Born on 12 December 1779, the daughter of a cooper, she was educated by her older brother, a monk. In 1801, together with Father Joseph Varin and three other postulants, she founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, a religious congregation devoted to the Sacred Heart and dedicated to the education of girls. She became Superior General of the Society at the age of 23, a position she held for 63 years. The society received papal approval in 1826, and houses were founded in over 80 different countries. Mother Barat died in Paris on 25 May 1865. She was canonized on 24 May 1925 by Pope Pius XI.
