DECEMBER 1 - SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD breski1 Charles Eugenie de Foucauld Brother Charles of Jesus Brother Marie-Alberic Memorial 1 December Profile Born to an aristocratic family; orphaned by age …More
DECEMBER 1 - SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD
breski1
Charles Eugenie de Foucauld
Brother Charles of Jesus
Brother Marie-Alberic
Memorial
1 December
Profile
Born to an aristocratic family; orphaned by age six, he and his sister Mary were raised by their grandfather. Studied at Jesuit schools in Nancy and Paris, France from 1872 to 1875. Entered the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in 1876. Joined the 4th Hussar regiment; in 1880 his unit was sent to Setif, Algeria. He was discharged from the service in March 1881 for misconduct, and moved to Evian, France. During the Revolt of Bon Mama in South Oran two months later, Charles re-enlisted, and fought for the eight months of the rebellion. He became so fascinated with the Arabs that he met that when he could not obtain a leave of absence to study them, he resigned his commission.
He spent 15 months learning Arabic and Hebrew, and then travelled into Morocco. In May 1885 he received the Gold Medal of the French Geographic Society for his work. He explored Algeria and Tunisia from September 1885 through January 1886, returning to Paris in February to work on his book Reconnaissance au Maroc, which was published in 1888. He lived very simply, sleeping on the floor, spending hours each day in prayer at home and in church. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands from November 1888 to February 1889, and spent much of the rest of 1889 in spiritual retreats.
On 16 January 1890 he joined the Trappist monks at the monastery of Notre Dames-des-Neiges, taking the name Brother Marie-Alberic; he moved to the monastery of Akbes, Syria in June. Sent to study in Rome in October 1896, but after three months it became obvious that his heart, head and spirit were elsewhere, and he was released from his vows.
He made multiple pilgrimages through the Holy Lands on foot before returning to France to study for the priesthood. Ordained on 9 June 1901 at Viviers. He moved to the Oran region near Morocco in late 1901 to establish a base and found an order to evangelize Morocco. In 1902 he began a program of buying slaves in order to free them. In 1904 he began evangelizing nomadic Tauregs in the area of south and central Sahara. Translated the Gospels into the language of the Tauregs. In November 1908 he translated Tauareg poetry to French, and he spent years compiling a Taureg lexicon. In March 1909 he succeeded in founding the Union of Brothers and Sisters of the Sacred Heart to evangelize the French colonies in Africa. Killed when caught in the middle of combat between French forces and Arab insurrectionists.
Born
15 September 1858 in Strasbourg, France as Charles Eugenie de Foucauld
Died
shot in the head on 1 December 1916 at Tamanrasset, Algeria by a 15 year old Beduoin bandit
Venerated
24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)
Beatified
13 November 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI
recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
Canonized
15 May 2022 by Pope Francis
the canonization miracle involved the healing of a young man from the injuries sustained in a 50 foot fall; the healing occurred on 30 November 2016 in Saumur, France at the end of a novena prayed in preparation for the centenary of the death of Blessed Charles
breski1
Charles Eugenie de Foucauld
Brother Charles of Jesus
Brother Marie-Alberic
Memorial
1 December
Profile
Born to an aristocratic family; orphaned by age six, he and his sister Mary were raised by their grandfather. Studied at Jesuit schools in Nancy and Paris, France from 1872 to 1875. Entered the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in 1876. Joined the 4th Hussar regiment; in 1880 his unit was sent to Setif, Algeria. He was discharged from the service in March 1881 for misconduct, and moved to Evian, France. During the Revolt of Bon Mama in South Oran two months later, Charles re-enlisted, and fought for the eight months of the rebellion. He became so fascinated with the Arabs that he met that when he could not obtain a leave of absence to study them, he resigned his commission.
He spent 15 months learning Arabic and Hebrew, and then travelled into Morocco. In May 1885 he received the Gold Medal of the French Geographic Society for his work. He explored Algeria and Tunisia from September 1885 through January 1886, returning to Paris in February to work on his book Reconnaissance au Maroc, which was published in 1888. He lived very simply, sleeping on the floor, spending hours each day in prayer at home and in church. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands from November 1888 to February 1889, and spent much of the rest of 1889 in spiritual retreats.
On 16 January 1890 he joined the Trappist monks at the monastery of Notre Dames-des-Neiges, taking the name Brother Marie-Alberic; he moved to the monastery of Akbes, Syria in June. Sent to study in Rome in October 1896, but after three months it became obvious that his heart, head and spirit were elsewhere, and he was released from his vows.
He made multiple pilgrimages through the Holy Lands on foot before returning to France to study for the priesthood. Ordained on 9 June 1901 at Viviers. He moved to the Oran region near Morocco in late 1901 to establish a base and found an order to evangelize Morocco. In 1902 he began a program of buying slaves in order to free them. In 1904 he began evangelizing nomadic Tauregs in the area of south and central Sahara. Translated the Gospels into the language of the Tauregs. In November 1908 he translated Tauareg poetry to French, and he spent years compiling a Taureg lexicon. In March 1909 he succeeded in founding the Union of Brothers and Sisters of the Sacred Heart to evangelize the French colonies in Africa. Killed when caught in the middle of combat between French forces and Arab insurrectionists.
Born
15 September 1858 in Strasbourg, France as Charles Eugenie de Foucauld
Died
shot in the head on 1 December 1916 at Tamanrasset, Algeria by a 15 year old Beduoin bandit
Venerated
24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)
Beatified
13 November 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI
recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
Canonized
15 May 2022 by Pope Francis
the canonization miracle involved the healing of a young man from the injuries sustained in a 50 foot fall; the healing occurred on 30 November 2016 in Saumur, France at the end of a novena prayed in preparation for the centenary of the death of Blessed Charles
Agericus of Verdun
Agnofleta
Alexander Briant
Alphonsine Anuarite Nengapeta
Ambon of Rome
Ananias of Arbela
Ansanus the Baptizer
Antony Bonfadini
Bruna Pellesi
Candida of Rome
Candres of Maestricht
Cassian of Rome
Castritian of Milan
Charles de Foucauld
Christian of Perugia
Constantine of Javron
Declan
Didorus
Domnolus of Le Mans
Edmund Campion
Eligius of Noyon
Evasius of Asti
Filatus of Rome
Florence …More
Agericus of Verdun
Agnofleta
Alexander Briant
Alphonsine Anuarite Nengapeta
Ambon of Rome
Ananias of Arbela
Ansanus the Baptizer
Antony Bonfadini
Bruna Pellesi
Candida of Rome
Candres of Maestricht
Cassian of Rome
Castritian of Milan
Charles de Foucauld
Christian of Perugia
Constantine of Javron
Declan
Didorus
Domnolus of Le Mans
Edmund Campion
Eligius of Noyon
Evasius of Asti
Filatus of Rome
Florence of Poitiers
Florentius
Grwst
Hugh of Ostia
Jabinus of Rome and Companions
John Beche
Kazimierz Tomasz Sykulski
Latinus of Rome
Leontius of Fréjus
Liduina Meneguzzi
Lucius of Rome
Maria Clara of the Child Jesus
Marianus
Marina of Rome
Martinus
Nahum the Prophet
Natalia of Nicomedia
Olympiades
Proculus of Narni
Ralph Sherwin
Resignatus of Maastricht
Richard Langley
Rogatus of Rome
Simon of Cyrene
Superatus of Rome
Ursicinus of Brescia
—
Martyrs of Oxford University
—
Anthony the Younger
Arnold of Cologne
Blanche of Castile
Giovanni Gueruli da Verucchio
Girolamo de Pratis
Agnofleta
Alexander Briant
Alphonsine Anuarite Nengapeta
Ambon of Rome
Ananias of Arbela
Ansanus the Baptizer
Antony Bonfadini
Bruna Pellesi
Candida of Rome
Candres of Maestricht
Cassian of Rome
Castritian of Milan
Charles de Foucauld
Christian of Perugia
Constantine of Javron
Declan
Didorus
Domnolus of Le Mans
Edmund Campion
Eligius of Noyon
Evasius of Asti
Filatus of Rome
Florence of Poitiers
Florentius
Grwst
Hugh of Ostia
Jabinus of Rome and Companions
John Beche
Kazimierz Tomasz Sykulski
Latinus of Rome
Leontius of Fréjus
Liduina Meneguzzi
Lucius of Rome
Maria Clara of the Child Jesus
Marianus
Marina of Rome
Martinus
Nahum the Prophet
Natalia of Nicomedia
Olympiades
Proculus of Narni
Ralph Sherwin
Resignatus of Maastricht
Richard Langley
Rogatus of Rome
Simon of Cyrene
Superatus of Rome
Ursicinus of Brescia
—
Martyrs of Oxford University
—
Anthony the Younger
Arnold of Cologne
Blanche of Castile
Giovanni Gueruli da Verucchio
Girolamo de Pratis