Given a day to learn a page, he took eight minutes

BECCHI DI MURIALDO, Piedmont, October 1854 AD — Saint Dominic Savio was twelve years old when a priest handed him a small book. The priest told him to learn page nine by heart and come back the next day. The priest was Saint John Bosco. He hadn’t yet said whether he would take the boy to Turin to study.

St. Dominic Savio wanted to be a priest, and to become one he would have to study Latin. He had been first in his class since his first day at school. But his health had been poor for two years. His father, Charles Savio, was the blacksmith in their village, Mondonio. The family was poor.

St. John Bosco took in boys from poor families at his Oratory, a house 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 that year the boy’s schoolmaster, Father Giuseppe Cugliero, went to Turin. He praised his pupil to St. John Bosco. The two priests agreed that the boy would be brought to St. John Bosco at the Becchi in the autumn.

Every October St. John Bosco took the boys from the Oratory to the Becchi. That was the tiny hillside village near Castelnuovo where he had been born. They went for the fresh country air and to celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary there.

The cloth and the tailor

Early one morning in October 1854 AD, the boys from the Oratory were playing games in the fields. St. John Bosco saw a boy coming toward him with his father. St. John Bosco 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.”

The priest and the boy walked together, and St. John Bosco asked about his studies. After a few minutes 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.”

Then 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.” That was when St. John Bosco handed him the small book. 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.”

Back before the game

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 part of 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.” He 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.”