The Foyers
What is a Foyer de Charité ?
The Foyers of Light, Love, and Charity or Foyers of charity are Roman Catholic communities of baptized persons, men and women who, following the example of the first Christians share all their gifts and resources (Acts 2:41-47). The Foyers of Charity were founded in France in 1936 by Marthe Robin (1902-1981), assisted by Fr. George Finet. Jesus insisted in His message to Marthe on the originality of the ties between the Movement and Marthe, and with Himself: “I want to do here something new and very great for our Glory, for the sake of you… For the sake of all that I do and want to do with you, and through you, in whom I want to glorify Myself.”
In each Foyer de Charité lives a community of men and women gathered around a priest who is the “father of the foyer”. They commit themselves to announcing the Gospel. Entrusting themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Foyer members bear witness to God’s love for each person and to the beauty of life with Christ through their work, prayer and testimony, fraternal life, and welcome.
The members of the Foyers de Charité have chosen to concentrate their lives on evangelizing others. Through their work, prayer, and hospitality, their aim is to:
live out and bear witness together to the love of Christ for each person;
strengthen Christians in their faith;
give all men the chance to meet Christ and to grow in humanity.
“The house of the Heart of Jesus open to all” (Marthe Robin)
The 76 Foyers de Charité, spread across four continents, welcome more than 50,000 people annually to their spiritual retreats. Currently, there are 28 Foyers in Africa, 15 in America, 9 in Asia, and 24 in Europe, of which 13 are in France. In each foyer, the members offer the same loving support, while remaining faithful to Christ’s message of love.
Link: Map of the Foyers de Charité
Some Foyers de Charité have additional missions (schools, dispensaries, holiday homes, voluntary work).
In 1986, the Pontifical Council for the Laity recognized the Work of the Foyers de Charité as an international association of the faithful of pontifical rights.
The Official Website for detailed information regarding “Les Foyers de Charité” is here.
For more information regarding the” Foyers de Charité in the Catholic Church”, please click the link below.
Link: The Foyers de Charité in the Catholic Church