Born in Italy in 1538, he came from a family of devout and wealthy nobles. The family coat of arms featured the Holy Trinity. 

When Charles was twelve he received tonsure, a sign of his own devotion, and entered the Benedictine Abbey which had been a family custom for many years. 

In 1559 his uncle was elected Pope and took the name Pius IV. 

Charles, a brilliant student, was given several functions by his uncle and, after excelling at all of them, was made a Papal Secretary of State. However, his decision to become a priest didn’t occur until after the death of his older brother. 

With a renewed and even deeper devotion to The Lord, Charles was ordained at the age of twenty-five. 

During the Council of Trent, Charles worked tirelessly, helping to resolve numerous disputes. When The Council had been suspended for ten years, it was Charles who convinced The Pope to reconvene. 

He also was significantly involved in helping The Church grow stronger in its battle against The Protestant Reformation. 

In 1560 he was assigned to the Archdiocese of Milan where he became the Archbishop a few years later. 

At the time The Church there was under significant attack and faith, even among the religious, had grown cold. 

Charles set an example of generosity and humility, giving most of his income to charity, refusing any form of luxury, and working tirelessly with his Bishops and priests to establish reforms, always with the idea that the people of his Archdiocese must see their leaders as faith-filled, prayerful and humble. 

When Milan was struck by plague and famine and the civil authorities had all fled the city, Charles stayed and used all of his means to try and feed, each day, the 60 thousand-plus people in his community while at the same time ministering to the sick and dying. 

Overcome and exhausted, he died on this day in 1584 at the age of just 46. 

St. Charles Borromeo, please pray for us.