Priest (October 23, 2006)
Salesian missionary in Bangkok
Born to Antonio and Filomena on July 9, 1900 at Cernusco sul Naviglio, in the province of Milan, Charles was the fourth of seven brothers in the Torre family. In 1917, at the outbreak of the First World War, young Charles was called up for military service. Once he returned home, he witnessed the death of his father and took on responsibility for the family until 1923, when, in order to follow his priestly and missionary vocation, he entered the Cardinal Cagliero Salesian Institute at Ivrea.
In three years he completed all of his secondary studies. In 1926 he said goodbye to his family and left for China. His superiors sent him to the new Salesian Mission in Thailand, where Charles made his first religious profession at Bang Nok Khuek, the mother house of the Salesian mission in Thailand.
Providence led him to be one who was a leader, including in spiritual terms, of the people in the community. From his contact with young people and the women who used to help around the House, he was led to say, “I am inspired by the Madonna,” to bring them together and begin a Congregation of local sisters who would be of service to and help look after churches, parish schools, the kitchen and laundry of boarding schools, and who would also take on the teaching of catechetics to children in preparation for reception of the Sacraments.
In 1936 Charles was ordained a priest. After the Second World War Fr. Charles, together with his superiors, made the sad decision to leave the Congregation in order to completely dedicate himself to his work at its beginnings, and was incardinated into the diocese of Bangkok.
Fr. Charles suffered like Don Bosco and Fr. Variara as a founder, but with constant courage, certain that he was carrying out the Lord’s will. These were very difficult years for him and his consecrated sisters. They found themselves in ever more desperate circumstances, without a penny to their names, homeless and without work. They earned their bread by fixing up clothes, which they then sold for a few pence.
With the permission of the Bishop, Fr. Charles sent to Rome the first Rule of his sisters, to be approved as an Institute of consecrated women. In 1955, after many difficulties, the first seven sisters made their profession in the newly founded “Secular Institute of the Daughters of the Queenship of Mary Immaculate.”
