Jesus Caritas

Brother Charles died alone

Last photograph taken of Brother Charles
Charles de Foucauld did not succeed in his lifetime to attract 'little brothers' and 'little sisters' to join the religious communities modelled on the life of Jesus at Nazareth that he envisioned. 

He did establish an Association, open to anyone, lay people of both sexes, priests, other religious... If he had survived the 1914-1918 war, he intended travelling to France to promote the Association.

Biography of Charles by René Bazin Louis Massignon, Paris 1913 On his death, everybody thought it the end of Charles' hopes. All but Louis Massignon, a founder member of the Association, who began to gather Charles' papers and suggested to the author, René Bazin, that he might write a biography of Charles de Foucauld.

Charles de Foucauld: Hermit and Explorer was published in 1923. 

Since then, many communities have sprung up, inspired by Charles' life and example - often first glimpsed through René Bazin's biography. The communities are each distinctive yet also have much in common.