Our Parish St. Charles School is affiliated with St. Alexander Parish. The parish serves the Catholic communities of both Chelmsford and Azilda. St. Alexander's Church 100 Gaudette St. Box 1838 Chelmsford, Ontario P0M 1L0 Phone: 855-2525 Fax: 855-8706 e-mail: stalexchurch@yahoo.ca

Faith at St. Charles School

St. Charles school is a place with a “listening heart”. As a school community we listen to God’s word, and try to discern where it is leading us, both as individuals and as a school community. We listen to students, teachers, staff, and parents. The Holy Spirit is both guide and comforter throughout our day. Respect for all is a keystone of our school community. As educators and parents we work together to develop well rounded and grounded children. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Father Sam who is the Parish Priest of St. Alexander’s Church. He celebrates, with the school community, with Mass and Liturgies on a regular basis and assists in the sacramental preparation of our students. Partnerships with school and family is an essential component in the development of our students.

Our Patron Saint: St. Charles Boromeo

Charles was the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV. He was born at the family castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy on October 2.

He received the clerical tonsure when he was twelve and was sent to the Benedictine abbey of SS. Gratian and Felinus at Arona for his education. He refused the headship of the Borromeo family on the death of Count Frederick Borromeo, was ordained a priest in 1563, and was consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Before being allowed to take possession of his see, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent.

When he finally did arrive at Trent (which had been without a resident bishop for eighty years) in 1556, he instituted radical reforms despite great opposition, with such effectiveness that it became a model see. He put into effect, measures to improve the morals and manners of the clergy and laity, raised the effectiveness of the diocesan operation, established seminaries for the education of the clergy, founded a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious instruction of children and encouraged the Jesuits in his see.

He increased the systems to the poor and the needy, was most generous in his help to the English college at Douai, and during his bishopric held eleven diocesan synods and six provincial councils. He founded a society of secular priests, Oblates of St. Ambrose (now Oblates of St. Charles) in 1578, and was active in preaching, resisting the inroads of protestantism, and bringing back lapsed Catholics to the Church. He encountered opposition from many sources in his efforts to reform people and institutions.

He died at Milan on the night of November 3-4, and was canonized in 1610. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, a patron of learning and the arts, and though he achieved a position of great power, he used it with humility, personal sanctity, and unselfishness to reform the Church, of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and the nobles of th e times. His feast day is November 4th.