Charles was born Oct. 2, 1538 at Aron, Italy, the son of a wealthy, noble family and nephew of Pope Pius IV. Although he suffered a speech impediment Charles became a civil and canon lawyer at age 21, studying at one point under the future Pope Gregory XIII.

      His early years were passed partly in the Castle of Arona, and partly in the Palazzo Borromeo at Milan. At the age of twelve his father allowed him to receive the tonsure, and, upon the resignation of his uncle, Julius, he became titular Abbot of Sts. Gratinian and Felinus at Arona.

      Charles directed and fervently enforced the decrees of the Council of Trent, and fought tirelessly for peace in the wake of the storm caused by Martin Luther. He founded schools for the poor, seminaries for clerics, hospitals for the sick; conducted synods.

      He instituted children's Sunday school. He was teacher, confessor and parish priest to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and did great public and private penance while working among the sick and dying during the plague.

      Charles died Nov. 3,1584 of natural causes and was canonized on Nov. 1, 1610 by Pope Paul V.