Saint Who?
Saints Who Promoted the Rosary
Saint Charles de Foucauld
Priest and martyr († 1916)Feast: December 1
Charles de Foucauld was the son of French aristocrats. He lost his parents at the age of six and was raised by his grandfather, a devout Catholic. Charles, however, rejected his faith, detesting the discipline and religious observance of his Jesuit school, and by the time he was eighteen he had extinguished, as he said, “the last spark of faith.” He lived an indulgent life, chasing pleasure and excitement; yet, he said, “I am bored to death.”
He went in search of adventure in the army before exploring Morocco alone. Returning home more serious, he began to search for the truth. Through the kindness of his cousin, a young mother whose holiness he had always admired, Charles agreed to meet with a priest. Suddenly he found himself going to confession and then Holy Communion, convinced of a calling to serve God alone.
After many a twist and turn, now-Father de Foucauld settled among the Tuareg people of the Sahara. Though his missionary efforts appeared fruitless, he was at peace at last. He loved the rosary, making it part of his rule of life, and advised those who were sad, discouraged, or lonely to pray it, especially the Glorious Mysteries. In 1916, he was killed by bandits. He was beatified in 2005 and canonized in 2022.
Heavenly Father, through contemplating the mysteries of the rosary, may we conform our life to Christ as did Saint Charles de Foucauld.
