Courageous Witnesses · Week 4 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Charles de Foucauld
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
A young man who lost his way
Charles de Foucauld was born in blank 1 in Strasbourg, France, to a rich family. When he was six, both of his parents died. As a teenager he stopped believing in God.
He became a lazy soldier who threw wild parties. Later he explored blank 2 in disguise. There he saw Muslims stop to pray five times a day. He wondered if God might be real after all.
In October blank 3, in Paris, he went to confession and came back to God.
Brother to all in the desert
Charles wanted a hidden, simple life like Jesus had in Nazareth. He became a blank 4 monk, then a handyman, and in 1901 a priest.
In 1905 he moved to blank 5, deep in the Sahara, to live among the Tuareg people. The Tuareg were Muslim. Charles did not try to force them to become Christian. He learned their language, wrote a dictionary and gave medicine to the sick.
In 1916 raiders came to his small fort, and he was killed. Pope Francis blank 6 him in 2022.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hermit | Write your answer |
| Tuareg | Write your answer |
| Nomad | Write your answer |
| Trappist | Write your answer |
| Universal brother | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
Quick check
What did Charles see in Morocco that made him think about God again? Circle one.
- A A huge storm of sand
- B A shining gold medal
- C Muslims stopping to pray
- D A church in the desert
Sort it out
Is this acting like a universal brother or sister, or not? Check one box for each.
| Item | Like a universal brother | Not like a brother |
|---|---|---|
| Learning words in a new classmate's language | ||
| Leaving someone out of a group chat on purpose | ||
| Helping a person who is sick | ||
| Making fun of how someone prays | ||
| Inviting a new player to join your online game | ||
| Only being kind to people just like you |
Quick check
How did Charles share God's love with the Tuareg people? Circle one.
- A By living as their friend
- B By building a big city
- C By leading a large army
- D By selling them his maps
Think, pair, share
Charles said, “Cry the Gospel with your whole life.” He showed his faith by how he lived. How can you show your faith by how you act when you play games or send messages online?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “I can show my faith online by ...”“Charles showed love when he ...”“A universal brother or sister would ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you lived a quiet, simple life in Nazareth.
Teach us to pray in silence and to be a brother or sister to everyone.
St. Charles de Foucauld, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
You met the universal brother of the Sahara. Charles shows that a quiet life of love can speak loudly.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: This week, be a brother or sister to someone different from you, in person and online. Learn one new thing about them.