Today the Church remembers Saint Charles Borromeo, a shepherd who helped guide the Church through the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation and the final years of the Council of Trent. Though he was born into nobility and connected to powerful families, Charles chose a different path: he gave his life to the Church.
He became a priest and bishop while still quite young, working tirelessly to renew both clergy and laity. When plague and famine struck, others fled—but Charles stayed. He opened his heart, his resources, and even his own home to care for the sick and hungry. He believed that reform begins not in programs, but in personal conversion—leading others by first offering one’s own life.
His witness reminds us that holiness isn’t about status, title, or success.
It’s about fidelity and presence. Charity in the concrete.Reflection: Where is God inviting me to stay, to serve, to love—even when it costs something?
Saint Charles Borromeo, pray for us!
