Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat

In 1779, Madeleine Sophie Barat was born in Joigny, France as fire raged in houses nearby. Truly a child of fire, Sophie’s heart was captivated by God from an early age, and she was drawn to a life of contemplative prayer. At the same time she recognized that post-revolutionary France had a pressing need for transformation through rigorous education and a spirituality of the Heart of Christ. Sophie and four companions made their first vows in 1800, giving themselves to a form of religious life which combined the contemplative and the apostolic, the one informing and enlivening the other. “Discovering and revealing the Heart of Christ” remains the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart to this day.

Besides her all-embracing passion for God, Madeleine Sophie Barat had other passions as well: she was an exceptional spiritual guide who helped countless others to discover and deepen their relationship with God; she was an inspired educator who insisted that those who would educate others had to cultivate in themselves both learning and virtue; and she was a gifted administrator who, by the time of her death in 1865, saw her little Society grow beyond 3500 members in foundations throughout Europe, North and South America, and Africa.

Madeleine Sophie Barat was named a saint of the Church in 1925.

See a timeline presenting her life

Watch a video by BFN about the life of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat and the founding of the Society:

A website on the life of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat by Phil Kilroy, RSCJ: http://www.madeleinesophiebarat.org/index.html

Read the BFN series that presents the life and work of Madeleine Sophie and invites us to follow her bold example:

Madeleine Sophie Barat’s Canonization Process

Learn more, see a timeline and watch a video about Saint Madeleine Sophie’s canonization.

Read More Madeleine Sophie Barat’s Canonization Process
Celebrating St. Madeleine Sophie in Torpa, India

On December 12th, the Children of the New Dawn School, a school for indigenous children, celebrated the feast of St. Madeleine Sophie with the children of class 1 to class 11.

Read More Celebrating St. Madeleine Sophie in Torpa, India
Closing Mass for the Centenary on December 12, 2025

The Closing Mass for the centenary celebration of the canonization of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat was held on Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11 am (Egyptian Standard Time).

Read More Closing Mass for the Centenary on December 12, 2025
November 22 Event on Madeleine Sophie at the Villa Lante

On November 22, 2025, the Province of Italy presented: Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865): “Beyond the Walls,” Women in the Church at the Dawn of the 19th Century at the Villa Lante, as part of the celebrations for the centenary of Madeleine Sophie Barat’s canonization.

Read More November 22 Event on Madeleine Sophie at the Villa Lante
Celebrating 225 years of the Society with a graphic novel

As we celebrate the Society’s 225th year, as well as the 100th anniversary of Madeleine Sophie’s canonization, the Mother House and General Archives present a graphic novel about Sophie’s life, her canonization, and the early days of the Society: Sophie, the Child of Fire.

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Where Grace Took Root

Probanist Jeniffer Mutiso rscj recounts her journey to Joigny to rediscover the humble beginnings of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and the spirit that continues to inspire the Sacred Heart family.

Read More Where Grace Took Root