I was curious as to why this beautiful building is called Borromeo, the same as the islands down by Stresa, on the Lago Maggiore, and I’ve seen paintings or other references to Borromeo.
Some of you may know the history but I thought it’d be interesting for our members who did not grow up here.
Charles Borromeo or Carlo in Italian, was born in 1538, in Arona , on the Lake Maggiore, in Italy. He was the second son of distinguished and wealthy parents, the Count of Arona and his mother a member of the House of Medici.
The oldest son, Federico, would inherit his father’s title, land and fortune.
Younger sons were traditionally sent into either the military or church service. Since his maternal uncle Giovanni Angelo Medici was an Archbishop, the latter option was chosen for Charles.
Charles studied theology and also earned his degree in civil and canon law. When his mother’s brother became Pope, Pope Pius IV, he called his brilliant young nephew to Rome, and at the age of 23 made him a Cardinal of the church and later the Archbishop of Milan.
In 1562 his older brother died and his family urged him to leave the service of the church to preserve the family name. Although he belonged to the Milanese nobility and was related to the powerful Medici family, Charles desired to devote himself to the Church.
The Protestant Reformation was spreading, and Charles had a hand in repressing Protestantism in the valleys of this area. There was not only heresy to be fought, but also witchcraft and sorcery. During the time of his visits to the region, 150 people were arrested for practicing witchcraft…. And we can imagine what happened to them.
He also gave financial assistance to the counter reformation in England because many English Catholics were fleeing to Italy to escape the persecutions under Queen Elizabeth!
His strategy was to provide education to many of the clergy, whom he saw as ignorant. He founded schools, seminaries and colleges for the clergy. To instruct the youth, he started the first "Sunday School" classes.
Therefore along with the support of Pope Gregory XIII it was decided to establish a seminary run by the Jesuits in this part of Catholic Switzerland, Ascona, which actually was still under the power of Como and/or Milan.
The Asconese Bartholomeo Papio donated money and the building that he owned on the bank of the lake, to the municipality of Ascona to establish the school. But the Cardinal Charles and the architect Pellegrini decided that it wouldn’t be suitable, as the students would hear the foul language of the fisherman nearby.
So with some exchange of properties they built the school at its present site next to the church of the Holy Mary of Mercy. The wall that you see when walking here surrounds the complex. Borromeo came 3 separate times to Ascona to consult with the architect and stayed in this house. On his third visit, tired from the travel and toil of his work he became seriously ill and quickly returned by boat to Milan where he died 3 days later. Upon leaving this house here, he forgot his cardinal’s hat which is still preserved here in Ascona.
Many churches all over the world are named for him
During my research I discovered after all of these years that the town in California where I grew up, San Carlos, was named after him, and our church Parish, St. Charles, is named after St. Charles Borromeo!
There’s a patron saint for nearly everything. If you name it, the Church probably has a Saint for it: and there are some curious ones, one example:
In 1997 Pope John Paul II declared St. Isidor of Seville (who was born is 560 a.d., therefore he lived nearly 1500 years ago) he was known as a scholar with encyclopedic knowledge. Pope John Paul named him the patron saint of the Internet, to guide Catholics in its proper use, and because, as we know, the internet can be a scary place.
St. Charles Borromeo was a lawyer, cardinal, pastor, teacher, reformer and saint. And because of his educational work during the reformation, Charles Borromeo is known as the patron saint of bishops, catechists and seminarians and he is also the patron saint of colic and intestinal problems. So, if during the Christmas holidays, you eat too much and don’t feel well then don’t forget to pray for help to St. Charles Borromeo.