Charles Schilling was a Norwegian Barnabite priest and painter born in Oslo in 1835. Originally an atheist, he converted to Catholicism while studying art in Düsseldorf at the age of nineteen. After his conversion, he eventually abandoned his painting career to focus on prayer and charitable activities. He was ordained a priest in Bourges, France, in 1875 and served as a spiritual director for the Barnabite Order. During his final years in Mouscron, Belgium, his reputation for holiness earned him the nicknames "the tall saint" and "the saint of Mouscron."