From the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Rome:
 The
Foyers of Charity are Christian communities of men and women who,
following the example of the first Christians, place their goods -
material, intellectual and spiritual - in common. They live their
commitment in the same Spirit, in order to build, with Mary as Mother,
the Family of God on earth.
They
do this under the leadership of a priest, in an unceasing effort of
charity among themselves. By their life of prayer and work in the world
they give a witness of Light, Charity, and Love according to the great
message of Christ, King, Prophet and Priest.
The
purpose of the Work of the Foyers of Charity, which started in France
in 1936 at the initiative of Marthe Robin and her spiritual director
Father Finet, is to form lay people in appropriate centres - the Foyers
- thus preparing them to contribute to the renewal of the Church in
view of the evangelisation of the world.
This
formation is principally given through the retreats where the
participants receive the teaching of the Word of God and celebrate the
Eucharist, while also taking part in adoration, and Marian prayer.
The
Foyers of Charity welcome all those who come, believers and unbelievers
alike, to seek the light of Christ and to receive the teaching of the
Church. They do this without distinction of nationality, race, or
social situation.
Foyers
of Charity can also have other branches of activity and apostolate
according to the needs of the local Churches and the talents of the
members.
Although
each Foyer is found in a diocese and is integrated into the life of a
local Church, all the Foyers of Charity form a single, large, spiritual
family, living the same mission according to the same Spirit. The
tangible sign and the guarantee of this unity are the manifest
attachment of each Foyer to the Foyer centre of Châteauneuf de Galaure,
in which the original grace took shape, and which remains the visible
symbol of the charism of the Work.
In
celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation, the Work of the
Foyers of Charity, rich in graces received throughout its history, and
desirous of rooting itself more deeply in the Church in order to
accomplish its mission for the world, asked the Pontifical Council of
the Laity to recognize it officially and to approve its statutes.
After
careful study of the documentation presented by those responsible for
the Work of the Foyers of Charity, with a positive evaluation from many
bishops with a Foyer in their diocese, and after submitting the request
for recognition to His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the Pontifical
Council for the laity recognizes the Work of the Foyers of Charity as a
private association of the faithful of international character
according to the norms established by canons 321-326, and approves
their canonical structure ad experimentimum for a period of three
years. (As is common, this period has been extended.)
Eduardo Card. Pironio, President Paul J. Cordes, Vice-President
Given at the Vatican, on the Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 1986
(translation from the official French text)
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