St. Madeleine Sophie described her arrival to make the foundation at Poitiers as follows: We rang, the door opened, and we saw at a distance an old servant who strongly stood her ground. I asked to see her mistresses; she said she would call them, and led us into a large room. The huge place seemed deserted; profound silence reigned in the souls of those who live there. These ladies did not appear at once, and I had leisure for some reflections. In the depth of my soul I felt my own weakness very acutely at the thought that I had come to govern this establishment. It disturbed me, but I leaned entirely on the help of God."
Here we have the secret of Sophie's extraordinary influence over others; she relied entirely on God's help.
When Lydia Chobelet and Josephine Bigeu finnally appeared, Sister Girard had to introduce Mother Barat as she felt it "hardly suitable that she speak for herself."
You can see Sophie's humility and also her sense of humor in her writings.
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