Nazareth, on December 13, 2025
To each group of the
International family Charles de Foucauld
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are currently in Nazareth, I, Brother Gabriele, prior of the Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas, and Sœr Antonella, general leader of the Disciples of the Gospel.
We have just finished our meeting with the Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Bishop Rafic Nahra, auxiliary of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It was a moment rich in understanding and gratitude. The Cardinal expressed the strong desire that this place continue to keep alive the memory of Charles de Foucauld and his spirit of prayer, hospitality and fraternity. With them, we formalized the change of presence in this place where Charles de Foucauld lived from 1897 to 1900.
After a long period of discernment, particularly painful, the time has come for us, the Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas, to leave the fraternity of Nazareth, inherited from the Little Sisters of Jesus in 1996, who had themselves succeeded the Poor Clares who had welcomed and supported Charles de Foucauld in his journey of discernment and knowledge of Jesus and the Gospels, here.
For us, Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas, these years have been a wonderful time of integration in the Holy Land, with all its joys and sorrows. It is really difficult to leave her. There is the heart of the brothers who have succeeded here, especially that of Alvaro who is now sick and hospitalized in Italy in a rehabilitation center, and particularly that of Paolo who is buried in [e cemetery of Italian Ihôpital of Nazareth, that of Giovanni Marco and Roberto to whom Con asks for a not simple cut.
The choice we have made is motivated by the desire to fully live the call to community life and we will therefore meet in Sassovivo where we are currently in a situation of fragility. We have asked the Disciples of the Gospel for the availability to take our place in Nazareth because the Church of the Holy Land, and especially Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, wishes that the presence of your Family of Charles de Foucauld continues.
Today, finally, we met the Patriarch and the Bishop of Nazareth who have formalized this transition; we wish to inform the Foucauldian Family.
The joy that we, Disciples of the Gospel, feel with regard to this decision, is meant to be evangelical joy, which does not neglect the suffering of the Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas, who have matured the decision to put an end to their presence on this earth, loved and served with great dedication for thirty years. We wish, in communion and continuity with the Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas, to make our own the joys and sufferings of the peoples who live here; our choice to live in Nazareth is precisely a reason for hope and fraternity with those who live in the Holy Land and visit these places.
As Disciples of the Gospel, we did not intend to open new fraternities for the moment. However, we accepted the proposal to open in Nazareth because we wish to preserve the “style of Nazareth” and strengthen ourselves in this place by familiarizing ourselves with the Gospel, as did Charles de Foucauld. In this spirit, we want to share the suffering and hope of the inhabitants of the Holy Land, whose lives are tested daily because of misunderstandings between peoples. These reasons, among others, encourage us to trust in the providence of God and to share among ourselves, sisters, the conviction of walking to be true Disciples and true lovers of the Gospel, through this new openness.
We already thank the Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas who accompany us in transmitting this experience.
As brothers and sisters of these two religious families, we count on your prayers, we take turns in Nazareth in communion with the entire spiritual family Charles de Foucauld, in the commitment to bring to those we meet the richness of the Gospel according to the spirit of brother Charles.
In fraternal communion.
