Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-15
Sketch of 81. Charles IsoTromneeo..S o.So
from Sermon by Archbishtp MeCiosEey.9's' 's'1d

i flH .1ta! 10 1.-THE N EGRo's II FRIEEUoqqG
sketci of 81. Charles Hose24fooimnsso.s HEs24 ooimnss $50
i from Sermon by Archbishtp p McCiosEey9
Ii dig ~ ioi* } &sJGikd siiMgBnitnOo
I The Church was the mother Of saints, tKeisi
fruitful mother of martyrs, of ,confassors,di
OF holy doctrines, of pure, and chaste vir-,,,
! gins, who, in all times and in all countries !,
= had raised ,'upchildren to call her blessed.
! These children had been taken from everyob
! rank and every station inliie, from amung1i
the poor and the rich, the learned and the Il
! ignorant, from among the lower classes es-
J pecialy; for God has ever been pleased tooi
! make the poor ili worldly goods rlch inpo
faith. But there were exceptions to thisot
rule, and of these was st. Charles BorromPf, ,,t
7 whose festival they were Assembled,to to cele-,T
y brate, Charles BOrrome6 came Into tile
! world in the middle of the sixteenth eefilG
. tury, of illustrious parents and law-abidingd
ancestors, celebrated for their piety, and, n.
faith. He was born in castle near Ancoha,
town few miles distant from Milani.' tn
was related of his father, Count Borromeo,ii
! that he was accustomed to commune week.
ly, to recite daily on his knees the offices of
the Church, and to retire each day to Ills
apartment and clothe himself ifTsaekcloth,9I
while he meditated as to his duties 1towartiga
! God. So signal were his charities thatbis
friends often reproved him, fearing tbathe
would inJure the Interests Of his own family.
Then Count Borromeo would reply':jsIf III
only take care of the poor, God will takeiD
care of my children The Countess was i
no less famed for her piety and virtue. Her
domestic qualities designated her to be
model for the women of Milan, and 1t was y
not wonderful that, under such tutelageni
and with such an example, before him ftoma,
his earliest childhood, the heart of Charles
should have been filled with love for God.
and Yearning to attain perfection. Alas!q
; how many there were who, IL they possess
ed such parents as those that watched over
Charles Borromeo. would be saints; and
how many more who, for lack of such ex-
amples, enjoyed not the favor of the LortliJ
Charles Borromeo soon became firmly re-
solved to embrace the priesthood, and at
once commenced his theological studies,
AT their close his uncle, Cardinal de Med-i
icis, was called to the Pentifical thronelHe e.
sent for his nephew, who Joined. him inu
Rome, where Charles was raised to the de-
gree of Archbishop of Milan, and made
Cardinal of the Church. This occurred in
the days when immortality and scandalous
conduct were prevalent throughout Italy,,
The Archbishop yearned to See piety restor-
ed to the people. His first act was to call
together the Council of Trent; and, thanks
to his efforts and to the cooperation of
Pope Plus, the body was once more coDven-
ed. He subsequently sought and obtained
permission to set out upon the great task
which he had determined to perform. He
returned to Milan and commenced the labors
of au apostle, striving to purify the Church
of God from the stains cast upon her by
disobedient and reckless children. He be-
gan by reforming his housekeeping; and
his own household, numbering some three
hundred persons, were ordered to assemble,
in prayer morning and evening, and sum-
moned to confession and communion week.
IInr holt IA
vices of the nobility, and with the assist
ance of God, undaunted, fought on till he
triumphed over the unnumbered obstacles
which were thrown in his path The re-
forms which he achieved were perceptiblei
everywhere. To st. Charles Borromeor
were they indebted for the establishment of,
Sunday schools. The charity and courage
of the Saint were evidenced during the
plague, when, spite of the horrors of the
epidemic, he fearlessly visited the novels Of.
the dying paupers. To succor the afflicted
and alleviate the suffering of the invalid he
spent his entire fortune and sold the very
vessels of the Church. During the plague
itwas he that formed solemn procession,
which he led himself with rope around
his neck, singing litanies and penitential
psalms, and beseeching God to stay his
wrath. The Lord blessed him, aud he lived
to see his task completed and the glorious
excellence of its results.
The father of the poor and afflicted died
early, but his memory was cherished and
his festival observed more scruRulously,y
than that of any other Saint in the city of.
Milan. His remains were Inferred in tho
Cathedral and pilgrims crowd around his
grave to do homage to its sanctity. Thel
speaker had visited the little city OF, Ancona,
his birthplace, and beheld the colossal
statue of st. Charles Borromeo, Which can
be seen from Lake MagBiore, as itsteodr
blessing the village and the fishermens be-9
low. Though contemplated at adistanceof,
several miles, it still bore the appearance of
life-size statue, and stood Colossal and
gigantic, thought but poor example efjthe
colossal piety and gigantic VIRTUES of theo
Saint. n ,rr,Ir,u.. to ,.1nuo q. i.,-,, @ -o