Savio is named for Saint Dominique (Dominico) Savio, who is considered the saint of children and schools.  He was born in northwestern Italy in 1842 and died in 1857.  He was canonized in 1854 by Pope Pie XII.

Savio came from a relatively poor family and was the second of ten children.  He was pious and a good student and his parents wanted him to have a good education, but there wasn’t a school in his town.  He traveled three miles each way four times a day to a neighboring town for school.

He was invited to attend the Oratory Saint-François in Turin where he it is said he had prophetic visions where he foresaw the official re-establishment of the Catholic religion in England. 

Dominique Savio became ill in June 1856, and was sent home.  He remained there for a year until his death of tuberculous.

Many Catholic schools (especially French-speaking) chose St. Savio as their namesake and patron.  Savio’s founders were Catholic (though the organization has no tie to the church) and chose the name in honor of the many children that they knew would be touched by our mission.