| St Charles Church .org |  |
|||||
| News & Events | Faith | Ministries | Parish | Volunteer | Help | Contact Us |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Charles was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in the castle of Arona in Northern Italy, on October 2, 1538. He was the third of six children and second son of Margherita de Medici and Count Gilberto Borromeo. He spent the first 11 years of his life, up until his mother’s untimely death, in Arona and Palazzo Borromeo in Milan.
An Early Achiever
At the age of 12 he received the tonsure, the mark of a consecrated life,
and was appointed Abbot of Arona on the resignation of his uncle. At the
age of 14 he left for Paris where he was a poor student with a small
allowance. In 1558 his father died and Charles was called upon to run the
family business at the ripe age of 20! Despite his negotiation to protect
his family’s assets and his care for the Abbey of Arona, he found
time to complete his studies and received a double doctorate in civil and
canon law in 1559.
A year later when his uncle Giovanni de Medici was elected Pope Pius IV, Charles was called to Rome and named administrator of the Papal States. He was 22! Though a layman, he was named a cardinal by his kind uncle! There were celebrations in Arona. The following month he was appointed administator of the vacant see as well as Milan, with the protectorate of Portugal, lower Germany, and part of Switzerland. He also had supervision of many religious orders including the Franciscans.
The Council of Trent
As Secretary of State, Charles's major task was the management of the
Council of Trent. Despite national conflicts with Spain and France, which
wanted its own council, Charles assembled the bishops and maintained order
when they wanted to break up. In 1564 the Pope confirmed the decrees of
the Council.
Reforming the Church
On his brother’s death, Charles wanted to change his lifestyle to
concentrate on the spiritual. In 1563 he was ordained to the priesthood.
Later that year, he was consecrated bishop at the tender age of 25! He was
counseled to forsake his personal desire to enter a monastery and stayed
on at Rome implementing the reforms of Trent, creating a new catechism,
Missal and Breviary, and reforming church music with Palestrina’s
help and opening a seminary. He worked on the reform and training of
clergy and religious as well as catechesis for the young, establishing the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD). He redeveloped the Sacrament of
Penance.
In 1566 he returned from Rome to Milan as cardinal-archbishop. One of his first actions was to turn over his personal property to the poor. He rid the church of corruption through the selection of leaders of great personal integrity. Resistance to church reform was spearheaded by the King of Spain. But Charles found support for his aggressive tactics in Rome. He travelled the Swiss valleys by mule and on foot bringing the message of reform and renewal.
In 1569 the rebellious canons of La Scala met Charles with blows and violence and damaged the crucifix he bore. The Order of Humiliati, intent on blocking reform, sent one of its members to assassinate Charles. He was singing the words, "Let not your heart be troubled," when a monk shot him as he knelt at the altar. The ball did not pierce his clothes. Charles motioned to finish the prayers. A slight swelling remained to remind him of the price of renewal!
Serving the Poor
Despite the governor’s opposition and ill health, Charles continued
the work of reform and service to the poor during times of hunger. When
the plague afflicted Milan in 1576, he devoted himself entirely to prayer
and pastoral care of the sick. While other officials of church and state
fled to the safety of the hills, he stayed in the streets of the city
spending the church’s resources completely in outreach. When the
plague abated he founded the Oblates of St. Ambrose to strengthen the work
of service. He made plans for the development of a hostel for abused women
and also a hospital. His death at the age of 46 was hastened by his visits
to plague-stricken houses and his commitment to austerity. He liked to
sleep on a plain wooden plank!
Charles was a man for all seasons: a canonist, a lawyer, a diplomat, a church bureaucrat, a reformer, a spiritual leader and advocate for the poor. Other details are not so well known: he began life with a stutter, played the lute and violin, and a game of ball, and established "Noctes Vaticanae" (Vatican Nights) a literary academy.
Gerry Creedon, Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo, Arlington, Virginia, prepared this version of Charles Borromeo's life with devotion. Fr. Gerry hopes that this extraordinary person, our patron, will inspire us to use our power and our talent to serve the least and to make our own gift to the ongoing work of church renewal.
The photo accompanying the biography is the statue of Charles Borromeo formerly located outside the side entrance to the church. The statue now appears in the atrium outside of Benedict Hall.
go to Parish History
or
Revised/reviewed November 1,
2004
See also: Prayer of Saint Charles Borromeo