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The Fraternity of Charles de Foucauld is a private Association of the Faithful of pontifical right, recognised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

• Its statutes have been approved by this Council.
• It is a member of the General Association comprising 18 branches of the spiritual "family" of Charles de Foucauld.
• The FCF has members in 23 different countries, in Europe, America and Africa.

An Association of Lay Women living single lives

The members of the Fraternity are lay people who wish to live fully the commitments of their baptism and confirmation in their everyday lives, in the same way as all other christians.

They commit themselves to celibacy either as a response to a personal call from God or by accepting and offering to God the circumstances of their lives.

One of the branches of the Charles de Foucauld family

The members of the Fraternity try to live their vocation as lay women according to the charism of Brother Charles.

This requires:

• a dynamic involvement in the life of the world ("Nazareth”) ;
• availability to everyone (Charles de Foucauld wanted to be a "little brother" to all, with a particular preference for those who are poorest (including all kinds of poverty) ;
• a contemplative way of life, nourished by the Eucharist; deriving inspiration from a frequent reading of the Scriptures, and especially the gospels.

A structure of "base fraternities" - little groups of 5 or 6 members.

• The members of a base fraternity meet if possible once a month.
• The most important part of this meeting is the "review of life". in which the members take responsibility for each other.
  • Each shares with the others the essential facts of her life, while the others listen attentively in a contem- plative spirit.
    Together, in the light of the gospel, they try to discern where God is calling.
    
  • Through the help of the others, each member is able to see more clearly and so becomes more responsable for herself, but she remains free to take her own décisions regarding what has been said.

It is in the base fraternity that the member makes her commitments within the FCF.

All members are attached to a base fraternity and where for reasons of distance or health they are unable to attend the meetings, .they keep in contact with their fraternity by any appropriate means, e.g. letters, telephone, E-mail, fax.

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