| Miracles in the life of Saint Charles Borromeo | | | | German Alps to bring the Word of God to many who |
| He found himself at odds with the Spanish governors | | | | were victimized by the widespread lies of |
| of Milan over matters of jurisdictional and secular | | | | Protestantism. In addition, in some of these areas |
| natures. It came to some pretty hard-headed | | | | which had never had anybody there to minister to |
| confrontations. In one instance, it was only through the | | | | them, witchcraft and sorcery were also prevalent. You |
| diplomatic resources of the Pope and Prince Philip II of | | | | must remember, this time was when the greatest |
| Spain that a sort of peace and arbitration was | | | | spread of Calvinism took place. In his travels to |
| executed. But then he ran into problems with the | | | | Switzerland, he found that although John Calvin had |
| clerical communities over the same thing, jurisdictional | | | | died prior to this time, his heresies were firmly |
| and disciplinary authority. He was actually barred from | | | | entrenched there. St. Charles took his life in his hands |
| entering a church by the canons of the Church. When | | | | to evangelize there, but he did! |
| St. Charles would not acquiesce, and persisted in his | | | | St. Charles Borromeo was considered slow of speech |
| right to make an Episcopal visit to the Church, soldiers | | | | and pace, from what we can gather, however he ran |
| from one of the Spanish dukes, the Duke of | | | | his entire life. He burned out at an early age, forty six |
| Albuquerque, shot at him with a musket. Thank God | | | | years old. He was on retreat, when he came down |
| for the poor aim of the soldier, or the lack of accuracy | | | | with a fever at the end of October 1584. He was |
| of the firearms, or the intervention of the Angels, but | | | | brought back to Milan on a litter. Within three days, he |
| St. Charles was not hit. However, the Crucifix he was | | | | was dead. We believe that he had done all that the |
| holding was nicked. | | | | Lord wanted him to accomplish in a very short period |
| In another separate situation, St. Charles was in his | | | | of time. Twenty six years after his death, in 1610, he |
| home, praying with the members of his household, | | | | was canonized by Pope Paul V. |
| when a paid assassin shot at him at such a point blank | | | | St. Charles's life was one of great spirituality and |
| range, it could only have been the wings of the Angels | | | | dedication to the Church. There were no apparitions of |
| which caused the bullet to graze him slightly. The civil | | | | which we're aware, no Stigmata. He was just a solid |
| authorities hung the would-be assassin. We're not sure | | | | worker in the Lord's Vineyard. There were many |
| if it was punishment for the crime committed, or for | | | | miracles during his lifetime and also which were |
| not having successfully concluded the task he had | | | | obviously due to the intercession of St. Charles |
| been given and paid to do. | | | | Borromeo. The most powerful miracles were those of |
| At any rate, it became very obvious to the powers | | | | changing men's hearts, of defending the Truths of our |
| that be, that this was a man to be reckoned with. He | | | | Church, and bringing about sweeping reforms in our |
| was not about to back down from anything, when it | | | | Church. He was a man of great wealth, who used his |
| came to his Church and his God. Also, his reputation | | | | riches to benefit those less fortunate than he. He was |
| grew outside the diocese of Milan as well. He began | | | | very focused on bringing the people of God, especially |
| making apostolic trips to other dioceses, such as | | | | those of his beloved Archdiocese of Milan, back into |
| Brescia, Cremona and Bergamo, all to the east of | | | | the fold. |
| Milan. He made missionary trips into the Italian and | | | | |