Charles R. Mallen was born in Corona, New York, on June 8, 1919, the eldest sone of the late Charles Mallen and Elizabeth Temme Mallen. He was raised in Richmond Hill, New York. After graduating from Xavier High School, New York City, in 1936 he entered North East, the Redemptorist novitiate.

He made his Profession of Vows on August 2, 1939, and was ordained to priesthood on June 18, 1944. From 1945 until 1952, Father Mallen served as parish priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Tampa, Florida followed by a two year assignment at St. Gerard Parish, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

Following his return to Florida he was assigned to the Mission Band of Redemptorists based in New Smyrna Beach. In 1959 he was transferred to Opa Locka, Florida, in the Archdiocese of Miami, a place he would call home until 1985. During those years he gave missions and retreats throughout the state of Florida and the southeast. His mission work also took him to British Guiana, St. Vincent and Bolivia.

In 1981 while serving as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, he was asked by Archbishop Edward McCarthy to establish the first Ministry to Priests Program in the archdiocese. As director of this ministry, he set up spiritual and continuing education programs for both the diocesan and religious clergy.

When the Diocese of Venice was founded in 1984, Bishop John J. Nevins invited Father Mallen to serve as its first Vicar for Religious and Director of Continuing Education of the Clergy. Realizing that his young diocese would eventually need a retreat center, Bishop Nevins also asked Father Mallen to help him develop such a facility when the time was right.

Ground was broken for OLPH on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1995 and Father Mallen was appointed its first director.

Father Mallen has two brothers: Jim serves in the Redemptorist Missions in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; and Joseph and his wife Joan live in Bethpage, New York.