ST CHARLES BORROMEO, NOVEMBER 4, 2026
St. Charles Borromeo was born into a noble family near Lake Maggiore, Italy. He studied at a Benedictine abbey and later continued his education in Milan and Pavia, earning a doctorate in canon law in 1552.
His uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him Secretary of State and made him Cardinal of Milan. St. Charles played an important role in persuading the Pope to reconvene the previously suspended Council of Trent. He became a great reformer of the Church, promoting clerical education, restoring discipline in the Diocese of Milan, founding schools for the poor, and showing deep compassion for those in need. He donated his inheritance and used it to help feed the poor.
Despite having a speech impediment, St. Charles worked tirelessly to promote religious education. He founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, establishing 740 schools, training 3,000 catechists, and serving 40,000 pupils. For this reason, he is often credited as one of the founders of Sunday schools. He also encouraged learning among the clergy and established a literary academy in the Vatican.
His humility and zeal for souls were remarkable. It is said that he would sit by the roadside to teach a poor man how to pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary.
During the great plague, St. Charles refused to leave Milan. Instead, he remained with his people, caring for the sick and the dying with heroic charity.
St. Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of catechists and seminarians, and he is remembered as a founder of Sunday schools. He died in Milan and was canonized in 1610 by Pope Paul V.
Quote from St. Charles Borromeo
“If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible, and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor.”
— St. Charles Borromeo
Sources
Patron Saints by Michael Freze, SFO
A Saint a Day by Marilyn Hinds
Treasury of Men Saints by Bart Tesoriero
Butler’s Lives of the Saints, edited by Michael Walsh
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