Saint Charles of Mount Argus
Dutch Passionist priest to whom the sick of Dublin came for a blessing
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest, Religious
- Life
- 1821 – 1893
- Era
- 19th century
- Feast
- 5 January
- Countries
- Netherlands, Ireland
Life story
Joannes Andreas Houben was born on 11 December 1821 at Munstergeleen in Limburg, in the Netherlands. In 1845 he entered the Passionist novitiate at Ere, near Tournai in Belgium, professed vows in 1846 and took the religious name Charles of St Andrew. He was ordained a priest in 1850, after the death of his father.
In 1852 he was sent to England, and in 1857 to the Passionist monastery of Mount Argus in Dublin. He was best known for hearing confessions and for praying over and blessing the sick, since his limited English meant he preached little. Some accounts say hundreds of people could come in a single day to receive his blessing; many believed he had healed them, and his name even appears in James Joyce's novel Ulysses.
In 1866 his superiors sent him to England; he returned to Dublin in 1874 and stayed there for the rest of his life. He died at Mount Argus on 5 January 1893.
Pope John Paul II beatified him on 16 October 1988. Pope Benedict XVI canonised him on 3 June 2007; the miracle accepted for the cause was the healing in 1999 of Dolf (Adolf) Dormans of Munstergeleen, the saint's native village.
Works and witness
- Entered the Passionists in 1845 and was ordained in 1850
- Served at Mount Argus in Dublin from 1857, with a stay in England from 1866 to 1874
- Known for hearing confessions and blessing the sick
- Beatified 1988, canonised on 3 June 2007
Saints from the same country
References
- Passiochristi (Passionist) page on Saint Charles Houben (passiochristi.org)
- Mount Argus parish page (mountargusparish.ie)
- Catholic Ireland, St Charles of Mount Argus (catholicireland.net)
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.