Saint Charles Borromeo (1538–1584) was the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan and a leading figure of the Catholic Reformation, helping to conclude the Council of Trent and putting its reforms into practice. He founded seminaries to train priests well, and during the plague of 1576 he stayed in Milan to care personally for the sick and dying, giving away his own possessions to feed the suffering.
Charles held great power yet used it entirely in service, choosing to walk among the sick when he could have fled to safety. His example teaches that true leadership means staying close to those who suffer, and that love is proven not in words but in quiet, costly presence.
Saint Charles Borromeo, who stayed beside the suffering when others fled, watch over Ben and all our beloved children in heaven, and teach us to love with your same steadfast, self-giving heart. Amen.