The Saints: St. Charles Borromeo

1538 - 1584/ Feast - Nov. 4

Though not yet a priest, at age 22 this well-connected Italian was made a cardinal and appointed administra-tor of the Archdiocese of Milan by his uncle, Pope Pius IV. He took part in the final sessions of the Council of Trent, which mobilized the Counter-Reformation. Ordained a priest and bishop in 1563, he was installed as archbishop of Milan in 1564. An uncompromising and unpopular reformer who suffered from a speech impediment, he was an important figure in the Catholic Reformation.              © 2002 CNS