San Carlo ("Saint Charles") is a church located in Via Piergiorgio Frassati, in the west of Brugherio and it is part of the pastoral community Epiphany of the Lord.
History
The desire for a new church for the parish of Saint Bartholomew in Brugherio was already in the mind of Don Franco Perlatti since 1969 when, in a letter to Cardinal Giovanni Colombo about the construction of Saint Paul's Church, also alluded to the necessity, the near future, of another church in the west of the city in the rapid expansion process. In 1982, with Christmas greetings, parishioners expressed a willingness to start collecting money for the new church's construction. The land that Don Franco had reserved for the construction of the Saint Charles parish was one of the many territory given by Cazzaniga family to the parish of Saint Bartholomew in Brugherio, specifically it was Mrs. Paola Viganò's possession, called also widow Cazzaniga. The surface, characterized by the amplitude of 10 thousand square meters, has allowed the architects to design, in addition to the church, also the parsonage and classrooms for catechism, reserving a discreet space for games and outdoor pools, both indoors. In 1987 it was rented a room, made available by the municipality of Brugherio, under the arcades of Piazza Togliatti buildings and began to celebrate Mass and to organize some festive gathering events. For the design, the implementation and the financing of the entire work, Don Franco did not want to burden the "Cardinal Montini Plan" about the construction of twenty-five new churches on the territory of the Diocese Ambrosiana, but relied on the generosity of its parishioners. The constant search for funds gave rise to a series of initiatives including the distribution of envelopes for collection of offers in the occasion of Christmas 1988 bearing the plastic image of the new church and the lottery of 1991 with formalized tickets by Intendenza di finanza. Don Franco took an inflexible position with the technical department of the Curia, which proposed as designers some of its technicians. He wanted that the design of the parish was decided by professionals of Brugherio, known since the time of the oratory for their honesty and professionalism. He chose architects Alberto Brivio architects, Ferdinand Caprotti and Carlo Magni and engineer Giuseppe Gatti. Technical members of the team were also the surveyor Claro Sardi, manufacturer, and the surveyor Edward Teruzzi, technical manager and mayor of the City of Brugherio. All these professionals offered their services free of charge. The contract for construction was entrusted to the company Gemini & Noventa di Milano. Construction manager was the architect Alberto Brivio. With the archbishop's decree of February 1, 1993, Father Mario Ferrario was appointed parish priest of Saint Charles Church, which was careful for the first ten years. The church was consecrated by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, Archbishop of Milan on April 27, 1996. Don Daniele Turconi (former pastor for twenty years in Cinisello and then chaplain of the prisons in Monza), happened to Don Mario on November 1, 2002. From late 1994 to 2011 the parish was assisted by Fr Paolo Grima, Brugherio's native priest who has much cultivated personal relationships by listening to the people, especially the sick and suffering. Don Paolo Grima died on May 12, 2011.
Architecture
The structure is characterized by an altar in the middle, towards which the architectural lines, and for the upward momentum, enhanced by beautiful wooden beams of the roof. The plant has a square shape, with main axis on the diagonal. The resulting volumes are three and ideally divide the space into three naves: a central whose sailing coverage culminating in the bell tower and two side coverage at a lower level than sailing's one. The cover consists of a large covered outside laminated wood beams from copper plates. When viewed from above, it reminds Piazza del Campo in Siena that is said that it has been inspired by the blanket that covered the Holy Virgin. Outside the church has a narthex brick split-view in two large arms to represent the embrace of God to the Church community. Inside the classroom has a single nave, this encourages participation in the celebrations of the whole assembly. The church has a capacity of about 450 people to sit and possible other 150 standing. The presbytery is wide and suitably raised from the classroom floor by four steps The curved walls that surround it, creating a continuity from the altar to the nave, between celebrant and congregation.