Former Barat College Campus to be Repurposed by Woodlands Academy

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois hosted a community meeting in its Chapel last Thursday to discuss and share plans for the expansion of its campus.  The expansion is made possible by the astounding gift of 23 acres of the neighboring former Barat College Campus donated by an anonymous donor to Woodlands Academy. The land transfer officially took place on December 12, 2012 the anniversary of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat's birthday.  

Referred to as Gloria Dei Project, Ralph Elwart, Member of the Woodlands Board of Trustees gave a comprehensive overview at the Open House last Thursday and afterwards answered questions from Sacred Heart alums and nearby residents. To view a video of the Lake Forest Plan Commission Meeting held on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - click here. 

For more info about the Barat College Campus click on this link to view the Woodlands Project Slides and to read local news - Lake Forester.

The evening ending with alums lingered to view the slides up close and speak to Sr. Martha Curry, RSCJ, an alumna of Barat College and author of the recently published book, BARAT COLLEGE: A LEGACY, A SPIRIT AND A NAME. For more info on ordering a copy of Sr. Curry's book go to marthacurrybook.info

Happy Birthday dear St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Sophie's Fire
The Story of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
by Constance Solari

December 12, 1779 ~  The day our beloved St. Madeleine Sophie Barat was born in Joigny.  Below is an excerpt from the website ~ sophiesfire.com ~ Sophie's Fire: The Story of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat.  For more information or to order a copy of the book click here.

"In the midst of a raging fire on a winter night in 1779, a Burgundian woman went into early labor and delivered a child who never should have survived.  Instead, the tiny infant—Madeleine Sophie Barat—went on to thrive in a France wracked and torn by revolution, terror, Napoleonic domination, and all that followed in their wake. Possessed of a vision of a world dedicated to generosity and love, she founded a religious order and an international network of schools that still flourish today: the schools of the sacred heart. In 1925 she was declared a saint. Passionate, brilliant, politically savvy, and aware of the powerful potential of women to reshape society, Sophie is a role model for our own times."

Sophie's Fire The Story of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat by Constance Solari

www.sophiesfire.com

Sophie's Fire ~ The Story of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat by Constance Solari has just been released and can be purchased via Amazon.  For more information or to order a copy click here.

Connie Solari at AASH 38th Biennial Conference in Miami 

In 2011 Connie was a guest speaker at the 38th AASH Biennial Conference and her topic,  A Women For All Seasons: Madeleine Sophie Barat as a Twenty-First Century Heroine.  Connie Solari has taught  at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, California,  since 1972 when she was first hired as a temporary employee. During the past 40 years as Connie's career evolved so did her love of Sacred Heart and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Sophie's Fire, a historical novel based on the life of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat will captivate you.