Living Sophie's Charism Today

  • María Gallardo of the Godella School (Valencia)
    María Gallardo of the Godella School (Valencia)

In the next issue of Latidos, the magazine of the Province of Spain, the province will publish some articles on teaching the charism of Madeleine Sophie Barat, which the Sophie Barat Educational Foundation is doing through the Online Course for Educators of the Sacred Heart.

 

Today, I feel I am part of the foundation of Madeleine Sophie, and in my daily life with the students I try to teach the perspective that we discovered in the course; a deep insight that reaches each student, not to be judged but to offer each one what he or she needs.

From my tutoring and from my active participation in pastoral ministry, I try to give meaning to her legacy by dedicating myself to each student, starting from the fascination I feel when I read "...it is more important to enlighten the mind of the pupil than to point out her mistakes" (1874) or "...to seek out what is most helpful for her intelligence" (1852) and asking myself, is this not the basis of educational innovation? As I read through the different curricula, I discover that our founder was one of the greatest educational innovators we have ever had.

I want to be a source of light for each of my students. And, I think that if I can make just one of them remember me as an example to follow, it will have been worth it.

María Gallardo
Godella School (Valencia)

 

e humanized and realistic image of her, of a woman of great strength and determination, who faced the challenges that arose with a big heart, who was people-oriented, who had a great love for Jesus, and who was always faithful to her underlying vision.  

This year, her contemplative side and her spirituality became clearer to me. This view of Sophie, of the reality of the world, of a humanity that suffers, "going from the pierced heart of Christ to the pierced heart of humanity", emerges from within her, leads her to action and is embodied in her mission: the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth.

Ferran Torelló
Diputació School (Barcelona)

 

Sophie Barat wanted to foster the ability and desire for reflection in her students, so that they would be aware of the reality around them and know how to analyze it critically, in order to be able to change the world little by little. This idea is still very much in vogue today. It is not easy to analyze our reality, given the abundance of stimuli that bombards us. That is why it is so important to develop the critical spirit that we teach in the schools of the Sophie Barat Educational Foundation. We must also help our students develop this capacity to analyze and reflect upon the complicated world that surrounds us today, which urgently requires us to change some things, just as Madeleine Sophie Barat did in her time, always accompanied by the love of the Heart of Jesus.

Patricia Argibay
Placeres School (Pontevedra)

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