1997-1999: The Very Beginning
It was the wish of Bishop Edmond Carmody, then Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, to have a Catholic presence in every city of more than one thousand people. In early 1997 Bishop Carmody invited all members of the cathedral parish who lived in the Frankston-Lake Palestine area to attend a meeting. The purpose was to explore the possibility of starting a new mission in the Frankston area. The meeting was held in a daycare center in Berryville. The night of the meeting was cold and rainy; only ten people came to meet with Bishop Carmody and Father Zach Kunnakkathuthara from Sacred Heart Parish in Palestine. Present at the meeting were Esther Cooper, Charles and Priscilla Hoffman, Lymon Morelan, Adolph Rabel, Dennis and Pat Skarda, Raymond and Margaret Stafford, and Maurine Thompson.
Those present were rather disappointed at the small turnout, but Bishop Carmody was very upbeat and confident that a mission in this area would succeed. He stated that the owner of the daycare center, although not a Catholic, had graciously offered the use of her building to have Mass once a week. Fr. Zach became priest-in-charge of this new little mission, in addition to his duties as associate pastor of Sacred Heart.
After a few weeks of hard work by several parishioners and by some members of Knights of Columbus Council 1323 in Palestine, our mission was ready for its first Mass on March 8, 1997. Each week the number of parishioners grew and we were rapidly outgrowing the space in the daycare center. Bishop Carmody stepped in again and located a building in Frankston owned by Mr. Dana Bizell that would serve our growing needs. He purchased it for $50,000 with the agreement that we would repay half that amount to the diocese.
Once again some parishioners and some Knights came together to refurbish the interior into a worship space and a fellowship space. During the next few months, we painted, scrubbed, polished, hung curtains, and decorated the church. The Squires from Sacred Heart painted the inside walls to make them look more church-like. Fr. Zach called upon some of the men to help with much of the work, both inside and outside. These men became known as “Father’s Boys.”
With the help of Sacred Heart Church in Palestine and Holy Cross Church in Pittsburg, Texas, we were able to acquire furnishings and vestments. Everything was pretty much a hand-me-down, but we were so thankful for them. We even had an organ donated to us.
We began having Mass in our new church in June of 1997, just 3 months after we began in Berryville.
From the very beginning, we always shared a meal after Mass. We became known for this throughout the diocese. Fr. Zach fed our souls, and the kitchen helpers in turn fed our bodies. This was a time for us to all get together and learn more about one another as we were all newcomers in our parish community. This meal really brought us together and with our priest. It brought harmony to our church, and a real feeling of “family.”
. . . And we grew. More and more families found us, and made this their spiritual home. We also went looking for the Catholics in the area. Most of our parishioners were people who had come to East Texas to “smell the roses” in their retirement. We sat in chairs and only had tiled floors. We had very few young families, and even fewer children. We did not have a lot to offer – except the Eucharist and a sense of belonging. We were not rich, but we had great expectations for St. Charles. In the first year, we brought one person into the Church through Baptism, and one through Confirmation/First Communion.
With the support and encouragement of Fr. Zach we continued to grow and in March, 1998 we held our first fund raiser, a fish fry. One of our parishioners actually caught the fish for the first few years, and this fish fry became an annual event. The fish fry was highly successful, and in 2013 we held our 14th Annual Fish Fry. Since that first fish fry fundraiser, we have conducted other fundraisers, including an annual Chicken-To-Go Dinner and also a garage sale that was held for several years. In 2013, we added our first ever Ruggles Raffle which raised around $24,000. In addition to these Church fundraisers, the Ladies of St. Charles and the St. Charles Men’s Club have continued to hold fundraisers to help our church and to give scholarships to our deserving students.
In our second year we were given pews from St. Paul’s Church in Tyler. We also purchased carpet. And we continued to grow.
2000-2007: Building a church and rectory
It wasn’t long before we started making plans for a “real” church. Through the encouragement of Fr. Zach, we came to believe that we would only grow if we humbled ourselves and took the risk to be in debt. Since we had paid off the debt for our current building and property, we knew we could do it again on a larger scale. This planning stage took a couple of years.
In 2000 we began a capital campaign to purchase 2 acres on the south of our property to build a church and rectory. We broke ground for our new church on September 1, 2002, and began construction on the church. The dedication of our new church was held on July 27, 2003. Bishop Alvaro Corrada, third Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, was present to consecrate our new church home.
The members of St. Charles Borromeo were really proud to be able to purchase items for our church, like the tabernacle, chalice, pews, etc. Of course, we also had wonderful benefactors to help us. It was our dream to have stained glass windows, but that dream would have to wait.
With the worship space no longer needed in the parish hall, we renovated it to include 4 classrooms, an office, and a dining area. Fr. Zach, now Msgr. Zach, had been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Church and had many more responsibilities. However, he and his associate priests continued to serve us faithfully, although they could only come to say Mass twice a week.
In December of 2004, we got our first stained glass window. It is in the shape of a cross and is located behind the altar. Depicted in this window are the “Hand of God,” the “Lamb of God,” and the “Holy Spirit” forming the top and sides of the cross. From the “Hand of God” rays are going in each direction of the cross showing God’s love for us. In the center of the cross is a circle with the Trinity defined in it, along with a rose for the Diocese of Tyler. The bottom of the cross has a green landscape with flowers. These flowers represent the members of St. Charles Borromeo. The flowers going up from the landscape represent those who have left us and are rising to Christ. We hoped to have the rest of the windows, thirteen of them, in within a year or so. We did eventually have all of them installed, adding to the beauty of our little church and glorification of God Almighty.
Planning our rectory was the next phase. By this time our faith community had grown from 8 families to about 65 families. In anticipation of having a priest assigned permanently to St. Charles, construction began on a rectory in the summer of 2006. Volunteers from St. Charles and Sacred Heart in Palestine worked hard and completed the rectory in the summer of 2007.
Once the rectory was completed, shopping began! Msgr. Zach, along with Sandy Nichols, Mary LaRoux, and Therese Burgamy, went shopping to furnish our new rectory. Furniture choices were made by Msgr. Zach, but everything else—window treatments, wall hangings, bed and bath linens, kitchenware—everything was chosen by this group of four. Then more work was done, this time by the ladies, including hanging draperies, stocking the kitchen and bathrooms, making beds, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and dusting.
Bishop Corrada came once again, this time to bless our new rectory. This happened in late summer of 2007. Our rectory was ready, and so were we for the next phase of our existence.
2007-2012: Fulltime priests!
In September of 2007, Bishop Corrada appointed Father Joseph Ezharath as our first resident priest-in-charge. Under his leadership from September 1, 2007 until March 19, 2009, we continued to grow as a faith community. In March, 2009, Bishop Corrada reassigned Father Joseph, and appointed Father Jones Jayaraj as priest-in-charge of our mission. We were soon impressed by Fr. Jones’ enthusiasm and new ideas. Father Jones, or “Father Jay”, as we called him, served the people of St. Charles from March 19, 2009 until September 24, 2012. Under his leadership we continued to grow and to reach out more to the Hispanic population in the Frankston area.
During this time, after several years of negotiations, we completed the acquisition of .8 acre just north of our parish hall. The building on this property is at present being renovated and will be used for classrooms and a food pantry. This food pantry will provide a second week of help in addition to the Rainbow House at the Methodist Church.
We made great strides in the first fourteen years of our existence. That is what happens when people pray, dream, and work together to make those dreams a reality. Our bishop conceived the idea, our priest believed in it and worked with us to make it happen.
2012- 2016: Parish and Pastor!
In September of 2012, Bishop Corrada announced that he was elevating St. Charles Borromeo to the status of PARISH! Along with this announcement was the naming of the first pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish. We became a parish on Monday, October 1, 2012 and Father Christopher V. Ruggles, JCL, began his time with us as our founding pastor.
We continued to grow physically and spiritually under Father Ruggles’ leadership. In 2013, we added a very successful fundraiser to our calendar, “Ruggles’ Raffle.” This fundraiser continued through the summer of 2016, and enabled our parish to pay off our loan on the church building and become debt-free!
In late spring and summer of 2013, landscaping was started around the church and parish hall. By October almost all the landscaping was completed, and the irrigation system was repaired and working. Along with the landscaping came the pouring of a much-needed and most welcomed addition along the front of the parish hall—a wonderful sidewalk.
Also in 2013, renovations on the third building, the education building, began. Our “Over 60 Bunch” worked twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday, to do all the inside remodeling. This work continued until the project was completed. This building now houses faith formation, high school youth ministry, and our Helping Hands Food Pantry.
Also in 2013, St. Charles Borromeo Parish received our first permanent deacon assigned to us. Deacon Rick Lawrence served here for almost 3 years before he and his wife, Nell, relocated to be closer to family. He left us in February of 2016.
Our newly remodeled education building was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Joseph Strickland, Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. The dedication took place on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2014.
In October of 2013, our volunteer cleaners got to retire when we hired professionals to clean our church and parish hall once a week. You can’t imagine a happier group of parishioners than those volunteer cleaners.
Our SCB Helping Hands Food Pantry began in 2015. It first opened its doors to area clients on Thursday, September 10, 2015. It continues to feed the area hungry every second Thursday of the month. That first day we served 37 families. Our reputation has grown because we serve quality food and lots of it. We currently serve about 80-85 families each month.
2016- : Continued Growth and More Changes!
A big changed occurred in mid-2016. Father Ruggles, our parish’s founding pastor, was reassigned. After leading us for 3 years and 10 months, he left to serve the people of Nacogdoches and began there on August 1, 2016.
Father Jonathon Frels, a newly ordained priest, joined us as parish administrator on August 1, 2016 and served our parish for just 13 months. Under his guidance and leadership, we continued to grow.
Also joining us in 2016 was Deacon Jim Boland and his wife, Bonnie. Deacon Jim assisted Father Jonathon for the first time at the weekend Masses on October 8 and 9, 2016.
We celebrated 20 years in 2017. Bishop Strickland once again joined the parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo to celebrate 20 years. He celebrated Mass for us on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Concelebrating were Msgr. Zach, the first priest assigned to us as a new mission; Fr. Christopher Ruggles, our founding pastor; and Fr. Jonathon Frels, the parish administrator at that time. Also assisting were Deacon Rick Lawrence, our first permanent deacon, and Deacon Jim Boland, who presently serves us.
Under the leadership of Father Jonathon, the Marian Garden that had been discussed for several years, became a reality. Fundraising for the Marian Garden began in May 2017, and work started on it not long after that. It was completed and several months later, Bishop Strickland blessed and dedicated it on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Another change occurred unexpectedly when Father Jonathon announced at weekend Masses that the Bishop was reassigning him to Sacred Heart Parish in Palestine. The new assignment began September 1, 2017.
Father Gary Rottman was assigned to us on a part-time basis, since he also headed the prison ministry for the diocese. He was to start on First Friday, September 1, 2017. However, God had other plans for him. He had sudden cardiac arrest as he took his morning walk on September 1 and ended up flatlining in the hospital. But miracles still happen, and he survived. After several weeks of recuperation, Father Gary was able to join us on a very limited basis. Because of this health issue, he was never able to join us half-time as was the plan.
Father Gary was reassigned once again, this time to do only prison ministry. So, we needed a priest once again. And Bishop Strickland assigned us the perfect choice—Father Christopher Ruggles! Father Ruggles returned to us on January 19, 2018, about 17 months after he had left.
Since his return, Father Ruggles has been busy. First, he kept a promise to the office manager by having the parish office enlarged and renovated. Work began in early March of 2018 and was completed in May, The office was temporarily moved to a corner of the parish hall during these renovations. The new office is great. And finally, there is a window—no more wondering who’s opening the front door!
No sooner than the office was completed, the next project began-planning and building the columbarium. Father Ruggles formed a committee and decisions were made. At this writing, the forms for the concrete bases are being built, with the concrete to be poured in just a few days.
Rev. 8/8/2018
It was the wish of Bishop Edmond Carmody, then Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, to have a Catholic presence in every city of more than one thousand people. In early 1997 Bishop Carmody invited all members of the cathedral parish who lived in the Frankston-Lake Palestine area to attend a meeting. The purpose was to explore the possibility of starting a new mission in the Frankston area. The meeting was held in a daycare center in Berryville. The night of the meeting was cold and rainy; only ten people came to meet with Bishop Carmody and Father Zach Kunnakkathuthara from Sacred Heart Parish in Palestine. Present at the meeting were Esther Cooper, Charles and Priscilla Hoffman, Lymon Morelan, Adolph Rabel, Dennis and Pat Skarda, Raymond and Margaret Stafford, and Maurine Thompson.
Those present were rather disappointed at the small turnout, but Bishop Carmody was very upbeat and confident that a mission in this area would succeed. He stated that the owner of the daycare center, although not a Catholic, had graciously offered the use of her building to have Mass once a week. Fr. Zach became priest-in-charge of this new little mission, in addition to his duties as associate pastor of Sacred Heart.
After a few weeks of hard work by several parishioners and by some members of Knights of Columbus Council 1323 in Palestine, our mission was ready for its first Mass on March 8, 1997. Each week the number of parishioners grew and we were rapidly outgrowing the space in the daycare center. Bishop Carmody stepped in again and located a building in Frankston owned by Mr. Dana Bizell that would serve our growing needs. He purchased it for $50,000 with the agreement that we would repay half that amount to the diocese.
Once again some parishioners and some Knights came together to refurbish the interior into a worship space and a fellowship space. During the next few months, we painted, scrubbed, polished, hung curtains, and decorated the church. The Squires from Sacred Heart painted the inside walls to make them look more church-like. Fr. Zach called upon some of the men to help with much of the work, both inside and outside. These men became known as “Father’s Boys.”
With the help of Sacred Heart Church in Palestine and Holy Cross Church in Pittsburg, Texas, we were able to acquire furnishings and vestments. Everything was pretty much a hand-me-down, but we were so thankful for them. We even had an organ donated to us.
We began having Mass in our new church in June of 1997, just 3 months after we began in Berryville.
From the very beginning, we always shared a meal after Mass. We became known for this throughout the diocese. Fr. Zach fed our souls, and the kitchen helpers in turn fed our bodies. This was a time for us to all get together and learn more about one another as we were all newcomers in our parish community. This meal really brought us together and with our priest. It brought harmony to our church, and a real feeling of “family.”
. . . And we grew. More and more families found us, and made this their spiritual home. We also went looking for the Catholics in the area. Most of our parishioners were people who had come to East Texas to “smell the roses” in their retirement. We sat in chairs and only had tiled floors. We had very few young families, and even fewer children. We did not have a lot to offer – except the Eucharist and a sense of belonging. We were not rich, but we had great expectations for St. Charles. In the first year, we brought one person into the Church through Baptism, and one through Confirmation/First Communion.
With the support and encouragement of Fr. Zach we continued to grow and in March, 1998 we held our first fund raiser, a fish fry. One of our parishioners actually caught the fish for the first few years, and this fish fry became an annual event. The fish fry was highly successful, and in 2013 we held our 14th Annual Fish Fry. Since that first fish fry fundraiser, we have conducted other fundraisers, including an annual Chicken-To-Go Dinner and also a garage sale that was held for several years. In 2013, we added our first ever Ruggles Raffle which raised around $24,000. In addition to these Church fundraisers, the Ladies of St. Charles and the St. Charles Men’s Club have continued to hold fundraisers to help our church and to give scholarships to our deserving students.
In our second year we were given pews from St. Paul’s Church in Tyler. We also purchased carpet. And we continued to grow.
2000-2007: Building a church and rectory
It wasn’t long before we started making plans for a “real” church. Through the encouragement of Fr. Zach, we came to believe that we would only grow if we humbled ourselves and took the risk to be in debt. Since we had paid off the debt for our current building and property, we knew we could do it again on a larger scale. This planning stage took a couple of years.
In 2000 we began a capital campaign to purchase 2 acres on the south of our property to build a church and rectory. We broke ground for our new church on September 1, 2002, and began construction on the church. The dedication of our new church was held on July 27, 2003. Bishop Alvaro Corrada, third Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, was present to consecrate our new church home.
The members of St. Charles Borromeo were really proud to be able to purchase items for our church, like the tabernacle, chalice, pews, etc. Of course, we also had wonderful benefactors to help us. It was our dream to have stained glass windows, but that dream would have to wait.
With the worship space no longer needed in the parish hall, we renovated it to include 4 classrooms, an office, and a dining area. Fr. Zach, now Msgr. Zach, had been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Church and had many more responsibilities. However, he and his associate priests continued to serve us faithfully, although they could only come to say Mass twice a week.
In December of 2004, we got our first stained glass window. It is in the shape of a cross and is located behind the altar. Depicted in this window are the “Hand of God,” the “Lamb of God,” and the “Holy Spirit” forming the top and sides of the cross. From the “Hand of God” rays are going in each direction of the cross showing God’s love for us. In the center of the cross is a circle with the Trinity defined in it, along with a rose for the Diocese of Tyler. The bottom of the cross has a green landscape with flowers. These flowers represent the members of St. Charles Borromeo. The flowers going up from the landscape represent those who have left us and are rising to Christ. We hoped to have the rest of the windows, thirteen of them, in within a year or so. We did eventually have all of them installed, adding to the beauty of our little church and glorification of God Almighty.
Planning our rectory was the next phase. By this time our faith community had grown from 8 families to about 65 families. In anticipation of having a priest assigned permanently to St. Charles, construction began on a rectory in the summer of 2006. Volunteers from St. Charles and Sacred Heart in Palestine worked hard and completed the rectory in the summer of 2007.
Once the rectory was completed, shopping began! Msgr. Zach, along with Sandy Nichols, Mary LaRoux, and Therese Burgamy, went shopping to furnish our new rectory. Furniture choices were made by Msgr. Zach, but everything else—window treatments, wall hangings, bed and bath linens, kitchenware—everything was chosen by this group of four. Then more work was done, this time by the ladies, including hanging draperies, stocking the kitchen and bathrooms, making beds, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and dusting.
Bishop Corrada came once again, this time to bless our new rectory. This happened in late summer of 2007. Our rectory was ready, and so were we for the next phase of our existence.
2007-2012: Fulltime priests!
In September of 2007, Bishop Corrada appointed Father Joseph Ezharath as our first resident priest-in-charge. Under his leadership from September 1, 2007 until March 19, 2009, we continued to grow as a faith community. In March, 2009, Bishop Corrada reassigned Father Joseph, and appointed Father Jones Jayaraj as priest-in-charge of our mission. We were soon impressed by Fr. Jones’ enthusiasm and new ideas. Father Jones, or “Father Jay”, as we called him, served the people of St. Charles from March 19, 2009 until September 24, 2012. Under his leadership we continued to grow and to reach out more to the Hispanic population in the Frankston area.
During this time, after several years of negotiations, we completed the acquisition of .8 acre just north of our parish hall. The building on this property is at present being renovated and will be used for classrooms and a food pantry. This food pantry will provide a second week of help in addition to the Rainbow House at the Methodist Church.
We made great strides in the first fourteen years of our existence. That is what happens when people pray, dream, and work together to make those dreams a reality. Our bishop conceived the idea, our priest believed in it and worked with us to make it happen.
2012- 2016: Parish and Pastor!
In September of 2012, Bishop Corrada announced that he was elevating St. Charles Borromeo to the status of PARISH! Along with this announcement was the naming of the first pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish. We became a parish on Monday, October 1, 2012 and Father Christopher V. Ruggles, JCL, began his time with us as our founding pastor.
We continued to grow physically and spiritually under Father Ruggles’ leadership. In 2013, we added a very successful fundraiser to our calendar, “Ruggles’ Raffle.” This fundraiser continued through the summer of 2016, and enabled our parish to pay off our loan on the church building and become debt-free!
In late spring and summer of 2013, landscaping was started around the church and parish hall. By October almost all the landscaping was completed, and the irrigation system was repaired and working. Along with the landscaping came the pouring of a much-needed and most welcomed addition along the front of the parish hall—a wonderful sidewalk.
Also in 2013, renovations on the third building, the education building, began. Our “Over 60 Bunch” worked twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday, to do all the inside remodeling. This work continued until the project was completed. This building now houses faith formation, high school youth ministry, and our Helping Hands Food Pantry.
Also in 2013, St. Charles Borromeo Parish received our first permanent deacon assigned to us. Deacon Rick Lawrence served here for almost 3 years before he and his wife, Nell, relocated to be closer to family. He left us in February of 2016.
Our newly remodeled education building was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Joseph Strickland, Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. The dedication took place on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2014.
In October of 2013, our volunteer cleaners got to retire when we hired professionals to clean our church and parish hall once a week. You can’t imagine a happier group of parishioners than those volunteer cleaners.
Our SCB Helping Hands Food Pantry began in 2015. It first opened its doors to area clients on Thursday, September 10, 2015. It continues to feed the area hungry every second Thursday of the month. That first day we served 37 families. Our reputation has grown because we serve quality food and lots of it. We currently serve about 80-85 families each month.
2016- : Continued Growth and More Changes!
A big changed occurred in mid-2016. Father Ruggles, our parish’s founding pastor, was reassigned. After leading us for 3 years and 10 months, he left to serve the people of Nacogdoches and began there on August 1, 2016.
Father Jonathon Frels, a newly ordained priest, joined us as parish administrator on August 1, 2016 and served our parish for just 13 months. Under his guidance and leadership, we continued to grow.
Also joining us in 2016 was Deacon Jim Boland and his wife, Bonnie. Deacon Jim assisted Father Jonathon for the first time at the weekend Masses on October 8 and 9, 2016.
We celebrated 20 years in 2017. Bishop Strickland once again joined the parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo to celebrate 20 years. He celebrated Mass for us on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Concelebrating were Msgr. Zach, the first priest assigned to us as a new mission; Fr. Christopher Ruggles, our founding pastor; and Fr. Jonathon Frels, the parish administrator at that time. Also assisting were Deacon Rick Lawrence, our first permanent deacon, and Deacon Jim Boland, who presently serves us.
Under the leadership of Father Jonathon, the Marian Garden that had been discussed for several years, became a reality. Fundraising for the Marian Garden began in May 2017, and work started on it not long after that. It was completed and several months later, Bishop Strickland blessed and dedicated it on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Another change occurred unexpectedly when Father Jonathon announced at weekend Masses that the Bishop was reassigning him to Sacred Heart Parish in Palestine. The new assignment began September 1, 2017.
Father Gary Rottman was assigned to us on a part-time basis, since he also headed the prison ministry for the diocese. He was to start on First Friday, September 1, 2017. However, God had other plans for him. He had sudden cardiac arrest as he took his morning walk on September 1 and ended up flatlining in the hospital. But miracles still happen, and he survived. After several weeks of recuperation, Father Gary was able to join us on a very limited basis. Because of this health issue, he was never able to join us half-time as was the plan.
Father Gary was reassigned once again, this time to do only prison ministry. So, we needed a priest once again. And Bishop Strickland assigned us the perfect choice—Father Christopher Ruggles! Father Ruggles returned to us on January 19, 2018, about 17 months after he had left.
Since his return, Father Ruggles has been busy. First, he kept a promise to the office manager by having the parish office enlarged and renovated. Work began in early March of 2018 and was completed in May, The office was temporarily moved to a corner of the parish hall during these renovations. The new office is great. And finally, there is a window—no more wondering who’s opening the front door!
No sooner than the office was completed, the next project began-planning and building the columbarium. Father Ruggles formed a committee and decisions were made. At this writing, the forms for the concrete bases are being built, with the concrete to be poured in just a few days.
Rev. 8/8/2018

Feast day: November 4
Patron of learning and the arts.
Died: 1584
Charles was the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV. He was born at the family castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy on October 2. He received the clerical tonsure when he was twelve and was sent to the Benedictine abbey of SS. Gratian and Felinus at Arona for his education.
In 1559 his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV and the following year, named him his Secretary of State and created him a cardinal and administrator of the see of Milan. He served as Pius' legate on numerous diplomatic missions and in 1562, was instrumental in having Pius reconvene the Council of Trent, which had been suspended in 1552. Charles played a leading role in guiding and in fashioning the decrees of the third and last group of sessions. He refused the headship of the Borromeo family on the death of Count Frederick Borromeo, was ordained a priest in 1563, and was consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Before being allowed to take possession of his see, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent. When he finally did arrive at Trent (which had been without a resident bishop for eighty years) in 1556, he instituted radical reforms despite great opposition, with such effectiveness that it became a model see. He put into effect, measures to improve the morals and manners of the clergy and laity, raised the effectiveness of the diocesan operation, established seminaries for the education of the clergy, founded a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious instruction of children and encouraged the Jesuits in his see. He increased the systems to the poor and the needy, was most generous in his help to the English college at Douai, and during his bishopric held eleven diocesan synods and six provincial councils. He founded a society of secular priests, Oblates of St. Ambrose (now Oblates of St. Charles) in 1578, and was active in preaching, resisting the inroads of protestantism, and bringing back lapsed Catholics to the Church. He encountered opposition from many sources in his efforts to reform people and institutions.
He died at Milan on the night of November 3-4, and was canonized in 1610. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, a patron of learning and the arts, and though he achieved a position of great power, he used it with humility, personal sanctity, and unselfishness to reform the Church, of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and the nobles of the times. His feast day is November 4th.
Patron of learning and the arts.
Died: 1584
Charles was the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV. He was born at the family castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy on October 2. He received the clerical tonsure when he was twelve and was sent to the Benedictine abbey of SS. Gratian and Felinus at Arona for his education.
In 1559 his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV and the following year, named him his Secretary of State and created him a cardinal and administrator of the see of Milan. He served as Pius' legate on numerous diplomatic missions and in 1562, was instrumental in having Pius reconvene the Council of Trent, which had been suspended in 1552. Charles played a leading role in guiding and in fashioning the decrees of the third and last group of sessions. He refused the headship of the Borromeo family on the death of Count Frederick Borromeo, was ordained a priest in 1563, and was consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Before being allowed to take possession of his see, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent. When he finally did arrive at Trent (which had been without a resident bishop for eighty years) in 1556, he instituted radical reforms despite great opposition, with such effectiveness that it became a model see. He put into effect, measures to improve the morals and manners of the clergy and laity, raised the effectiveness of the diocesan operation, established seminaries for the education of the clergy, founded a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious instruction of children and encouraged the Jesuits in his see. He increased the systems to the poor and the needy, was most generous in his help to the English college at Douai, and during his bishopric held eleven diocesan synods and six provincial councils. He founded a society of secular priests, Oblates of St. Ambrose (now Oblates of St. Charles) in 1578, and was active in preaching, resisting the inroads of protestantism, and bringing back lapsed Catholics to the Church. He encountered opposition from many sources in his efforts to reform people and institutions.
He died at Milan on the night of November 3-4, and was canonized in 1610. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, a patron of learning and the arts, and though he achieved a position of great power, he used it with humility, personal sanctity, and unselfishness to reform the Church, of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and the nobles of the times. His feast day is November 4th.