So, today's Saint by rights should have been yesterday's post since that was his Feast Day -- but I wanted to answer Rai's question as soon as I could . . . and I was sure that St. Charles would be patient.
Like St. Aloysius, St. Charles Borromeo was of noble birth. When he was not yet 22, his uncle, Pope Pius IV, made him a Cardinal -- this nepotism was typical of the abuses that fueled the Protestant Reformation. Charles was not yet ordained at the time of his appointment, but he took his rank seriously and studied for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest in September 1563 and was consecrated a Bishop just 3 months later. In May 1564, he was appointed Archbishop of Milan - the largest Archdiocese in Italy at the time. He was 25 years old.
Charles devoted himself to reforming his diocese by restoring dignity to divine service, simplifying church interiors, establishing seminaries for the education of candidates for Holy Orders and initiating the first "Sunday School" classes to bring the laity back to church teaching. His reforms were not without opposition and he miraculously survived an assassination attempt by members of a religious order who were not keen on being reformed.
Borromeo inherited a fortune from his family which he used to found seminaries, schools and hospitals. During a famine, he fed thousands of people every day. During a plague, when the Governor and nobility fled the city, the Cardinal stayed to organize the care of those afflicted and minister to the dying. He served as Bishop for about 21 years until he contracted a fever and died at the age of 46.
St. Charles Borromeo has many patronages, including Bishops, Cardinals, catechists, catechumens and spiritual leaders. His Feast Day (as noted above) is November 4.
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