DON PIETRO OMIT was born in Grosotto, in the province of Sondrio on 15 September 1866 to Orsola Noli and Cristoforo Osmetti. The faith of pious parents took care to assure him the grace of regeneration to heavenly life, bringing him three days later to the sacred baptismal font. God took possession of that soul never to abandon it again. In Grosotto the mothers had nothing dearer than placing all their little ones under the protection of the Madonna delle Grazie: the good Orsola certainly could not fail in what was considered a sacred duty.
Pietro's family is very poor: bread is increasingly scarce and Cristoforo makes a resolution that would have cost so many tears. He borrowed a sum of money, in 1869 he left for America with many hopes in his traveling bag. But for him, as for many other people, America was not the "promised land" hoped for. Two years after his departure, he let it be known that he still couldn't send anything... then there was no more news.
Meanwhile, in Grosotto's house, poverty reached the limits of misery. In those years, Pietro would later recall, the poor mother had to work hard to support herself with the three little ones, but God's Providence, however, never failed to help them in different ways. Pietro grew up in hardship, getting used to the spirit of sacrifice and trust in Divine Providence from those tender years.
At the age of 6 he began to attend school. But in those days, in peasant homes, the boys alternated study with work in the fields and sheep farming to help their families. So it was for Peter.
He received Confirmation on 12 September 1873, at the age of 7 and a few years later was admitted to First Holy Communion.
After finishing school, he devoted himself entirely to agricultural work on his fields and, on a day-to-day basis, on other people's fields. A good support to the meager income of mother Orsola.
Pietro's adolescence passed like that of all the young people of the village: work and some entertainment, simple and naive amusements and amusements, perhaps with some bravado characteristic of the age, but which left a sense of guilt in our delicate soul , which he will repent several times, considering himself a great sinner, in need of conversion. The testimonies of his companions, on the other hand, agree in declaring Peter's exemplary nature, "... an excellent young man of judgment and virtue ... if everyone were like him the world would be a Paradise ..." Yet Peter will always remember as a great thanks the moment of his "conversion", "the hour of grace" as he used to call it. He recalled that one year due to his enthusiasm for work he fell ill and had to leave the work in the fields to go to bed..."in that time of rest and convalescence I returned to myself and the grace of God made its way into me and I knew better the purpose of life which is to know, love and serve God, giver of all good and all happiness. And therefore I turned to Him, fearing Him and praying to Him and adoring Him more than in the past. He became more assiduous at functions, at good works; long and intense hours of prayer in search of his way.