Charles de Foucauld, sometimes referred to as Brother Charles of Jesus, is often credited with the revival of desert spirituality in the early twentieth century and was the inspiration behind the founding of new religious communities for men and women.

Born in Strasbourg, France in 1858, Charles was orphaned at age six and raised by his grandparents. As a young man, he lost his faith and, in spite of the discipline of his grandfather, whom he d…