Reflection by Sarah Reinhardt ’26

St. Dominic Savio died at the age of 14, known for his quote, “I’d rather die than sin.” St. Joan of Arc was martyred at the age of 19 after leading her country to battle by the will of God. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, before dying at 23, devoted her entire life, despite her youth, to loving and caring for the poor. Blessed Carlo Acutis created an entire website containing all the Eucharistic miracles in the world, then died from leukemia at the age of 15. St. Maria Goretti, rather than lose her purity, died at the age of 11 after forgiving her attacker. 

1 Timothy 4:12 reads, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”  

Most of us, when we think of saints, picture an old nun or priest who spent the entirety of their life completely giving to God, but in reality, each one of us has the ability to become a saint. A saint does not have to be a person canonized for their religious devotion. A saint is anyone living in Heaven with God. We can look to past saints to better understand how we are called to live out each of our unique vocations and be outward lights of God’s goodness. 

St. Dominic Savio sets an example for being a believer in speech. From a very young age, he demonstrated extreme devotion to his faith and exceeded the normal faith life of kids his age. After receiving the Sacrament of Communion five years early, he expressed his desire for priesthood, and more intensely, sainthood. Acknowledging his unwavering faith, Fr. John Bosco brought him to the Oratory to begin studying for the priesthood. Soon after, Dominic Savio gave a speech on his view of sainthood, making three main points: it is God’s will that we all become saints, it is easy to become a saint, and there are great rewards in heaven for saints. He fell ill very young and died by the age of 14.  

St. Joan of Arc is a great example of how we can be believers in conduct. She was born into a pious family, and before she was 13, Joan started hearing the voices of angels and saints. These voices persisted until she was 16, when she finally determined that God was telling her to lead the French army in war against England. As part of her mission, she took a vow of chastity, refusing to go through with her arranged marriage. Instead, she convinced the prince to let her lead France into battle. After an astonishing victory, Joan was captured by enemy forces and convicted of witchcraft and heresy. She was burned at the stake at 19 but remained faithful to God through it all.  

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was born into a royal family. After her mother died when she was only six, her view on life and death drastically shifted. She began to pray for peace. After marrying her husband and having three children, she devoted her life to charity. Despite her social status and wealth, she wore simple clothes and set aside time each day to feed the poor. After her husband passed away, she took a vow of celibacy, which included strict, harsh treatment. Elizabeth founded a hospital where she would spend the majority of her time caring first-hand for the sick. She passed away by the time she was 24 and continues to serve as an example of how to be a believer in love for us today. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, a seemingly normal kid, developed an extraordinary faith life that fit right into the hectic schedule of being a teenager. He would play soccer with his friends and go home to teach young children about the catechism. He loved playing video games, but also took advantage of his internet access to create a website containing Eucharistic miracles. Carlo centered his life around the Eucharist and confession, which enabled him to have a strong trust in God that allowed him to stand up for others and his faith. By the time he was fifteen, Carlo was diagnosed with leukemia and died shortly after, continuing to be an example of how to be a believer in faith for teenagers across the world.  

St. Maria Goretti was born into a poor family, and after her father died, her mother struggled to provide for her children. Maria’s family remained extremely faithful and filled their lives with the love of God. One day, Maria was sitting outside sewing her neighbor, Alessandro’s, shirt, when he grabbed her from the steps and tried to seduce her. She resisted, saying it was against God’s will, but he continued. When she exclaimed that she would rather die than lose her purity, Alessandro, in a violent rage, attacked her. Before she died, she prayed to God, asking for her attacker to be forgiven. Later Alessandro converted to Catholicism and attended Maria’s canonization. Maria’s “no” to Alessandro exemplifies what it means to be a believer in purity. 

Looking back at the lives of these young saints, we, as young disciples of Christ, can reflect their actions onto our own lives. It can sometimes feel overwhelming to read these stories because you might begin to question yourself and your ability to choose kindness as these saints did, but when you feel like this, place your trust in God. He provides each one of us, from the moment we stepped into the Church, with the knowledge and strength to do the things that fill our hearts with the joy of the Lord. Do not be afraid to stand up for your faith. Do not be discouraged because of your age. Fill the world with the love of God. You are never too young to be a saint.