WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Soldiers of Christ: St. Charles of Mount Argus

Episode Date: January 25, 2024

St. Charles of Mount Argus was a Passionist priest from Holland, whose dedicated ministry to the Irish people increased the faith of thousands. He performed many miraculous healings of physical and spiritual ailments and became the patron saint of the sick, poor, and immigrants. 

Hi, I'm Faith Royce, and this is Soldiers of Christ on Radio Free Hillsdale, a feature where I highlight the life of Catholic and Orthodox saints. Today's saint is St. Charles of Mount Argus, a passionate priest whose dedicated ministry to the Irish people increased the faith of thousands. Charles was born on December 11, 1821, in Munster Gieland Holland, and was baptized with the name John Andrew Hoban.

He was the fourth of 11 children and grew up in a poor family. Despite this, his parents ensured he received an education, and he often was an altar server at Mass each day. In 1840, he joined the army as a reserve, but he struggled to fulfill his duties as a soldier. After only three months in active service, John realized he wanted to become a passionate priest,

so he worked at his uncle's mill during the day and studied as much as he could. In 1845, he was official, discharged from the army, and he began his study for the priesthood in Belgium, upon which he was given the name Charles. By this time, his mother and uncle had passed away, so his father attempted to convince him to leave the seminary. Charles could not be dissuaded, and a year later, he professed his religious vows, was given the religious habit, and received the name Charles of St. Andrew. In December of 1850, he was fully ordained as a priest. A few years later, Charles,

Charles was assigned to the Passionist Order in England, where he began to meet many Irish who fled there to escape the horrible famine. As he ministered to them, Charles grew to admire their faith, despite all the suffering they endured. He began to refer to the Irish as, My People. When he was 35 years old, Charles was sent to the outskirts of Dublin to the newly founded monastery of Mount Argus. He began to minister to the people, but he was never a great preacher as his ability to speak the native language was limited. Despite this, Charles focused on helping people through the sacrament of confession, where he would also offer spiritual direction. Words spread, and many flocked to Mount Argus to receive his help. Sometimes 300 people would come in a day

to go to confession or receive miraculous healing of a physical or spiritual ailment. It became a daily habit for Charles to walk from the monastery to the church, teaching the people about the passion of Christ, and the love Jesus has for all. He was described as a cheerful, humble priest, and her friend recounted this, saying, when you spoke to him, you had the impression that you were talking to someone who was an intimate friend of God. As his popularity grew and more people sought healing, he was transferred back to England in 1866, staying there for eight years before he returned once more to Ireland. The Irish were so fond of him that they referred to this Holland native as Charles of Mount Argus.

In the end of his life, he endured physical suffering, but continued to minister as much as he could. He set his last Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and passed away a few days later on January 5, 1893. His feast day is celebrated on January 5th, and he is the patron of the poor, sick, and immigrants. We have a beautiful quote from a letter Charles wrote to his brother, part of which stated, The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the stable at Bethlehem is a mystery. It is a miracle so great, abounding so much in humility and love, that it will be wandered at by the angels and saints in heaven for all eternity. Thank you for listening to Soldiers of Christ.

I'm Faith Roy's with Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.