St. Charles Shared Vision
St. Charles Borromeo is a Catholic faith community
called by baptism to witness and live the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gathered at Table, nourished by Eucharist, and guided by scripture,
we share our gifts as we minister through
worship, faith formation, education and service.
Saint Charles, the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of
Pope Pius IV, was born into a noble and aristocratic family in the castle of Arona
on Lake Maggoire, Italy, on October 2, 1538. He was educated at the Benedictine Abbey
of Sts. Gratinian and Felinus at Arona. He studied Latin at Milan and then attended
the University of Pavia. He received his doctorate in 1559. In 1560, at the age of
twenty-three, his uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him Secretary of State and Cardinal
Deacon of Milan, entrusting him with many responsible positions in the service of the
Church. Largely through Charles' efforts, the Council of Trent finished its work of
Church reform in 1562.
Ordained a priest in 1563 and appointed Bishop of Milan shortly afterwards, Charles
began a life long labor to reform the ancient Christian city where he had been appointed
bishop. Like his predecessor, St. Ambrose, he fostered the education of clergy, established
the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious education of children, and cared
for the poor. He himself lived a simple, sparing life, without concern for his own
comfort. Though he suffered from a speech defect, he constantly preached to his people
who received his words as if from a messenger of God.
During his ministry as bishop, Charles had enemies among the civil administration and his
own clergy. In 1569, while he knelt at prayer in church, an assassin, Jerome Donati Farina, a
Humiliati priest, tried to murder him, but the bullet fell harmlessly from the cloak on his back.
On the evening of November 4, 1584, at the age of 46, he died in Milan after making his annual
retreat at Monte Varallo.
History of St. Charles Borromeo Parish
After World War II, the area north of the Missouri River experienced intense growth, and
the Most Rev. Charles H. LeBlond assigned the task of establishing a new parish and school
for the Diocese of St. Joseph to Rev. Maurice Wogan.
Father Wogan, a man of determination, logic and vision, purchased five acres of pasture
in what was then Linden, MO. On Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947, the first parish Mass, with
a congregation of 40 people, was celebrated in the Englewood School Auditorium. On Christmas
Eve 1947, Mass was celebrated in a two-story army chapel that had been dismantled and transported
to the site of St. Charles Parish. Bishop LeBlond dedicated the church on February 14, 1948.
Story has it that St. Charles Borromeo was LeBlond's patron saint, but "Borromeo" did not appear
on church records until around 1960.
The first floor of the Church was renovated into three classrooms, and in the fall of
1949 three Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas began teaching. In 1952, a separate school
building was constructed.
A new church building was dedicated on September 3, 1956 by Archbishop Edwin O'Hara. Prior
to the dedication, the diocesan map of Missouri had been redrawn, creating the Diocese
of Kansas City-St. Joseph
The Rev. James Lyons became St. Charles' second pastor in 1963. He guided the 900
parish families through the challenging changes of the Second Vatican Council, including the
liturgical reforms and the growth of lay involvement in parish leadership. By the 1970's the
parish was home to 1,650 families.
During Lent, 1975, "The Resurrection" by artist Lou Marek was hung behind the altar.
Parishioner and artist Philomene Bennette designed the eight chunk-glass windows and the
five stained-glass saint windows.
In 1978, the Rev. William Baumann became St. Charles' pastor. As a liturgist, Rev.
Baumann expanded the music program, developed the process of the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults, and continued extensive lay involvement in the ministries of the parish.
Rev. Baumann was succeeded as pastor by the Rev. Michael Tierney in 1984, and then by Rev.
Norman Rotert in 1985. Under Father Rotert's leadership, the parish moved into programs of
social justice, renewal and reorganization.
In 1991, the Rev. John Wolf, C.PP.S., began pastoral duties at St. Charles as the Society
of the Precious Blood (Congregatio Prezziosisimi Sanguine, or C. PP. S.) accepted from the
diocese the full responsibility of parish leadership. In addition to the continued flourishing
of pastoral ministries, attention to the physical plant and renovation projects marked Fr. Wolf's pastorate.
In 2003, the Rev. Jack McClure, C.PP.S, became pastor at St. Charles Parish. Under his leadership, Together in Faith, intergenerational religious education, became a key part of religious education.
In 2007, the Community of the Precious Blood returned the pastorate of the parish back to the
diocese. The Rev. Ken Riley was appointed our new pastor effective July 1, 2007. As a community, more and more parishoners are accepting calls to ministry. Our community seeks to live out our baptismal promises to witness and live the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
