Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, known throughout her life simply as Sophie, established the Society of the Sacred Heart in the aftermath of the French Revolution, when the Church came under assault, the Christian religion itself faced the threat of eradication, and brutality and war were daily realities. In this time of social upheaval and deprivation, women throughout France began to form small communities focused primarily on delivering health care and education to the disenfranchised. more... See more text