During the past 18 months, Sr. Mary Kubli, archivist for the province of Italy, has come upon some great treasures while exploring the unmarked boxes that make up a still significant portion of her collection. One by one, she opens each box and goes through the files and papers she finds there to determine what they are. In April of 2006, Mary opened an envelope bearing the name of Laure d’Aviernoz. In it she found, among other papers, 10 original, manuscript letters of St. Madeleine Sophie addressed to Mother d’Aviernoz between the years 1838 and1850. Laure d’Aviernoz died in 1852 at the Villa Lante, preceding Sophie into heaven by 13 years.

We presume that her papers were placed in the archives and forgotten, even when the request came from the Mother House for all of Sophie’s writings to be sent to the Secretary General. By that time no one knew that these letters existed and Laure d’Aviernoz’ file remained unopened until last year when Mary happened to reach for it.

In a lovely gesture, Luciana Lussiatti, provincial of Italy, asked Mary to bring the folder of letters to be placed on the altar during the Offertory of the Eucharist for the Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie, May 25 2006. Present at the celebration, in addition to the Villa Lante community, was the entire community of the Mother House, including Superior General, Clare Pratt. At the end of the Eucharist, Sr. Lussiatti formally presented the letters to Sr. Pratt, saying that they really belonged in the General Archives.

A few months later, looking though another box, Sr. Kubli discovered another letter of St. Madeleine Sophie. This one, illustrating this account, was written in August 1824 to the students of the Graduating Class (Classe Supérieure) at the Sacred Heart school in Paris (rue de Varenne).

All of these letters are now in the General Archives of the Society, waiting to be added to the catalogue of over 14,000 letters of St. Madeleine Sophie held by the Society.

Are there any hidden treasures in other province archives?