Index

Index
The153 Club
The Agades Cross
People of the Sahara
Saharan Landscapes
Saharan Salt Trade
The Gundi
Illizi Festival 2000
Sahara Freeze-up
Camel Cheese
153 News Update
Join the 153 Club

Père de Foucauld
L'Arbre du Ténéré 1
L'Arbre du Ténéré 2
Saharan Forts 1
Saharan Forts 2
Saharan Rock Art
Giraffe Engravings
Leo Africanus
Battuta's Saharan travels
Shabeni's Timbuktu
Timbuctoo the Mysterious
Heroditus & Pliny on Libya
Timbuktu, a poem

Joliba Trust
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 1
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 2
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 3
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 4
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 5
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 6

Old Michelin Maps
Early NW Africa Map 1
Early NW Africa Map 2
Early NW Africa Map 3
Early NW Africa Map 4
Early NW Africa Map 5
Saharan Exploration

Henry Barth 1
Henry Barth 2
Henry Barth 3
Denham & Clapperton 1
Denham & Clapperton 2
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 1
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 2
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 3
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 4

External Links

Jim Mann Taylor's Home Page
___________________________

 

 

 

Index

Index
The153 Club
The Agades Cross
People of the Sahara
Saharan Landscapes
Books on the Sahara(1)
Books on the Sahara(2)
Books on African Art
Saharan Salt Trade
The Gundi
Illizi Festival 2000
Sahara Freeze-up
Camel Cheese
153 Club Newsletter
153 News Update
Join the 153 Club
Today's African News

Père de Foucauld
L'Arbre du Ténéré 1
L'Arbre du Ténéré 2
Saharan Forts 1
Saharan Forts 2
Saharan Rock Art
Giraffe Engravings
Leo Africanus
Battuta's Saharan travels
Shabeni's Timbuktu
Timbuctoo the Mysterious
Heroditus & Pliny on Libya
Timbuktu, a poem

Joliba Trust
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 1
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 2
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 3
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 4
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 5
Ibn Khaldûn quotes 6

Old Michelin Maps
Early NW Africa Map 1
Early NW Africa Map 2
Early NW Africa Map 3
Early NW Africa Map 4
Early NW Africa Map 5
Saharan Exploration

Henry Barth 1
Henry Barth 2
Henry Barth 3
Denham & Clapperton 1
Denham & Clapperton 2
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 1
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 2
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 3
Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil 4

External Links

Jim Mann Taylor's Home Page
___________________________

 

The Venerable Charles de Foucauld

Le Frère Charles de Jésus

Vicomte Charles Eugene de Foucauld


The following recently appeared in Le Saharien, the magazine of La Rahla.

In the Church of Saint-Augustin on the afternoon of 1 December , the
day when the death of Father Charles de Foucauld is traditionally
commemorated, a very important announcement was made by Monsignor Bouvier, who has put forward the case for the beatification of the Father. He said
that the theologians in Rome responsible for the case were unanimous in
their acknowledgement of the heroic virtues of the Father. The papal decree
ratifying this decision was to be published early in 2001; the Father would
then be "venerable".

By a pure coincidence, the Father's stone house has been restored inside and out by the Tamanrasset municipality. The original style and colours have been
conserved, and windows installed to keep out birds and other creatures. It
is thought that the rooms will be used for a permanent exhibition on the
life and works of the Father.




The following potted history is translated from the book "Charles de Foucauld et la fratenité" by Denise and Robert Barrat.

15 Sept 1858. Born Charles Eugenie de Foucauld in Strasbourg.
1864 Already orphans, Charles and his sister Mary are looked after by their grandfather.
1870-71 The grandfather registers them both as French subjects following the French-German war.
1872-75 Studied at Nancy and Paris under the Jesuits.
1876 Admitted to St-Cyr Military Academy.
1878 Became a sub Lieutenant at Saumur Military Academy.
1880 His regiment, the 4th Hussars was sent to Setif in Algeria, giving him his first taste of Africa.
Mar 1881 Discharged with deprivation of office for "indiscipline with flagrant misconduct". Retired to Evian and lived there "with the vague disquiet that comes from a bad conscience that, although fast asleep, is not quite dead".
May 1881 Revolt of Bon Mama in the South Oran region. Reinstated in the army at his own request, took part in 8 month campaign. The Arabs made a profound impression on him. When the insurrection was over, he asked for leave to take a journey to the south to study the Arabs. Not having obtained permission, he resigned and moved to Algiers to prepare his journey to Morocco.
25 June 1883 After 15 months of meticulous preparation during which he learnt Arabic and Hebrew, Foucauld, aged 25, made a reconnaissance trip to Morocco.
May 1885 Received Gold Medal of French Geographic Society.
Sept 1885 - Jan 1886 Exploration in southern Algeria and Southern Tunisia. This itinerary took him to Tiaret (Oran region), Gabes (Tunisia) via Laghouat, Ghardaia and the Mzab, El Golea, Ouargla, Touggourt, the Souf, Nefta, Tozeur, Gafsa.
Feb 1886 He went to live in Paris, 50 rue de Miromesnil, to prepare his work "Reconnaissance au Maroc" which came out in 1888.
No bed in the flat: Charles de Foucauld slept on a carpet, wrapped in a burnous. His soul aspired to find God. Went into Churches and one day made this prayer: "God, if you exist, make yourself known unto me."
End Oct 1888 In the church of St. Augustin, made his confession and received communion from the hand of L'Abbe Huvelin, to whom he was sent by Mme de Bondy. "As soon as I believed there was a God, I understood I could do nothing else but live for him, my religious vocation dates from the same moment as my faith: God is so great. There is such a difference between God and everything that is not."
Nov 1888 - Feb 1889 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, visited all Holy Places and stayed twice in Nazareth.
1889 4 closed retreats - Benedictines, (Solesmes), the Great Trappist monastery at Soligny, Notre-Dames de Neiges (Ardeche) and at the villa Manrese (Clamart) with Jesuit fathers.
16 Jan 1890 Into Trappist monastery of Notre Dames-des-Neiges. Took name of Brother Marie-Alberic. "Pray for me, I shall pray for you, for your family," he wrote to his sister Marie, "You don't forget yourself when you come closer to God".
June 1890 Left for the Trappist monastery of Akbes in Syria.
July 1891 After having resigned in 1891 from the Geographical Society, Brother Marie Alberique also renounced his role as reserve officer. "This act gives me pleasure; on Jan 15 I left everything good behind, but there remained those wretched embarrassment, my rank, my little fortune, and it gives me pleasure to throw them out of the window."
Feb 1892 Frère Alberic took his vows and wore the tonsure. He began to wonder if he could realise in the Trappist order his ideal of poverty, abjections and penitence. "If they speak to me of studying, I shall explain that I have a keen taste for staying up to my neck in corn and wood and an extreme repugnance for everything that might tend to distance me from this last place, to which I came in abjection and into which I desire to sink further and further, following the example of our Lord - and then in the end I would obey."
Sept - Oct 1893 In his correspondence he formulated for the first time the idea of a new congregation of monks living solely from the work of their bands and living truly the life of our Lord of Nazareth.
June 1896 Drafting his first plan for a Religious Congregation.
Oct 1896 After a month's stay in the Trappist monastery of Straoueli, Brother Marie-Alberic was sent to Rome where he was supposed to study for 3 years. After 3 months, the Rev. Gen. Father released him from his vows and gave him the liberty to follow his vocation according to his own lights.
14 Feb 1897 Embarked at Brindisi for Holy Land.
May 1897 Taken on incognito - or so he imagined - as the servant of the Clarisses in Nazareth.
1898 Accomplished two journeys on foot to Jerusalem.
1900 Father Marie-Alberic wanted to buy the Mount of the Beatitudes so he could live there as a hermit priest. Plan did not work out.
Aug 1900 Returned to France, decided to prepare for priesthood.
9 June 1901 Ordained priest at Seminary at Viviers.
5 Sept 1901 Remaining "free priest" of Viviers diocese, was authorised to live alone, or with others in Diocese of the Sahara. He chose to live in the South of the Oran region, near Moroccan border, with the aim or preparing the evangelization of Morocco.
29 Oct 1901 Brother Charles of Jesus celebrated mass for 1st time at Beni-Abbes and bought a piece of land on which to build a fraternity.
9 Jan 1902 Bought ("redeemed"?) 1st slave, whom he called Joseph du Sacre-Coeur. Much of 1902 was devoted to an exchange of correspondence with Mgr. Guerin, Apostolic Prefet of the Sahara, on the subject of slavery.
7 May 1902 Battle of Tit won by Lt. Cottenest against Touareg tribes.
14 Aug 1902 Solemn baptism of Abel-Jesus (Slave of Jesus), little black boy of 3½ bought in July.
14 Sept 1902 Purchase of 2 slaves, one a young man of 15, Paul Embarek, who would later witness his death at Tamanrasset.
1903 Father de Foucauld dreamt of making journeys to Morocco and setting up a Fraternity there. Wanted to be joined by companions of whom he would ask "three things: 1) be ready to have head cut off 2) be ready to die of starvation 3) to obey him in spite of his worthlessness"
June 1903 As impossible to go to Morocco, reveals to l'Abbe-Huvelin, Monsigneur Cuerin and Commandant Laperrine his plan to evangelize Tuareg (country).
Jan 1904-05 Accompanied by military columns who moved around the desert, made contact with population of southern and central Sahara. Journey took him to Beni-Abbes, In Salah, Aoulef, El Golea, Ghardaia. During travels learnt Tamachek (Tuareg language) and undertook translations of Gospels into this language.
April 1905 Finished his meditations on the Holy Gospels
May 1905 Authorised by Abbe Huvelin and Mgr. Guerin to take part in journey to the Hoggar.
June 1905 In Ouzzel, on road to Tamanrasset, made acquaintance of Moussa Ag Axuastane, amenokal of the Ahaggar tribe.
Aug 1905 Mission arrived at Tamanrasset. Father began by living in a 'zeriba' (reed hut such as Hoggar inhabitants still build). Then built house in brick and dried mud. Decided to live there few months and to spend each year: 3 months at Beni-Abbes, 6 at Tamanrasset, 3 months coming and going.
Sept-Nov 1906 Journey back to Beni-Abbes General Lyautey paid him a visit.
Dec 1906 At Maison Carree, headquarters of 'White Fathers', Peres Blancs, Mgr. Guerin gave him a companion, Father Michel. Also authorised him to display Holy Sacrament whenever 2 worshippers present for at least 3 hours.
25 Dec 1906 Christmas at Beni-Abbes.
Jan 1907 The 2 monks left again for Hoggar. Father Michael's health not up to journey, left Father de Foucauld at In Salah. Latter joined Arnaud-Cortier mission, stayed a while in Tamanrasset, in April 1907, then travelled in Tanezrouft and Eastern Adrar for a new "taming" tour.
July 1907-Xmas 1908 2nd stay in Tamanrasset, during which resumed regular, monastic life. 11 hours work a day on editing Tamachek lexicon and grammar.
31 Jan 1908 Obtained authorization to celebrate mass without server.
Nov 1908 Finished translation of Tuareg poetry (6000 lines).
Dec 1908- March 1909 At request of family, 1st stay in France. Mgr. Bonnet, Bishop of Viviers, and Mgr. Livinhac, Father Superior of Peres Blancs, approved statutes of "The Union of Brothers and Sisters of the Sacre-Coeur" Sacred Heart - a "pious union for the evangelization of the colonies."
18 Mar 1909 On way back stopped at El Abiodh Sidi Chelkh. 1st fraternity founded there in 1933.
June 1909- Jan 1911 3rd stay at Tamanrasset
May 1910 Learned of death of Mgr. Guerin, aged 37. Commented "Alas yes, it is a great loss for me; but one must not be selfish, it is right that the saints receive their reward"
May 1911 - April 1913 4th stay at Tamanrasset. Continued Lexicon.
13 Dec 1911 At Asekrem, wrote his will: "I wish to be buried in the place where I die and to remain there until the Resurrection. I forbid that my body be transported elsewhere, that I be taken from the spot where the Good Lord has had me finish my pilgrimage".
1912 Conquest of Morocco by Gouraud, Lyautey, Mangin
Apr-Nov 1913 Père de Foucault took Ouksem Ag Chikkat, chief of Tribe of Dag Rali (to France).
Sept 1914 On hearing news of declaration of war in Europe, wrote to Mme. de Bondy, after many struggles of conscience: "You'll understand that I suffer to be so far from our soldiers and the border: but my duty is, clearly, to stay here to help to keep the population calm."
March 1915 Insurrection of Arab tribes in south of Tripolitaine.
Apr-May 1915 Father told Captain Duclos, new commander of Saharan Company of Tidikelt stationed at In Salah, about the situation in the Hoggar and the movements of Moroccan or Senussi raiders.
Apr 1916 Taken over by Libyan raiders, French fort at Djanet fell. "After this success the Senussi have the way clear to come here". Captain de la Roche had a 16m-long fort built at Tamanrasset, to protect the Tuareg population in the case of attack. Father Charles went there in June.
28 Nov 1916 Finished copy of Tuareg poetry.
1 Dec 1916 Assassinated

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