Charles of Mount Argus
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| Charles of Mount Argus | |
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| Born | 11th December 1821, Munstergeleen, Limburg |
| Died | 5th January 1893, Mount Argus, Ireland |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 16 October 1988 by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 3 June 2007, Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Feast | January 5 |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Charles of Mount Argus was a well known Passionist priest in 19th century Ireland. He was born Joannes Andreas Houben on the 11th December 1821 in the village of Munstergeleen in the south of the Netherlands. He joined the Passionists in 1845 at Ere in Belgium. Ordained in 1850, he was sent to England in 1852 and was never to see the nation of his birth again. In 1857 he was sent to the newly founded Mount Argus monastery in Dublin where he became popular confessor and was renowned as healer. He lived almost the remainder of his life in this retreat and was greatly loved by the Irish people to point that they referred to him, a native of the Netherlands, as Father Charles of Mount Argus. He was a particularly pious priest. He was outstanding in exercising obedience, in the practice of poverty, humility and simplicity and to an even greater degree, to devotion to the Passion of the Lord.
He spent most of the rest of his life at Mount Argus where he died on the 5th January 1893. The cause of his Beatification and Canonization was introduced on 13 November 1935, and on 16 October 1988, His Holiness John Paul II proceeded with the beatification of the one whom everyone called the saint of Mount Argus. The miracle that led to his canonization was obtained through his intercession on behalf of Mr. Adolf Dormans of Munstergeleen, the birthplace of the Blessed. The diocesan inquiry super miro was also undertaken in the diocese of Roermond (Netherlands) from 6 November 2002 until 19 February 2003 at which time the validity of the miracle was recognized by a Decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 November 2003. The medical consulta was convoked on 24 November 2005 and following the investigation of the matter, the members unanimously expressed that the cure of Mr. Dormans of "perforated, gangrenous appendicitis with generalized peritonitis that was multi-organically compromising and included extenuating and prolonged agony" was "not scientifically explainable".
The theologian consultors, in the particular Congress of 21 February 2006 and the Ordinary Congregation of Cardinals and Bishops of 12 December 2006 also gave their unanimous approval of the claimed supernatural aspect of the said alleged healing.
The Decree concerning the miracle was given in the presence of the Benedict XVI on 21 December 2006. Charles was canonized on 3 June 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
