Dominic Savio, the second of 11 children born to a peasant family in Riva, Italy, was only 15 years old when he died. But his brief life is a powerful example for young people to always be confident in who they are and to realize holiness is achieved by fulfilling the ordinary demands of life in an extraordinary way, always with faith in God.
This latest installment concludes Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.’s Young Saint Series, a special project for the Year of Youth. In this series, Bishop O’Connell shares about the life of Laura del Carmen Vicuna.
Maria Goretti was the third of seven children in her family. She was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, Italy. Her father, Luigi, owned a farm and, along with her mother, Assunta, guided their children as they all worked the farm.
If St. Catherine of Alexandria were alive today, she would no doubt be a member of her high school debating team! It was St. Catherine’s great wisdom, knowledge and debating skills that converted many to Christianity, but also led to her martyrdom.
St. Teresa was baptized Juana Enriqueta Josefina Fernandez Solar on July 13, 1900, in Santiago, Chile. She grew up in a loving, faith-filled family, with her parents, two sisters and three brothers, surrounded also by her great-grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins. Those who knew her well called her Juanita.
José Sánchez del Río was born in the western Mexican state of Michoacán de Ocampo on March 28, 1913. When the Cristero War erupted in 1926, he begged his mother to allow him to join his brothers as a soldier supporting Catholic efforts. She refused but he persisted. Even at his tender age, José possessed a remarkable faith. When his mother relented, the boy performed menial tasks for the Cristeros forces. His dedication to Christ the King — mature beyond his years — never wavered. Despite governmental prohibition of the public practice of religion, José attended Mass whenever possible, received Holy Communion and never hesitated to proclaim his faith.
While we don’t know too much about his early life, what we do know is that young Pedro Calungsod loved the Lord. He was born around 1654 in Visayas, part of the Philippines controlled by the Spanish empire. He was taught by Spanish Jesuit missionaries there and excelled in the study of the Catechism, so much so that, around the age of 14, he accompanied some of the Jesuit priests — among them, Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores — and other lay volunteers on a missionary trip to Guam in the Marianas Islands. San Vitores is credited with establishing the first Catholic Church on the Islands.
There are all kinds of “movements” in the Church that people join: the Catholic Charismatic Movement, the Legion of Mary, Catholic Action, Cursillo, Catholic Athletes for Christ and so on. Some large and international, others smaller and regional, people of all ages are drawn to the special things that these movements represent. The Focolare Movement was founded in 1943 in Trent, Italy, by a Catholic lay woman named Chiara Lubich. The world was at war when Chiara and a few of her friends, after attending Mass one day, began talking about bringing people together in peace and unity through a shared faith in Jesus Christ.
The birth of a child is usually considered a “blessed event” for parents, and so it was for Italian Catholics Domenico and Rosa Luciani Sulprizio on April 13, 1817 when a son, Nunzio, was born. It was roughly a week after Easter that year and Nunzio, who was named for his recently departed grandfather, was the bright spot in a year of widespread famine in his native Pescara, (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies), Italy. His devout parents had him baptized before sunset that same day. Three years later, they presented him to the bishop of the newly created Diocese of Sulmona for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Two months later, in mid-summer, his father died leaving a widow, Nunzio and a baby daughter Domenica. Sadly, Nunzio’s sister died five months later on Dec. 7, 1820.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” Ancient wisdom, eternal truth! I like to think that truth applies to the lives of young saints. It is certainly true of the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was born and lived at the beginning of the 20th century. Rather than telling his story from birth, I’d like to start with his death.
“When I grow up and get out of school, I want to be ... a saint.” What? A saint? You don’t hear that too often, if at all. I mean, a pro-athlete, a firefighter or cop, a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a veterinarian, a scientist, a teacher ... yep, those are the most common responses to surveys posing that question to young people. But a saint? That doesn’t make the list. You know what? You can be any of those things and have any of those career goals ... and still be a saint.