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To live in this “holy ground” of Joigny is certainly a great grace for rscj. I would wish that Sophie were better known and loved in Joigny itself and in the Diocese. Her presence is so discreet, in spite of the various groups welcomed in the Barat home.
I like to pray in her oratory for the Society, for the people who come here, for our Diocese, which is also “mission teritory”.
“No one is a prophet in his known country.” Fortunately the grain of wheat, sown in the earth of Burgundy, has multiplied throughout the world.
Françoise de Campigneulles rscj
It is a gift to be sent to Joigny for many reasons - among others, one feels wonder and one is called to welcome.
Wonder: I find it wonderful to experience the Society's presence on all the continents, and I love to welcome our visitors - rscj, alumnae, and other groups who come tom meet Sophie here. Recently I was touched by a little Japanese girl (student in our school in Tokyo) who when, visiting Paris with her parents, insisted that they bring her to see where St. Madeleine Sophie was born.
Welcome: I am so happy to be able to welcome in particular our rscj sisters, opening to them the possibility of meeting Sophie Barat in a unique and very personal way in her house, with its ancient charm.
To see the vineyards, the Yonne river, the streets and old houses of Joigny, which remain unchanged since 1789 - all of this is an invitation to understand certain aspects of our heritage: solidity, simplicity, depth. The vines speak of this “depth”, as it appears that in the dry season their roots penetrate to a depth of 20 meters in order to find water. “Haurietis acquas in gaudium”. (“You will draw water with joy”.)
“Abide in my love.”
Jehannine d'Hautefeuille rscj
Not having been a student in a Sacred Heart school, I have appreciated in a special way living in Joigny, in the Barat home, here where Sophie's adventure began.
What touches me is the fact that it is Sophie, the young girl and not the religious, who lived here, and I am convinced that, like any other child, she was profoundly marked by her family. So, I have met not only Sophie here, but the whole Barat family, and I have become aware of how much that early education in the family shaped her- the influence of each member made itself felt. I have become also very conscious of the fact that the house is full of the presence of the family, even today.
It is not only the family that influenced Sophie, but the whole environment of the little town and of the region. I see her near the river Yonne, in the churches and streets, and above all, in the vineyards. Living here, I appreciate that none of that has been lost. It is here where she laid down her roots: the roots of her interior life, the roots of her vocation, her burning love for the Heart of Jesus. And all of that resonates in me, since it was the love of the Heart of Jesus which attracted me to the Society. All of this also has an influence on my own interior life.
I like to think, when I am in this house, that it is the same Sophie who later will say, “For the sake of a single child I would have founded the Society”, and who would encourage her daughters “to live only under the inspiration of the holy Spirit”.
With regard to the ministry of welcome, I have loved “making the visit” of the house with the people who come here. Many are very touched, and say that they are very happy to know Sophie a little better. What also touched me is the number of those who say that they have touched and felt her spirit here.
I also see the astonishment of many when we show them the map of the world where the Society is present, and I myself am in wonder when I realize the extent of the influence of the “little girl” Sophie throughout the world.
So it is with regret that I leave Joigny after 8 years, but also with the joy of having lived here, and of taking with me so many unforgettable memories of this stage in my religious life.
Therese Coeuret rscj
To be sent to the community of the Barat House in Joigny is a grace and a joy, because Madeleine Sophie is very alive in this house. We welcome numerous groups, families and individuals, both from France and from all over the world. Some stay for several days, other only visit the house where she was born. Groups of children also come for a day of retreat.
For all these diverse people the oratory, room of St. Madeleine Sophie is a place of prayer, especially of intercession, and especially a place of peace. Each one confides to her a certain intention. We sometimes witness graces obtained through he mediation of Sophie, and her action in hearts, and of course we do now know all. May groups are accompanied by rscj, and in this way we live out the internationality of the Society. Sometimes we have the opportunity of meeting again our Probation sisters or others whom we have known previously in other circumstances. You can imagine what these meetings are - such joy for all.
To welcome, to conduct the “tour” of the house, to listen, all this supposes much availability and flexibility. But it is also a wonderful opportunity to speak about our spirituality, about the meaning of our lives, because people are very receptive, and so we can transmit something of our charism. The Centre Sophie Barat is also inserted in the parish and the diocese. Different kinds of gatherings, participation in the parish activities of the worn of Joigny are also a way for us to make known St. Madeleine Sophie and who are the rscj of today.
Marie Thérèse Deprecq rscj
I have only lived in Joigny since April of this year, but for an rscj even a short stay here is a privilege, a challenge and a great joy.
The Barat Home in rue Davier retains something, almost tangible, of the spirit of St. Madeleine Sophie, and the very walls and wood, the staircase, the attic, the rooms all speak of that close-knot family, which was the “place” of her first grounding in the faith (albeit too severe on the part of Louis, her brother and godfather). It is easy to imagine the family gathered around the table in the kitchen/sitting room, and to watch the little Sophie develop over the years, nurturing her dream, as time went on, for a life of contemplation. It is that fundamental aspect of our charism that has drawn me to Joigny (in the autumn of my life!), as well as the international characters of our rscj family, which permits and sometimes asks of us to go beyond the boundaries of our own provinces to live and serve elsewhere. Where better to live this out than in this “sacred place” where it all took root?
I have rejoiced over these months to be with Sophie in her room-oratory and in prayer to lift up the international Society, the Church - especially the young churches of Africa- and the whole world to the Heart of Jesus, her one passionate Love.
I have also loved meeting and welcoming rscj from near and far and experiencing their joy at feeling that they are “at home” here. But it is not only rscj but our alumnae past and present and many others who express their wonder in such ways as “one senses a real spirit in this house”, “one touches the charism here”, “there is something very special about this place”. We receive all kinds of groups. Even in the months since I arrived, we have received, among others, married couples, ecumenical and biblical groups, pastoral teams, young unemployed people. One category touched me profoundly- two groups of teachers from our Sacred Heart schools. One group came with an rscj from Korea and the other with rscj from Ireland, and stayed for some days. This speaks to me profoundly of the influence of our charism of education, even today, when the presence of rscj in our institutions is so reduced.
I also love to pray in the Church of St. Thibault, where Sophie was baptized and received First Holy Communion. When we attend mass in the churches of Joigny, I see her also kneeling with us, offering herself with Jesus “for the glory of God and the salvation of the world”. Of course, the vines are an integral part of Sophie's story. Coming from a country where there are no vines I am surprised and delighted to discover the hidden depths in the symbol of the vine, especially as Jesus give sit to us in John 15.
Simply by contemplating the vines, I have come to understand better how the vine and the Vinedresser reveal to us the beauty of the Indwelling Trinity in us, and new aspects of our charism present themselves to me, “Abide in my love”. “I have chosen you”, as the Vinedresser chooses one branch to remain embedded in the vine stem, which will bear fruit in due season, because it is one with the vine. “You in Me. I in you.” “Without me, you can do nothing”. “Cor unum et anima una in Corde Jesu”.
Thank you, Sophie, for welcoming me into your first home, your family home.
Doreen Boland rscj
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