Download pdf - Sophie's story (digital version)

1 | Chapter 1 | Born Into Fire

Sophie’s Story 1779 – 1865Kylie Swanson & Mary Shanahan RSCJ

Sophie’s Story1779 – 1865Kylie Swanson & Mary Shanahan RSCJ

Kylie Swanson & Mary Shanahan RSCJ 2007

First edition 2007 Second edition (electronic) 2015

Published by the Society of the Sacred Heart Australia New Zealand Province 52 Awaba Street, Mosman NSW 2088 Australia.

© Society of the Sacred Heart, 2015.

Sophie Barat, we believe, is a woman for our time and we wanted to tell her story in a way that would appeal to our younger generation in particular.

Sophie’s Story was created with the help of many. We would like to thank Felicity Permezel and Natalie Cox for their invaluable encouragement and suggestions. Special thanks to Trina Del Vecchio our wonderful editor who gave this project so much of her time. We were lucky to be surrounded by so many women of spirit throughout our journey to tell Sophie’s story.

Acknowledgements

1 |

This introduction to the life of Madeleine Sophie Barat was produced in 2007 for the celebration of 125 years of the presence of the Society of the Sacred Heart in Australia. It seems fitting that this second, electronic, edition be released in 2015 – the year in which we celebrate 135 years of the Society’s presence in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sophie’s Story continues to be a useful resource for those who are new to the ministries of the Society of the Sacred Heart, and for those who would like to enter more deeply into its story. Trina Del Vecchio’s foreword to the first edition explains:

Sophie’s Story situates Sophie’s life and work within a social, political and religious framework. It outlines Sophie’s childhood and education by her elder brother, Louis, leading up to her negotiations with the state and church and her eventual founding of the Society of the Sacred Heart, which she guided for the rest of her life.

Sophie’s life was marked by fire, in the form of political and religious turmoil and her own unending passionate spirit. The devastation Sophie experienced intensified her vision of love revealed through the Heart of Christ, a vision which she was committed to fulfil throughout most of her life. Sophie is a woman of strength and foremost a woman of God. In sharing Sophie’s story, we can be sure that her spirit will be kept alive amongst present and future generations. (Trina Del Vecchio, Editor, 1st Edition.)

Sandie Cornish Province Director of Mission 25 May 2015

Foreword

| 2

Chapter 1 Born into Fire

that brought her to an early birth soon became a

fire

that stretchedaround the world.

blaze

The


Madeleine Sophie Barat’s story spans across time and space from her birth in Joigny in 1779 to her death in Paris in 1865. During her life she faced many challenges that came from the political and church situation in France, the founding of religious congregations following the French Revolution, and the evolution of her own congregation, the Society of the Sacred Heart.

When friends of her mother asked Sophie what brought her into the world they were always delighted when she replied ‘fire’. On 12 December 1779, a fire raged in Joigny, a town in the centre of a wine-growing area in Burgundy, France. The fire came close to a house on the Puits Chardon where Madeleine Barat was pregnant with her third child. Terrified by the threat of danger and by the shouts of people in the street, Madeleine gave birth prematurely to a daughter who was christened Madeleine Sophie, though she would always be known as Sophie to her family and friends. Sophie had two siblings, Marie Louise, nine years her senior, and Louis, who was eleven years older. Louis was her godfather and came to play a prominent role in her life.

Sophie was drawn to the

love of Jesus Christexpressed through the

Sacred Heart

| 4Chapter 1 | Born Into Fire

Sophie was born at a time of political crisis in her country. In 1787 the King had run out of money and as a result tried to impose a tax on the members of the 1st and 2nd Estates as well as a further tax on the 3rd Estate. The 1st and 2nd Estates were comprised of the clergy and the nobles who owned the land and did not pay taxes. The middle class and peasants who formed the 3rd Estate were required to pay taxes. The King called the Estates General, a gathering of representatives from all three Estates, to announce his proposal. It was, however, met with disapproval from all parties. The 3rd Estate represented 95% of the population and in an earlier Assembly was outvoted by the combination of the clergy and nobles, the other 5% of the population. The question facing the Estates General was whether the voting on the proposed taxes would be by Estates or by individuals. Indecision on this issue led to talk of the 3rd Estate forming a National Assembly and taking the law into its own hands. Some of the 3rd Estate were lawyers and came into prominence at this time through their writings. Given that the meetings of the 3rd Estate were open to the public, this group gained widespread popularity and in 1789 they established a National Assembly and declared themselves rulers of the country. Their struggle for power soon became violent and, on 14 July 1789, angered by weeks of debate and rising grain prices, the crowds stormed the Bastille – a protest that resulted in considerable loss of life. Following this, the 1st and 2nd Estates were stripped of their power and many ended up on the guillotine, including the King, Louis XVI and his Queen Marie Antoinette.

The Revolution inspired many of the people in Joigny to stand against the injustice they were facing. One of the churches, St Jean, was named the Temple of the Goddess of Reason and the people were encouraged to gather there to celebrate the Revolution by singing patriotic songs. The church where Sophie was baptised, St Thibault, was used for town meetings and closed to Christian worship for a year. Priests either gave up their ministry or took the oath to abide by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy of 1790, which subordinated the Church to the State by having the citizens elect their bishops and parish priests and limiting the Pope’s jurisdiction in spiritual matters. Sophie’s brother, Louis, a cleric not yet ordained, followed the lead of his archbishop and other priests, and took the oath, but after a time, again following the archbishop, realised its implications and chose to renounce it. For this Louis was imprisoned and faced death by the guillotine. Sophie lived amongst uncertainty, not only in the political arena but also in the Church. A Dutch theologian, Cornelius Jansens, who died as Bishop of Ypres, France in 1638, preached a theology known as Jansenism. He taught that Christ had not died for all and only the predestined


would be saved. Jansenism emphasised the innate evil within the human being and maintained that God was a severe judge whom it was impossible to please. For many, happiness was thus sought in the next life. This form of spirituality became influential in France from the early 17th century and it profoundly challenged Sophie’s spirituality. Despite these Jansenistic influences, Sophie was drawn to the love of Jesus Christ expressed through the Sacred Heart. The pierced Heart of Christ became a strong symbol that made her life mission clear.

The story of the salt doll speaks to Sophie’s journey from the darkness of Jansenism to the light and love of the Heart of Jesus. This doll journeyed across the world seeking enlightenment as to who she was. When she came to the sea, the doll asked it, “Who are you?” “Come and see”, the sea replied smiling. The doll did so and as it moved further and further into the sea it gradually dissolved. Just before the last bit dissolved, the doll exclaimed with joy, “Now I know who I am”. Rather than the sea, it was the fire of love that helped Sophie realise her true identity and overcome the early influences of Jansenism.

It was thefire of lovethat helped Sophie realise her

true identity


From the late Middle Ages onwards the freedom of the French people as children of God was undermined by another doctrine in the church known as Gallicanism. It had three basic ideas: the independence of the King of France in the temporal order; the superiority of general councils over the Pope; and the union of the king and clergy in France to limit Papal intervention within the kingdom. Although the Pope was recognised as supreme in spiritual matters, he had no absolute and infinite power in France. In later life Sophie came up against members of the church hierarchy imbued with these ideas and had to patiently and firmly maintain her authority, particularly in her dealings with the archbishops of Paris.

While represented some of the difficulties in Sophie’s life, it gave her fire

immeasurable strength


While the fire represented some of the difficulties in Sophie’s life, she also carried this fire in her heart and it gave her immeasurable strength.

Sophie grew up in a loving family and as a young child enjoyed playing with friends among the vineyards in the lovely Burgundian countryside. She described herself as the daughter of “an artisan, a barrel maker”. While her father worked and entertained his friends in the cellar, her mother invited friends to the kitchen where they discussed the ideas, events and gossip of the day. The dividing influence of Jansenism would have been the centre of much of this discussion. While some of the women opposed its harsh doctrine, others successfully appealed to the parliament to have their priest removed as they saw Jansenism as a way to establish freedom from the Church of Rome and from certain members of the clergy.

Destined for the priesthood, Sophie’s brother, Louis, was highly regarded by his mother and came to exert significant authority over Sophie. After returning home from the seminary because he was too young to be ordained, Louis obtained a job teaching in his former school. Recognising his sister’s intelligence, he decided to give her the same education he was giving the boys at his school. Even though she was barely eight years old, Sophie studied subjects


such as scripture, Latin, and mathematics, and Louis was proud that she outperformed his students. In providing her with this opportunity for an education that was unusual for a girl of her time, Louis laid a strong foundation for his sister’s future. Sophie later recalled that “my poor parents had to bear a lot of blame from the neighbours for what my brother taught me”. Nevertheless, Sophie came to fear her brother because of the pressure he placed on her.

When Louis went to Paris for further study, Sophie, urged on by her mother, would revert to being a carefree child, playing in the vineyards with her friends. When word went out that Louis was returning, Sophie, too, had to return to her books and to the strict regime that he had set in place.

After Louis had retracted his oath of allegiance to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1792, it became too dangerous for him and his family to remain in Joigny given that the authorities assumed that every cleric, even if not ordained, was a member of the nobility. In 1792 Louis fled to Paris but was denounced by one of his former students and imprisoned in May 1793. As a result the Barat family came under surveillance and their goods were confiscated. This lasted for a year and it was only lifted after the authorities were satisfied that Louis was not a member of the nobility.


Despite the anxiety Sophie’s family felt over Louis’ fate, Sophie was able to free herself of his ruling hand. She could help her father in the vineyards and turn her attention to what were regarded as more feminine skills like needlework. She was also freer to read works other than the Latin classics and to mix with her friends. The freedom Sophie experienced was overshadowed, however, by the news of Louis’ imprisonment as her mother became depressed and Sophie was left in charge of the home and became the sole support for her father.

On his release from prison in 1795, Louis returned to Joigny though it was clear that he could not stay there as the situation was still unsafe. During this time he observed how Sophie had grown, how much she enjoyed life and how dependant her mother had become on her. He recognised her intellectual gifts and felt that she needed a wider field than Joigny to develop them. Louis persuaded his father, and eventually, his mother, to allow him to take Sophie to Paris. He returned there in 1795 and


For Sophie this was the beginning of a journey that would introduce her to many countries and

many people


Sophie, though at first reluctant, joined him that same year. For Sophie this was the beginning of a journey that would introduce her to many countries and many people. The fire that brought her to an early birth soon became a blaze that stretched around the world.

Despite the amazing opportunity Louis gave Sophie, his demands robbed this young girl of sixteen of a normal growth into adolescence. He controlled Sophie’s conduct to such an extent that once when out with her mother, Sophie greeted a cousin with a hug, but then felt obliged to tell Louis who was so angry that he slapped her across the face. Sophie was small in stature and frame and her health was damaged by Louis’ strict regime, a problem which continued for the rest of her life.

Chapter 1 | Born Into Fire | 12

Chapter 2 She Fired the World with Her Spirit

“It is destined to be devoted to the

Heart of Jesus and to awaken the love of Jesus...

In Paris Sophie lived with three other women in the house of Madame Duval which was not far from the Bastille. As the political situation worsened, Louis had to flee Paris and Sophie returned to Joigny to the great joy of her mother who hoped that she would stay. The young men in the district shared this hope as Sophie was an attractive young woman and while at home she renewed her friendship with some of the boys she had known. Sophie was also able to share in the life of her sister, Marie Louise, who was by then the mother of three children.

Despite this, Louis’ influence remained strong and when it was safe enough, Sophie returned to Paris and met Louis who had been in contact with a priest, Joseph Varin. Fr Varin was looking for a woman to be a founder of a congregation dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Before the revolution Varin had studied in the seminary of St Sulpice in Paris with a friend, Léonor de Tournély. When the men were driven from France by the Revolution, Joseph Varin decided to leave the seminary to become a solider. Meanwhile de Tournély, who had been ordained, and another friend, Charles de Broglie, eventually ended up in Belgium and prayed to find where God was leading them. Leonor, praying one day before a crucifix, was drawn to the Heart of Christ and felt he was called to give to others the love he had experienced. He and Charles de Broglio formed an association called the Society of the Sacred Heart, whose aim was to spread the love of Jesus Christ through the work of education. As the Association grew

13 | Chapter 2 | She Fired the World with Her Spirit

Joseph Varin re-joined it and was eventually ordained a priest. Léonor de Tournély realised that education was also the work of women and with the approval of the other members of his community, he set about looking for a woman to found a congregation which would also be dedicated to the Sacred Heart. His description of the Society of women was that “it is destined to be devoted to the Heart of Jesus and to awaken the love of Jesus in souls and the light of his teaching in minds. For this it will enter into the sentiments and interior dispositions of the Divine Heart, and will reveal them to others by means of education.” Father de Tournély died before he was able to find a suitable woman, but held onto the conviction that “this Society will be.”

Joseph Varin was determined to carry on the dream. It was not possible to use the name Sacred Heart during and after the Revolution because a group in the Vendee used the Sacred Heart as a symbol of their struggle against it. The Association became known as Fathers of the Faith. On learning of Joseph Varin’s mission Louis, who had joined the Association, thought of Sophie and arranged a meeting. Joseph Varin’s first impressions were not too favourable. The two women who had been previously approached were of aristocratic lineage, one an exiled princess, Louise-Adelaide de Bourbon Condé. Joseph Varin told Sophie of Léonor de Tournély’s dream of a congregation dedicated to the Sacred Heart and spreading its love through education. Sophie said she would consider it as she had been thinking of joining a community

The Society of The Sacred Heart, whose aim was to spread the love of Jesus Christ

| 14Chapter 2 | She Fired the World with Her Spirit

dedicated to prayer, like Carmel. Joseph Varin remained committed to his cause, telling her plainly that the need in France for education was so great that she did not have the right to hide herself when she was so well equipped to carry out this mission. Sophie accepted that argument and gave up her dream of a life dedicated to prayer.

On 21 November 1800, Sophie, hesitant and uncertain, together with the three other women she was living with, made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. Soon the small group became involved in a school in Amiens. This school had been founded by an elderly woman, Hycinthe Devaux. She was the aunt of a young woman, Henriette Grosier who was drawn to the Society of the Sacred Heart through contact with Fr Varin. Given that the school was not doing well and it’s days seemed numbered, Henriette and a friend, Genevieve Deshays, persuaded that aunt to hand over the struggling school to Fr Varin. An older woman, Marie Françoise Loquet, also influenced by Fr Varin, came from Paris and joined the two younger ones in Amiens. Under the direction of Loquet the three women took charge of the small boarding school. Sophie had gone home with Louis to Joigny to see her parents and to take part in the harvesting of the grapes, something which she always enjoyed and would miss. A month later Sophie went to Amiens with Octavie Bailly, her young companion from Paris, to join the group at Amiens.

dedicated to prayer, like Carmel. Joseph Varin remained committed to his cause, telling her plainly that the need in France for education was so great that she did not have the right to hide herself when she was so well equipped to carry out this mission. Sophie accepted that argument and gave up her dream of a life dedicated to prayer.

On 21 November 1800, Sophie, hesitant and uncertain, together with the three other women she was living with,

Jesus Christ On 21 November 1800, Sophie made a commitment

to follow


Sophie was a good teacher and could control the children in the classroom. It was a different matter when she took them for walks – they would run off and she would have a difficult time managing to bring them back to the school in time for supper. Loquet was totally unsuited to the role of Director of the boarding school and the Superior of the community. She was unable to impose any discipline on the students and she was inconsistent in her dealings with them and with the members of the community. Fr Varin was completely unaware of this problem. The younger members of the group were able to find their peace and relaxation when the Superior went to bed and they could sit around the fire in the evening. As Sophie expressed it: “We talked by the fire in the kitchen with our heads drawn close together.”

As with the Fathers of the Faith, the political situation did not allow the use of the name Sacred Heart and thus Sophie and her companions were attached to a congregation called the Diletti de Gesu (the Beloved of Jesus) based in Rome. When one of the superiors, Louise Naudet, visited the small community it became obvious to her that Loquet was not suited to the role of Superior and suggested, to the amazement of both Sophie and Fr Varin, that Sophie be named to replace her. After accepting this position, Sophie found it to be a burden, particularly as it took her away from teaching the children, something she really loved. Furthermore, Fr Varin had little confidence in Sophie’s leadership and imposed restrictions that undermined her authority.in Sophie’s leadership and imposed restrictions that

We talked by the fire in the kitchen with our heads drawn

| 16Chapter 2 | She Fired the World with Her Spirit

close together

As time passed more women became attracted to the young congregation. Some of these women had been religious in other congregations before the Revolution. One in particular, Anne Baudemont, had been a member of an enclosed order with a strong monastic tradition and created difficulties for Sophie because her understanding of religious life was different from the spirit of the Sacred Heart. Some of the women were well educated and were a great help to Sophie, who was being asked to establish schools in different parts of France.

In 1804 Sophie was asked to go to Grenoble to meet a small group of women under the leadership of Philippine Duchesne. Philippine had been a novice in the Visitation Order but the convent was closed during the Revolution and she returned home to Grenoble. When peace returned she tried to revive the monastery where she had been but was not successful. A priest urged Sophie to visit Philippine and her group. When Sophie arrived the group willingly accepted the spirit of the Sacred Heart and asked to join it.

Grenoble was to become a haven for Sophie as the community at Amiens had come under the strict influence of Fr Saint-Estève, who had been appointed chaplain by Fr Varin. During Sophie’s absence, he had taken control of the school and of the community where Anne Baudemont was appointed by Fr Varin to be in charge during Sophie’s absence. Together Saint-Estève and Baudemont turned most of the community against Sophie and the apostolic form of religious life she was trying to establish.


Chapter 3 | The Society’s Development Under Sophie | 18

Chapter 3 The Society’s Development Under Sophie

It would take someone like

to lead the people entrusted to us, Moses

and I am far from that

In 1806, as the number of communities was growing, the members of the congregation gathered to elect a Superior General. Anne Baudemont saw herself as the obvious choice and had the support of many of the community of Amiens, but Sophie, aged 26, was elected by one vote to a position she was to hold for life.

Fr Saint-Estève and Anne Baudemont still controlled the community at Amiens and insisted on having written constitutions. Sophie felt, however, that it was too early for this to occur. She believed that there needed to be more time to live the evolving spirit and to develop relationships among the sisters. Nevertheless, with Varin, Sophie gave her consent and for a time tried to give some input. The project was taken over by Saint-Estève and Baudemont who, in 1811, came up with a Rule which Sophie had to take to every community (there were now several in different parts of France) and wait for each group to pass judgement. This Rule had a strong monastic flavour where each community would be independent, something contrary to de Tournély’s and Sophie’s vision. Apart from the group at Amiens, all agreed that this Rule did not reflect anything of the spirit that had drawn them to the Society of the Sacred Heart. Sophie was therefore free to make amendments to try to capture something of the vision of Léonor de Tournély. Saint-Estève did not accept the rejection of his proposed Rule but in 1812 he was arrested in Paris for apparently interfering in the affairs of the local diocese.

In 1806, as the number of communities was growing, the members of the congregation gathered to elect a Superior General. Anne Baudemont saw herself as the obvious choice and had the support of many of the community of Amiens, but Sophie, aged 26, was elected by one vote to a position she was to hold for life.

Fr Saint-Estève and Anne Baudemont still controlled the community at Amiens and insisted on having written constitutions. Sophie felt, however, that it was too early for this to occur. She believed that there needed to be more time to live the evolving spirit and to develop relationships among the sisters. Nevertheless, with Varin, Sophie gave her consent and for a time tried to give some input. The project was taken over by Saint-Estève and Baudemont

Society of of the Sacred Heart It was not until 1815 that Sophie wrote the Constitutions of the Society of

19 | Chapter 3 | The Society’s Development Under Sophie

For the time being Sophie was free to try to restore unity in the group. Sophie was criticized for having no written plan but she held strongly to the belief that the right moment would present itself. It was not until 1815 that Sophie, with Fr Varin and another priest who were both now able to join the Jesuits, felt it was the right moment and over a period wrote the Constitutions of the Society of the Sacred Heart. These were formally adopted in December 1815. The aim of the Society, Sophie stated, “is to glorify the Sacred Heart of Jesus by labouring for the salvation and perfection of its members through the imitation of the virtues of which the Divine Heart is the centre and model.” The aim was not only for individual members, as Sophie explained, saying that the members were to glorify the Sacred Heart “by consecrating themselves, as far as it is possible for women, to the sanctification of others as the work dearest to the Heart of Jesus.”

The expansion of the Association brought several joys and struggles that tested Sophie’s spirit. One joy came in 1815 when the changed political situation allowed the Association to become known officially as the Society of the Sacred Heart. In the years that followed, the Society experienced problems of finance and a shortage of teachers for the schools and for the development of the religious, in particular the religious in leadership positions.

In 1817 the Bishop of Louisiana in the USA came to Sophie to ask for religious to found a school in his diocese. Sophie was hesitant but her friend and great support, Philippine Duchesne, was present and pleaded to be allowed to go.

| 20Chapter 3 | The Society’s Development Under Sophie

Philippine had longed to work with the North American Indians and saw this as an excellent opportunity to fulfil this desire. Sophie relented and, in 1818, Philippine with four companions left for Louisiana to establish this young Society. It was the beginning of an expansion that marked the Society as being part of the whole world. Philippine did not get to the Indians until near the end of her life but she accomplished the mission for which Sophie had sent her.

Many strong women were drawn to the Society during these years of growth. At times their strength seemed at odds with the more gentle strength of Sophie. She was accused of being weak when what was perceived as weakness was in reality a strength that knew how to wait for the moment to act. Sophie knew that her leadership role was a challenge; at one stage she remarked “It would take someone like Moses to lead the people entrusted to us, and I am far from that.”

Her leadership was tested at a General Council in 1839. Sophie realised that because the Society had grown in numbers and had established several communities in different countries, changes in the form of government were necessary. While these changes were accepted by the members present at the Council, there were others who opposed them. This conflict was not resolved until a further Council was held in 1851. Sophie’s leadership was again firmly established and she was supported by people who shared her vision for the Society of the Sacred Heart.


Sophie also had to confront some of the episcopal hierarchy, in particular the Archbishop of Paris. At one stage Sophie elected to hold a gathering of her religious in Rome, as she realised that to be in Paris would compromise her authority and create difficulties for any decisions they might make. When there was a question of moving the Mother House to Rome the Archbishop reacted strongly. He resented whatever seemed to be interference from Rome or even links with Rome. Furthermore the idea of a woman moving alone through parts of France and crossing various dioceses was not something that the Bishops were accustomed to. Some tried to limit her authority but Sophie knew what she had to do and did it regardless. The Archbishop of Paris ignored Sophie’s authority in collaboration with one of the sisters, Eugénie de Gramont, who was in charge of the school in Paris. This sister was one of the original members of the community at Amiens and had betrayed Sophie’s confidence in many ways. Thanks to Sophie’s forgiveness and continual love for her as a friend, Eugénie eventually did find her true self before her death.

While Sophie was battling forces in relation to her work and the Society, she was also battling those within her personal life. Sophie had been brought up in a family and in a district that was under the strong influence of Jansenism. Jansenism went against Sophie’s belief in the love of Jesus Christ and her desire to spread this love. But the influence of Jansenism from her early years was something she had to battle against for a long period of time.

Sophie’s leadership was again

firmly established

| 22Chapter 3 | The Society’s Development Under Sophie

The fire that brought Sophie to birth is a symbol of the passion with which she lived and which continues to be an inspiration. Sophie believed in and lived the charism of the Society which she led for 65 years. This charism of discovering and revealing the love of the Heart of Jesus is her on-going gift to us. In a gathering of Religious of the Sacred Heart in 2000, it was stated that ”our lives given in love are the strongest expression of our spirituality,” a statement that could have come from Sophie herself as this is what she believed, lived and wanted to proclaim.

fire that brought Sophie to birth is a symbol of thepassion

The

with which she lived


Chapter 4 | A Model for our Hearts & Minds | 24

Chapter 4 A Model for our Hearts & Minds

Sophie believed in the transforming power of women

Sophie believed in the transforming power of women. She valued their education at a time when the rest of the world believed they were incapable of intellectual thought. With others, Sophie implemented an education system that included history, geography, mathematics, grammar and language, bookkeeping and literature – all with the ultimate goal of “giving personal worth to each child, worth of character, strength of principles” and “anchorage in faith”. Sophie believed that “a woman cannot remain neutral in the world” and encouraged women to be “valiant… strong in every battle of life.”

Sophie’s belief in the power of women has been echoed throughout the generations. Charles Malik, a former President of the United Nations General Assembly, said “the fastest way to change society is to mobilise the women of the world”, and Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of Burma’s democratic movement asserted that “the education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.” This message appeals universally to all young women as in it the strength of their minds and their hearts are valued. Our world needs women to be strong and wise as “when an idea, whether political or religious goes … to the heart of a woman and becomes sentiment its power to resist all opposition and to triumph over every difficulty is increased a hundredfold.”

25 | Chapter 4 | A Model for our Hearts & Minds

The question remains, how do we become these valiant women? How do we harness our desire to do good and convert will to action? Sophie’s life may appear distant and removed from our own, but her approach to life’s challenges can help guide us all. Sophie remains an example of a woman whose life was spent serving others. Her journey contains many examples of resilience and loyalty. She believed in the importance of service and justice and lived her life listening to the Spirit. Madeleine Sophie is a woman for our time.

| 26Chapter 4 | A Model for our Hearts & Minds

Sophie remains an example of a woman whose life was spent

ServiceIt is in the details of Sophie’s life story that we come to understand the importance of service. It is easy to become overwhelmed by difficulties and to believe that our choices and actions will have little impact, but it is imperative that we remember that small acts of kindness can make a tremendous difference to those around us. As women of faith we must work to reveal God’s love in the world.

Despite her own personal difficulties, Sophie felt compelled to respond to the hardships of others. Once Sophie was sick and confined to her room for many days. As she looked down upon the street she saw a small street child who was hungry and suffering. Each day when her meal arrived, Sophie would lower it down to this child so that he might survive. In another instance, a gardener to whom Sophie was close, suffered dreadful burns to his hands in a fire and was unable to continue this rough labour. Sophie set the man up as a florist so that he could continue to work amongst the flowers that he loved. On another occasion, when travelling on a long journey, Sophie stopped at an inn and met a young woman who was clearly troubled and looking for solace. The woman begged Sophie to stay and talk with her. As the time for Sophie’s carriage to depart drew near she insisted on remaining with the woman and allowed the others to go on ahead.

Sophie achieved many things for the Society but it was her small acts of kindness that truly revealed God’s love to all. Her message is clear: act when you see a need.

Martin Luther King once said, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” This is a question we should ask ourselves daily in order to fire the world with our spirit and become valiant women like Sophie.


Forgiveness and Fidelity of FriendshipSophie had only one way of loving and this was completely. She faced the many challenges in her life and emerged from each encounter stronger in her faith and more forgiving in her love. Sophie lived Emerson’s belief that “the only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one”. At times Sophie was betrayed by those she cared for and let down by those she believed in, but there were others in her life whose friendship kept her strong and fed her soul. Sophie loved and forgave them all and would offer her friendship regardless of their situation or history. She was wise enough, however, to know that true friendship is a dual commitment and one cannot always give without receiving. Sophie’s message to us is that it is important to be able to forgive and offer friendship to all but it is also crucial that we find real friendship where love is present, troubles are shared and support is given.

Sophie shared a true friendship with several of the women she came to work with, such as Philippine Duchesne. Although Philippine and Sophie had different visions for the structure of the Society of the Sacred Heart, their love of Christ and their love of each other allowed their friendship to endure. Sophie also enjoyed the love and support of Madame de Garamont, who was faithful to Sophie even when her own daughter, Eugénie, betrayed Sophie.

Sophie had only one way of and this was completely

loving


There were others, however, to whom Sophie offered friendship, who did not return her faith and trust. For instance, Eugénie de Gramont was part of a plan bent on destroying Sophie’s vision of the Society, and Julia de Wicka was a student who continually abused the trust that Sophie placed in her. These were people who Sophie nevertheless loved and forgave. She offered them friendship even when they seemed unworthy of it, for she knew the power that could come from such a relationship.

Sophie inspires us to take up the biblical challenge to treat all as we would like to be treated. Her message is embodied in the true and faithful friendships she enjoyed. Sophie’s legacy urges us to fire the world with our love but to ensure that we are surrounded by people who keep our own hearts warm and nurtured.


Sophie loved and forgave them all and would offer her

regardless of theirsituation or history

friendship

Resilience and Strength of PurposeWinston Churchill stated that “success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts.” This was certainly true for the Society of the Sacred Heart which faced struggles internally and externally with enduring resilience. Created during the Revolution, a time of political instability, the safety of those in religious life was always in question. In this context of turmoil, Sophie remained steadfast in her belief that she was a vessel through which God would act. The revolutions in France meant that the sisters had to separate, and schools and noviceships were destroyed. Later, troubles in Italy saw the work of twenty years destroyed in only two months and the sisters were driven from the country. Sophie responded to this with determination and resilience saying “when the light leaves one country, it goes to another. If we are banished from France there is plenty of room in the Sacred Heart and the whole world is ours.” She believed that the Society would survive as it is “for all times, for the whole world.”

Conflict within the Society also tested its strength and purpose. One particular battle saw Sophie torn between the conflicting wills of her closest supporters. As the size of the Society grew, all realised that some changes would need to be made as to how it was governed. They could not, however, reach agreement on how this should

Sophie’s message to us is clear: we must stay true to our beliefs

and firm in our resolve


occur and the Society was split. One section demanded that large changes be made to bring the Association closer in line with the governance of the Jesuits, while another contingent asserted that only a few small changes should be made to make the government of the order manageable. At the General Council of 1839, decrees were enforced which saw the Society shifting its original purpose of glorifying the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sophie insisted that these changes were only to be trialled, not automatically accepted, because she believed “the work of God is not marked by impetuosity”. As these reforms came into existence, dispute continued over three years. These were years of hardship for Sophie but she never lost her faith or strength of purpose, and at the next General Council, the decrees that had been introduced were pronounced unsuitable and wholly reversed. Peace in the Society was restored and Mother Barat’s belief that unity would be re-established was realised.

Sophie’s message to us is clear: we must stay true to our beliefs and firm in our resolve. Trouble or struggle in life is inevitable, but as resilient women, we must be able to weather all storms with patience and humility. Naturally, changes will occur and we will need to be flexible and able to work in a variety of situations and atmospheres, but we must remain true to our core beliefs.

The key to Sophie’s success was her

willingness to listen tothe Spirit


Listening to the SpiritSophie’s life was filled with accomplishments, but she did not expect praise or accolades for anything she did, believing that she was just a poor vessel through which Jesus acted. It has been said that without the Holy Spirit it would have been impossible that a woman like Sophie, “so fragile with a timid disposition and a tendency to retreat inside” would be “capable of beginning the adventure of founding a new congregation.” The key to Sophie’s success was her willingness to listen to the Spirit. She knew that what is most important is not to speak to God but to learn to listen to Him in silence. To be silent is to focus our mind and heart towards one thing. At times, members of Sophie’s congregation would question why she refused to act or speak out against others, and they grew frustrated with what they perceived to be a weak approach. Sophie however, remained firm in the conviction that God’s will would be done and in many cases of conflict she waited and prayed, putting all of her faith in the view that the Spirit would guide her, if she knew how to listen.

Madeleine Sophie said at the age of 32, “If I were to be born again, I would live my life only in obedience to the Holy Spirit and act only on His impulses.” This is her message to us. We must learn to listen to the Spirit and allow Him to guide our actions. If we can put aside personal desires and make ourselves available to hear His word then so much might be achieved.

Sophie fired the world with her spirit and became a model for our

hearts and minds


ConclusionBorn into fire, Sophie fired the world with her spirit and became a model for our hearts and minds. Sophie’s life was a life of trial and joy, of mistakes and great accomplishment, of betrayal and love. She encountered difficulties and faced challenges, just as we do in our daily lives. Her story provides us with assistance in finding the way to face these challenges and to be women and men of faith and valour. Sophie’s example can inspire us to be people who fire the world with our spirit, and keep the flame of the Sacred Heart burning for all.


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Afterword

I have been a primary school teacher for 10 years and have worked in the UK and Australia. In 2005, I was working at Kincoppal Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart, and was offered the chance to participate in the Madeleine Sophie Barat program. It was during this experience that I came to know Sophie. I was inspired by her life, her faith and her humanity. I related to her as a woman and as a teacher. I could imagine her speaking gently to children in her school, laughing with her friends or enjoying quiet contemplation, listening to the Spirit. The more I learned about Sophie, the more convinced I was that her message was one of great importance, for me, and for young women today. I was very excited to be involved in Sophie’s Story and to contribute to the last section of this book. Here was my chance to share the Sophie I had come to know with others. I hope you come to know Sophie as I have, a woman of spirit, a woman for our time.

Kylie Swanson 2007

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Dolores Aleixandre, El Arbo Peregrino, Gráficas Dehón, Madrid, 2000.

Adele Cahier, Life of Mother Barat, E. de Soye et Fils, Paris, 1884.

Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2003.

Ralph Gibson, A Social History of French Catholicism 1789-1914, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1989.

Phil Kilroy, Madeleine Sophie Barat: A Life, Paulist Press, New York, 2000.

Maud Monaghan, Saint Madeleine Sophie, Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, 1779-1865, Kessinger Publishing, 2003.

C.S., Philips, The Church in France 1848-1907, Russell & Russell, New York, 1967.

Society of the Sacred Heart, General Chapter 2000

Society of the Sacred Heart, Constitutions 1815

Margaret Williams, The Society of the Sacred Heart: History of a Spirit 1800-1975, Darton, Longman & Todd, 1978.

Margaret Williams, Saint Madeleine Sophie Her Life and Letters, Herder & Herder, New York, 1965.

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