As
(02:32):
Saturday usually seemed a long way off, the boy generally consented,
but Dominic did not let him forget it, and when
Saturday came, he would take the boy off to church
as pleased with the success of his little ruse as
a sportsman is in securing his prize. In this way,
it often happened that a boy on whom a hundred
sermons would be lost would at once succumb to some
novel method invented by Dominic zeal for souls. However, it
(02:55):
occasionally happened that on the appointed day, the boy who
had promised to accompany him to confession would be missing.
As soon as Dominic saw him again, he would say, ah,
you disappointed me. You didn't keep your promise. The boy
would bring forward some excuse, but he was never able
to convince Dominic, who easily explained to the boy that
he had been caught in one of the devil's tricks
(03:15):
for putting off confession. He would then go on to
show him how happy he would be afterwards if he
made a good confession, and yet him to make another promise.
It always happened that these boys would go to Dominic
afterwards and tell him how glad they were for having
followed his advice that they would go frequently to the
sacraments in future. It is a common thing that among
a great number of boys, a few are left more
(03:36):
or less severely alone, whether on account of their peculiar character,
or of some defect, or of something uninviting about them. Sometimes, too,
these are the object of the ridicule and torment of
their companions, and are sorely in need of a friend.
Dominic was always on the lookout for these. He was
frequently in their company, entertaining them in one way or another.
Others who through ignorance or neglect, were disposed to be
(03:59):
mischievous or bad, Dominic took in hand and always brought
them to a better frame of mind. With the sick again,
he was in great demand, so that in one way
or another, Savia was a real apostle and put into
practice his great ideal of drawing souls to God. End
of chapter eleven, Chapter twelve. His spirit of prayer, his
(04:23):
devotion to the Holy Mother of God the month of May.
Dominic was evidently endowed with special gifts from God, and
among them was his assiduity and fervor in prayer. It
seemed to be part of his very nature to converse
with God in no matter where he was or what
noises or games might be going on around him. His
recollection was never disturbed, and his ejaculations were none the
(04:45):
less frequent at the general prayers of the boys. His
manner can only be described as that of an angel.
His attitude was devotion itself. He never seemed to want
to rest even his elbows, but kneeling and with hands
joined his eyes cast down, he gave himself up to
communing with God to look at him. Thus was to
be edified. In eighteen fifty four, the Count Kays was
(05:09):
elected president of the Sidality of Saint Aloysis that was
established at the oratory. The first time he was present
at the functions of the cidality, he saw a boy
at prayer with such an air of rapt devotion that
he was immediately struck by him. He inquired about him afterwards,
and of course it was our young friend. Dominic always
managed to spend some part of his recreation in the chapel,
(05:30):
generally getting a companion to go in with him, though
he need not stay as long as Dominic did. His
devotion to our blessed lady was like a burning fire
within him. Every day he practiced some act of mortification
in her honor. Attracted by her heavenly beauty, he had
no desire of gazing on things of earthly mold, and
the thought of her purity and modesty prevented him from
(05:50):
taking interest in the ordinary, entertaining sights of the town,
which so much attract the average boy. This abstraction or
deep recollection, when out in the streets, was frequently remarked
upon by his companions, and he generally explained it by
saying that he was thinking of something far more interesting
in connection with our Lady and heaven to her. He
offered special devotions in the course of the day, particularly
(06:12):
on Friday, in honor of the seven Dolores, and he
placed his own purity of soul in the keeping of
that immaculate Virgin. It was therefore a natural development that
he should be carried away with special fervor during the
month of May. There were always extra practices in the
church for the benefit of the public, and the boys
took part in them. But Dominic was not satisfied with that.
(06:34):
He arranged with certain companions to perform extra devotions every day,
and he prepared a stock of examples and anecdotes concerning
the devotion to our Lady. With the aid of these
he urged not a few boys to make an effort
to celebrate the month with fervor. Needless to say, he
received Holy Communion every day during that period, and was
a shining example to all those that came in contact
(06:54):
with him. A little incident is told in connection with
this month. It was proposed by someone that a little
altar should be erected in the dormitory to which Dominic belonged,
and a collection was made all around for contributions towards
its expense. Savio found himself among the number of boys
who had no pocket money at the time. Yet it
was not to be thought of that he should be
(07:15):
out of the contribution to so good a cause. He
soon conceived a plan. He had among his books, one
that was of some value, which he had received as
a prize. He proposed that this should be sold and
the proceeds given to the altar. Others thought they would
adopt the same plan. They accordingly got together a few
of their things that might be desirable in the eyes
of companions, and arranged to have a sort of lottery.
(07:37):
Purchasers were soon found, and the result was ample for
the decoration of the altar. Its adornment was to be
done after night prayers by special permission, but Dominic was
expressly advised to go to bed, as he had not
been well of late. He obeyed, but it was quite
a sacrifice for him to be deprived of doing something
that he thought tended directly to the honor of her,
of whom he was one of the most devout clients.
(08:01):
End of Chapter twelve
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!