Madeleine Sophie Barat was born December 12th, 1779 and died on May 25th, 1865. She grew up during the French Revolution. Her home town Joigny, is two hours south east of Paris. She was the third and youngest child of Jacques Barat, a wine cooper and his wife Marie Madeleine. Her older brother Louis became a priest, and an older sister Marie Louise was married. Sophie’s education was directed by her brother Louis. Aware of his sister’s precocious intelligence, he drew up a rule of life for her, which, besides a strong religious training, also included a traditional classical upbringing. Sophie studied Latin and Greek, history, literature, botany, astronomy and mathematics. When she went to live in Paris, she came under the spiritual direction of Fr. Joseph Varin who turned her thoughts towards joining a new group of women whom he hoped would be devoted to the Sacred Heart and to the education of girls.