Who Was St. Madeleine Sophie?
Madeleine Sophie Barat was born in Joigny, a small town in northern France, on December 12, 1779. She grew up in the simple home of a barrel-maker where her brother, Louis, unable to complete his training for the priesthood, because of the political, social and religious upheaval of the French Revolution, gave her a remarkable intellectual formation for a young girl of the time. He introduced her to ancient history, the classics, literature and languages. At the age of sixteen, she went with Louis to Paris where she continued her studies in philosophy, theology and scripture. It was in Paris that she learned of plans to form a new congregation of women whose end would be to make known the universal and unconditional love of God revealed in the person of Jesus. On November 21, 1800, Madeleine Sophie and three others consecrated their lives to God in the Society of the Sacred Heart. In this act, they committed themselves to a way of life that would be both contemplative and active, deepl
