Bidspirit auction | FOUCAULD CHARLES DE: (1858-1916)

FOUCAULD CHARLES DE: (1858-1916) - FOUCAULD CHARLES DE: (1858-1916) Foucauld was a former cavalry Officer in the French army, he would later become an Explorer, and finally a Catholic Priest. Foucauld lived as a hermit, among the Tuareg in the Algerian Sahara. In 1916 Foucauld was assassinated and is considered by the Catholic Church a martyr. The Little Brothers of Jesus were found after him. Foucauld was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. An excellent and rare lengthy A.L.S., ` P. Ch. de Jesus ´, four pages, 8vo, Tamaraset - par Insalah, Algeria, 16th July 1910, to Abbott Caron, in French. To the upper left corner of the letter, Foucauld annotates ` Jesus + Caritas´ adding a sketch of a heart, adding also to each of the heading of the three other pages ` Jesus +´ with a heart sketchs on each occasion. Foucauld pays homage to father Charles Guérin, who had passed away only few months earlier in March 1910, at the very early age of 37, being the person who welcomed Foucauld on his arrival to Alger in 1901, and with whom he started a friendship. A very interestin letter, with Foucauld spiritual thoughts, stating in part ` C'est l'excès de travail qui m'a mis si en retard pour vous écrire. J’ai grand hâte d’achever ces lexiques et grammaires dont je vous ai parlé, pour pouvoir me donner uniquement aux âmes ; je travaille de toutes mes forces et le temps se passe sans que les lettres même aux plus chers s'écrivent. Le Bien aimé Jésus a appelé à lui une des âmes qui me sont les plus chères : le R.P. Guérin, préfet apostolique du Sahara. Il avait 37 ans, je m’appuyais sur lui sans avoir jamais pensé qu’il pût ne pas me survivre ; le bon Dieu l’a jugé digne de la récompense : c’était une âme très sainte. Il s’était chargé de faire faire à Rome les démarches pour l’autorisation de fonder l’association des frères et sœurs du Sacré Cœur de Jésus.´ (Translation: ” It is the excess of work that has made me so late in writing to you. I am in great haste to finish these lexicons and grammars of which I spoke to you, so that I can give myself solely to souls; I am working with all my strength and time passes without letters even to the dearest being written. The Beloved Jesus called to him one of the souls who are dearest to me: Rev. Fr. Guérin, Apostolic Prefect of the Sahara. He was 37 years old, I relied on him without ever having thought that he might not survive me; the good Lord judged him worthy of the reward: he was a very holy soul. He had taken it upon himself to have the steps taken in Rome for authorization to found the association of the brothers and sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”) Further, Foucauld wonders what will happen in future with the Sacred Heart of Jesus missionaries work, and asks his correspondent for help, explaining how important would be to have a new priest appointed to continue with Father Guerin´s work, adding a mystical thinking `Moi, je n´existe pas´ (” I do not exist”), saying ` Qui s’occupera désormais de cette œuvre ? Trouverai-je quelqu’un chez les Pères blancs ? Je n’ose guère l’espérer, car les missionnaires ont leur travail quotidien de défrichage des âmes comme les moines de défrichement de terre. Quel grand service vous me rendriez – moi, je n’existe pas – quel service vous rendriez au Bien Aimé, combien vous m’aideriez dans ma tâche, si vous trouviez un prêtre, homme de piété et de zèle, disposé à faire cette œuvre sienne et à en prendre l'initiative...´ (Translation: ” Who will now take charge of this work? Will I find someone among the White Fathers? I hardly dare hope so, for the missionaries have their daily work of clearing souls, just as the monks clear land. What a great service you would render me—I do not exist—what a service you would render to the Beloved, how much you would help me in my task, if you could find a priest, a man of piety and zeal, willing to make this work his own and take the initiative...”) Further again and before concluding, father Foucauld refers to his work, his mission and what it needs, adding ` Cherchez, je vous en prie. Moi il n'est pas de mon devoir de quitter cette pauvre mission où je suis toujours seul, pour cette œuvre si utile soit-elle : puis, je ne serai pas apte à la mener à bonne fin : ce n'est pas ma vocation. Il faudrait un bon prêtre de France. Tâchez de le trouver. Ce serait une bonne œuvre. Je ne connais personne ; ma vie solitaire m'a mis depuis 20 ans en dehors de tout et je ne sais à qui m'adresser. Je me mets à vos pieds en vous priant de me bénir...´ (Translation: ” Please seek. It is not my duty to leave this poor mission where I am always alone, for this work, however useful it may be: then, I will not be able to bring it to a successful conclusion: it is not my vocation. We need a good priest from France. Try to find him. It would be a good work. I know no one; my solitary life has put me outside of everything for 20 years and I do not know who to turn to. I place myself at your feet,