I have always been fascinated by history, especially the history of my family. Learning about my roots and the branches of my family tree always interests me. When I discover someone I never knew existed I get especially excited.
I was recently looking at old census records on ancestry.com and found that my grandfather, Michael Conroy, had a little sister. My family always led me to believe that my grandfather and his four brothers only had one sister (my Aunt Helen). When I looked at the records and census materials online, I realized that my grandfather had a little sister, Nora, who died at the age of ten from influenza.
While I don't have any other information about young Nora Conroy, I do know that she is part of my family story and that she is someone who I can now pray for (and to) as I include all of my aunts, uncles and cousins in my daily prayer.
I thought of Nora when I came across the story of Saint Dominic Savio. Dominic was a young student in Italy who lived a holy life that is still remembered today. On March 9, 1857, Dominic died from complications due to pneumonia at the age of 14. He had just started studying with Father (later Saint) John Bosco to become a priest in the Salesian order.
Dominic never became an official novice or seminarian, but he was certainly Salesian as he followed the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales. Throughout his short life, young Dominic was able to teach others by his example. Dominic showed that holiness can be achieved through the practice of simple, everyday actions in our daily life. Being friendly, faithful and helping others was the way that Dominic put the spirituality of Francis de Sales into practice as a child and teenager.
Dominic once said, "I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God." Saint John Bosco, Dominic's mentor and guide, later described this young saint as someone who found joy and holiness in doing the ordinary things for love of Jesus. John Bosco would tell the Salesians that "religion must surround us like the air we breathe. Dominic Savio wore holiness like the clothes on his back."
As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Oblates have always considered the Salesians of Don Bosco as spiritual "cousins." Just as I was humbled to find my Aunt Nora in the Conroy family story, it is great to discover that the Oblate family has a young cousin like Dominic Savio in our spiritual family tree. May the example of Saint Dominic inspire all of us - no matter our age - to do the ordinary in an extraordinary way. As we live each day guided by Jesus, may we work each day for holiness. Francis de Sales encouraged us to be close to God with these reassuring words: "Let God be the air in which your heart breathes at ease." May Saint Dominic Savio and all of the deceased members of our own families help us to find holiness in the air and in our hearts.
Provincial, Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
