We are all called to holiness. Age is not a barrier to that call of saintly life. Let us get acquainted with the lives of eight children who were sanctified by their love for God and man.
1. Saint Francis and Jacinta Martin
Saint Francis and Jacinta Martin became saints at a very young age. They were only nine or seven years old. It was to them that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Portugal. The mother appeared to these children as shepherds between 13 May and 13 October 1917.
She had to endure various insults when the news came out that her mother had appeared. These children spent hours praying before the Holy Eucharist. They apologized for the mistakes of mankind. Francis died of pneumonia in 1919 during an epidemic. His sister died a year later. They were canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017.
2. Saint Dominic Savio
Dominic Savio was a child who aspired to become a priest at an early age. After meeting Don Bosco, he lived in the Oratory in Turin, Italy. This child was noted for his intense spiritual life, happiness, and willingness to help others. “I want to be a saint,” he often said.
His health was so bad that he had to leave the orbit and return home. Dominic died on 9 March 1857, shortly before his fifteenth birthday. ‘I see a beautiful sight’ – this boy said just before he died.
3. Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio
San Jose Sanchez del Rio was a child who joined Cristero, an armed group of thousands of Catholics, to defend the faith during the religious persecution in Mexico in the second decade of the twentieth century. At first, he did not agree to join this group because he was young as the risk was high. So he did not take part in the clashes and became the mother figure in Guadeloupe. Jose was fourteen years old at the time.
On 10 February 1928, he was tortured and killed by government officials for refusing to leave the faith. He was canonized by Pope Francis on 16 October 2016.
4. Saint Maria Goretti
Maria Goretti was a girl who lived a holy life from an early age. Despite being from a poor family, they were rich in faith. When she was eleven, 19-year-old Alessandro Serenelli stabbed her for refusing to have sex. Before she died on July 6, 1902, she was pardoned by the murderer.
Alessandro repented of his guilt while in prison. He also did not forget to apologize to Maria’s mother when she was released from prison. Years later, He entered the Third Order of the Church of Francis of Assisi.
5. Saint Cristobal, Antonio, Juan
The three teenagers were the first martyrs in the United States after their execution in Mexico between 1527 and 1529. Cristobal converted to Catholicism as a result of the evangelistic work of Franciscan monks in the area.
After becoming a believer he worked for the conversion of the family but his father was outraged. At the age of twelve, he died of burns after being beaten by his father. Antonio and Juan were able to gain the trust of priests from the Franciscan and Dominican churches. Both sought to eliminate idolatry in their hometown. As a result, they were killed.