Charles of St Andrew

Charles of St Andrew, priest of the Congregation of the Passion (1821 to 1893), from The Netherlands, lived in Ireland.

Known in secular life as John Andrew Houben, Fr Charles of St Andrew was born on December 11, 1821 in Munstergeleen, in the diocese of Ruremond, the fourth of 11 children.

He began his formal education in Sittard and then in Broeksittard, interrupting his studies in 1840 to enter the military.

It was during this time that he first heard about the Congregation of the Passion. At the end of his military service he completed his studies and requested to be admitted to the Congregation.

He entered the novitiate in the Belgium city of Ere, near Tournai on November 5, 1845. In December of that same year he was vested with the Passionist religious Habit and was given the name of Charles of St Andrew.

Soon after being ordained priest he was sent to England where the Passionists had founded three monasteries. In 1856 he was transferred to the newly established monastery of Mount Argus, on the outskirts of Dublin, where he lived the remainder of his life.

He was a particularly pious priest, outstanding in exercising obedience, the practice of poverty, humility and simplicity. Since he never mastered the English language, he was never a formal preacher. Instead, he successfully dedicated himself to spiritual direction. The fame of his virtue was such that great crowds of people would gather at the monastery to seek his blessing. Even during his lifetime he was known as a miracle worker. Precisely because of this fame that extended throughout Great Britain as well as in America and Australia, he transferred to England to rest. He returned to Dublin in 1874 where he remained until he died on January 5, 1893.

After his funeral the Superior of the monastery wrote to his family saying, "The people have already declared him a saint".

The cause of his beatification and canonisation was introduced on November 13, 1935, and on October 16, 1988, Pope John Paul II proceeded with the beatification.

The miracle that led to his canonisation was obtained through his intercession on behalf of Adolf Dormans of Munstergeleen, the birthplace of the Blessed.

The cure of Mr Dormans of "perforated, gangrenous appendicitis", which caused him "prolonged agony", was "not scientifically explainable".

The Decree concerning the miracle was given in the presence of the Pope Benedict XVI on December 21, 2006.