Philippine opened the first house of the Society of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri in 1818. Philippine's dream in coming to the American frontier was to work with the Native Americans. After years of leading the Society and establishing houses in Missouri, Louisiana and Canada, Philippine fulfilled her dream and lived and worked among the Potowatomi. She died November 18, 1852 and was canonized July 3, 1988.

Madeleine Sophie Barat was born in Joigny, France, a small Burgundy town, December 12, 1779. As a young girl Sophie was tutored by Louis Barat who recognized the intelligence and giftedness of his younger sister, instructed her in the classics of French literature, ancient history, Spanish, Italian and possibly some Latin-- a rigorous curriculum that at the time was reserved for boys.

In the aftermath of the Reign of Terror, Sophie moved to Paris where she continued her studies in theology, the Church Fathers, biblical studies, and mathematics. During this time she became acquainted with Fr. Joseph Varin who told her of an idea of another priest, Fr. Leonor De Tournely. The idea was to begin a company of women parallel to the then-suppressed Society of Jesus and whose work would be to revitalize Christian life in France. Sophie agreed to this idea and with three companions made her vows on November 21, 1800. (In doing so Sophie and her companions joined an established institute known as the Dilette di Gesu. This name was subsequently changed to the Ladies of the Faith in 1802, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1806, and finally to the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1815.)

• vision of the mission

• articulation of spirit and way of life

• growth in membership

• definition of the work of education

By the time St. Madeleine Sophie Barat died in 1865, the Society of the Sacred had expanded to 3539 members in 89 houses. During the 30 years that followed membership nearly doubled. It was a time in which fidelity to the vision of the founder was equated with consolidation and uniformity.

Margaret Williams, rscj summarizes this period as one of confirmation. She writes: "Confirmation" is a more vibrant word than "Consolidation"; it implies testing, then placing a seal of authenticity. . . .The years from 1895 to 1914. . . .were charged with dynamism [for the Society]. Standing firm on the foundation laid, changing nothing, they aimed with Saint Paul, "to grow in all ways."

Margaret Williams, rscj, summarizes this period as one of expansion: The life of the Society of the Sacred Heart from 1915 to 1946 is marked by an expansion of its mission in the face of disturbing ideologies. . .The period began and ended with a shock to complacency, a world war, while the League of Nations moved towards the United Nations in the teeth of revolutions and declarations of independence. Communism and Fascism, already in the atmosphere, took corporate form in conflicting governments while science speeded their action; the atom was split in 1918 -- with no noise. . .There was no longer an Old World and a New World, only a globe on which international affairs were becoming inter-racial.

Margaret Williams, rscj, summarizes this period as one of challenge. She writes: The years from the end of World War II to the death of Pius XII were charged with dynamism as the global age moved towards the space age, through the confused forties and the "fabulous fifties." [The United Nations]issued a "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," implemented non-politically by UNESCO. New nations came into being: the Philippines, Israel, South Korea. A Third World emerged behind the opposing worlds of Communism and Capitalism. . .