Short
Life of
Saint Charles
Continued ...
Saint
Charles never saw Holland again. In February 1852, he was sent to England.
Here Fr. Charles first came in contact with the Irish who were emigrating
to England in the wake of the Famine. He was transferred to Ireland and
on July 9th, 1857, he arrived in the newly-founded monastery of Mount
Argus, in Harold's Cross, Dublin. Dublin had a population of less than
a quarter of a million - many of whom were British soldiers. It was not
a saintly place, with many official brothels, licensed public houses and
shebeens. Murders were common and moral standards questionable. Religious
knowledge was hopeless.
Charles was not a good preacher. He never really mastered the language.
But it was in the Confessional and in comforting the sick that he excelled.
He was fond of the Irish. He called them "my people". He respected
their struggle against oppression, he admired the way the Faith was preserved.
But he wasn't blind to their faults. He soon became extraordinarily popular
not only in Dublin but all over Ireland and collected money throughout
the length and breadth of the country to pay for the new monastery of
Mount Argus.
It was his gift of healing the sick which is most clearly remembered.
As many as three hundred people a day came to be blessed by him. Fr. Sebastian
Keens told of a boy of 12 years old who lost the use of his leg and was
brought to him. With no delay he called Fr. Charles and shortly afterwards
found the boy walking up and down in front of the house completely cured.
His fame spread and trouble came. Some medical doctors claimed, a claim
which later they withdrew, that he discouraged people from going to the
doctor. Then others took Holy Water blessed by Fr. Charles and began to
sell it throughout Ireland. This was not Fr. Charles fault but he was
transferred to England in 1866 and remained there for eight years.
