Carlos was born on October 2, 1538, in the Castle of Arona, Duchy of Milan, as the 2nd child of 6 for Earl Gilbert Borromeo, Count of Arona, and Margaret de’ Medici. His family was one of the oldest and richest nobles of Lombardy of the Italian Republic.

At 12, he received his Tonsure religious devotion of humility, and his uncle turned over to him the income from the Benedictine abbey. Carlos told his father that all revenues, beyond what was required for his career in the Church, was to be given to the poor.

He studied civil and canon law, and when he was 16, his father died, and the family asked him to manage domestic affairs. He later resumed studies and received a doctorate.

When he was 21, his uncle was elected as Pope Pius IV and after a year, appointed Carlos as Protonotary Apostolic along with other numerous positions. Even at his age, it was surprising that he did not collapse from the large amount of work while also remaining devoted to his family’s affairs.

He grew more and more detached from abundance and earthly things and turned towards patience and humility.

He lived in austerity and soon established the Academy of the Vatican Knights. He also organized the 3rd and last session of the Council of Trent while having a large share in the making of the Tridentine Catechism. In addition, he founded and endowed a college at Pavia, which is known today as Almo Collegio Borromeo.

Him and Saint Philip Neri assisted the Pope on his deathbed. With the election of the new Pope, he used the opportunity to leave and head back to Milan to reform his diocese, which had grown corrupt. He sold his possessions that he received from his past positions, and used the money to help families in need and for retreats for his clergy. The Protestant Reformation became a threat and so he established the Brotherhood of Christian Doctrine for Catechism which included 740 schools and 40,000 students.

His work of reform made enemies, but complaints and an assassination attempt only emboldened him, serving as confirmation of his good works.

When he was 38, a famine struck Milan, followed by a plague, and many of the wealthy and powerful fled. What he had left he used to feed the starving, up to 70,000 per day. He then took loans and went deep into debt. He convinced the local governor to return to care for the people.

At 45 he traveled to Switzerland to suppress Protestant heresies, witchcraft, and sorcery and founded the Collegium Helveticum to serve and educate Swiss Catholics.

Soon his work and toil took its toll and he grew seriously ill. He returned to Milan where he worsened. He was given his last Sacraments and died on November 3, 1584 at the age of 46.

He is the patron saint of bishops, catechists, cardinals, seminarians, and spiritual leaders.

His feast day is November 4.

For God’s Glory.

Almo Collegio Borromeo