Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, The Patron Saint of Teachers.

More than 100 schools run by her Society of the Sacred Heart bear witness to Madeleine Sophie Barat’s legacy; these establishments are renowned for the high caliber of education they provide to children.

Because Louis, her brother who is 11 years older and served as her godfather during her baptism, Sophie herself obtained a thorough education. Louis as a seminarian himself, determined that his younger sister would study Latin, Greek, history, physics, and mathematics as well, studying uninterrupted and with the least amount of company. When she was fifteen, She had the Bible introduced to her, the doctrines of the Church Fathers, and theology by the time she was fifteen. Young Sophie thrived and truly loved to learn despite the terrible rule Louis imposed.

Meanwhile, Christian schools were being closed at the same time as the French Revolution. The education of children, especially young girls, was in disarray. Sophie, who felt called to the holy life, was encouraged to pursue a career in education. She established the Society of the Sacred Heart, which concentrated on boarding schools for affluent young women and disadvantaged children’s schools. Today, there exist schools that teach only male students and coed Sacred Heart institutions.

Sophie’s Society of the Sacred Heart received official authorization from the Pope in 1826. She had already held several convent superior positions by that time. She was paralyzed in 1865 and died on the Ascension feast that year.

In 1925, Madeleine Sophie Barat was declared a saint. Her liturgical feast is honored on May 25.

Source: franciscanmedia.org