Some years ago I attended a youth camp somewhere in the Grain Alps. One evening, as we were enjoying an after-dinner movie, there was a blackout. Everybody was rushing to find candles. The director of the camp approached me and whispered, "Go on stage and tell a story." I did some quick thinking: "I'll tell something about Dominic Savio. I can stretch it if power doesn't come back, or shorten it if it does." I began with Dominic knocking at Don Bosco's door, leading him along the dark alleys of Turin in the dead of night. Don Bosco arrived just in time to save the soul of a poor priest who had become a Protestant pastor for money, and who, sensing earth, was imploring for a priest to hear his confession. Astonished by the total silence, I went on for about half an hour. Power returned. I concluded: "I have told you half of Dominic's life. I will tell you the other half if there is another black out." The movie re-started.

Saint Domenico Savio (1842–1857) was a young Italian student and a disciple of Saint John Bosco. Born in Riva Presso Chieri, he was an ordinary boy who lived in an extraordinary way, and whose concern was to become a saint and to reach heaven, where there is eternal happiness. He showed remarkable holiness from an early age, choosing the motto: “Death rather than sin.” At the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Turin, he lived a life of prayer, joy, and charity, inspiring his companions by his kindness and deep love for God. Despite his short life, Domenico’s extraordinary virtue made him a model for young people. He died at just 14 years old and was canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. Today, he is honoured as a patron of youth and altar servers, a shining example that holiness is possible at any age.