Born in 1858 into a family of aristocrats in Strasbourg, France, Charles was orphaned at the age of six and raised by his maternal grandfather, who was a Colonel in the French Army. 

Rejecting his faith in his late teens, Charles joined the Army himself and, after his grandfather passed away, inherited the family fortune. However, Charles struggled with the obedience required to be in the Army. 

When he was assigned to Algeria, he took his mistress, Mimi, with him. When he refused to give her up he was dismissed from the Army but remained in Algeria. Then, when his relationship with Mimi ended, he re-enlisted. 

Later, when he asked for but was denied permission to do a scientific exploration of Morocco, once again he parted ways with the Army. 

But, his exploration of the geography and culture of Algeria, actually won him the prestigious gold medal from the Society of Geography in France. 

During his research, Charles re-discovered his Catholic faith and in 1886 he returned to France, joining the Trappist Monks. 

Eventually, he went back to Morocco, to start a religious community dedicated to the service of people of all faiths but, he attracted no followers, becoming a hermit instead. 

In the early 1900s, Charles lived among the Tuareg people in the Algerian Sahara and, slowly, many began to seek him out for spiritual direction. 

However, when WWI erupted, conflict among the local tribes developed and he was assassinated along with two visiting French soldiers. 

He died on this day in 1916 and was Beatified in 2005. 

Blessed Charles de Foucauld, please pray for us.