St. Dominic Savio learns a page by heart in eight minutes

BECCHI DI MURIALDO, Piedmont, October 1854 AD — Saint Dominic Savio, a twelve-year-old boy from Mondonio, walked up to Saint John Bosco early this month and asked to be taken to Turin to study. They met at the Becchi, the hillside hamlet at Murialdo, near Castelnuovo, where the priest was born. St. John Bosco doubted that the boy was healthy enough for years of study. Before he answered, he tested how quick the boy was at his lessons, and the boy did so well that St. John Bosco said yes the same morning.

St. Dominic Savio wanted to be a priest. He had been first in his class since his first day at school, but his health had been poor for two years. To become a priest he would have to study Latin. His father, Charles Savio, was the village blacksmith, and the family was poor. St. John Bosco, a priest of thirty-nine, took in boys from poor families at his Oratory at Valdocco, on the edge of Turin. Most of them learned a trade there; the ones who showed they could study were sent on to the Latin school, so that they might become priests. The boy wanted one of those places, and St. John Bosco could give it or refuse it.

Earlier this year the boy’s schoolmaster at Mondonio, Father Giuseppe Cugliero, a man from St. John Bosco’s own town, went to Turin to speak for his pupil. Father Cugliero told St. John Bosco: “Here in your Oratory, there might possibly be boys equal to him, but I can safely assert that there is none to excel him; in fact you find him to be another Saint Aloysius.” Each October St. John Bosco took the boys from the Oratory to the Becchi for country air, a novena and the feast of the Holy Rosary. The two priests agreed that the boy would be brought to him there in the autumn.

Early one morning this month, while the boys from the Oratory played games in the fields, St. John Bosco saw a boy coming toward him with his father. He noticed the boy’s pleasant, respectful manner and asked him who he was. St. Dominic Savio answered: “I am the boy of whom Father Cugliero has spoken to you. I have come with my father from Mondonio.” St. John Bosco described his first impression of the boy: “I was struck by his serene expression and cheerful but modest demeanour. I sensed at once the work of Divine Grace in one so young and was filled with admiration. We understood each other perfectly at once.”

The priest and the boy walked together while St. John Bosco asked about his studies and his plans. After a few minutes, before St. John Bosco could turn to speak to Charles Savio, the boy asked him: “Well, what do you think of the matter; will you take me to Turin to study?”

St. John Bosco answered: “Dominic, I think there is some good stuff in you.” The boy asked: “Good stuff, Father! What is it good for?” St. John Bosco told him: “To make a fine vestment for Our Lord.” St. Dominic Savio answered: “Splendid idea, Father. I’ll be the cloth; you be the tailor. So take me with you and start the cutting out at once.”

St. John Bosco told him: “I’m afraid your health will not stand the study ahead.” The boy answered him: “I don’t think we need fear on that point. God’s given me health and every assistance till now, and He will surely help me in the future.” St. John Bosco asked what he meant to do when his schooling was over. St. Dominic Savio told him: “If I could hope for such a favour from God, I ardently desire to become a priest.”

St. John Bosco then handed him a booklet, an issue of the Letture Cattoliche (Catholic Readings), a series of small Catholic books the priest published in Turin. He told the boy: “Good. Now I want to see how quick you are at your lessons. Take this book and learn page nine by heart; then come along tomorrow and we’ll see how you got on.”

St. John Bosco sent him off to play with the other boys and turned to talk with Charles Savio. The boy stood looking at page nine and read it over a few times. No more than eight minutes later he ran back to St. John Bosco. St. Dominic Savio said to him: “If you like I will recite that page to you now.” St. John Bosco took the booklet. The boy recited the whole page by heart, and he could explain any passage in it.

St. John Bosco gave his answer on the spot: “Bravo, Dominic! Since you have learnt it so quickly, you can have my answer right now. Yes, you can come with me to Turin and be one of my boys.” St. John Bosco told St. Dominic Savio to pray that God would help both of them to do His will.

St. Dominic Savio took the priest’s hand, pressed it and kissed it several times. Then he said to St. John Bosco: “I hope my behaviour will never give you cause for complaint.”