St. Charles Borromeo

St. Charles Borromeo was born to a noble family Oct. 2, 1538, in Italy. He joined the religious life Oct. 13, 1547. He became a civil and canon lawyer when he was 21 years old. At age 22, he was made a cardinal in 1560. He served the church in a number of ways, including archbishop of Milan, prefect of the Tridentine Council and papal legate in Bologna. The saint also served as a member of the Apostolic Penitentiary. St. Charles Borromeo aided the sick and buried the dead during the plague. He began the Oblates of St. Ambrose in 1578. He enforced the Council of Trent’s decrees, and he founded schools, seminaries and hospitals. He died Nov. 3, 1584, in Milan, Italy. St. Charles Borromeo is patron saint of seminarians, spiritual directors and bishops.