Eugénie de Gramont
Encyclopedia
Eugénie de Gramont was a French nun of the Society of the Sacred Heart
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. Her aristocratic mother also joined it a few years afterwards, and made her novitiate under the guidance of her own daughter.
In 1815, despite her relative youth and the drawback of a slight physical deformity, Mother de Gramont was placed in charge of the first school of the Sacred Heart, opened in Paris, Rue des Postes, afterwards transferred to the Rue de Varenne. The school flourished under her care and, after a short interruption of her work by the revolution of 1830
, she was sent back to govern the house as superioress and continued to do so until her death in 1846.
Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society, had concerns, however. The two women were divided over the role of Louis de Sambucy de Saint-Estève; and in 1839 de Gramont opposed Barat. They were later reconciled.
. The family was driven into exile by the French Revolution
and the subsequent fall of the monarchy. After travelling in Germany and Italy, they settled at Richmond in England. After the death of the Count de Gramont d'Aster, his widow was for a time in straitened circumstances, and maintained herself and her child by teaching. She soon returned to France.
Society of the Sacred Heart
The Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in France by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. It has presence in 45 countries. Membership to the Society is restricted to women only. Its members do many works, but focus on education, particularly girls'...
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Life
She became a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1806, encountering it at AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
. Her aristocratic mother also joined it a few years afterwards, and made her novitiate under the guidance of her own daughter.
In 1815, despite her relative youth and the drawback of a slight physical deformity, Mother de Gramont was placed in charge of the first school of the Sacred Heart, opened in Paris, Rue des Postes, afterwards transferred to the Rue de Varenne. The school flourished under her care and, after a short interruption of her work by the revolution of 1830
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
, she was sent back to govern the house as superioress and continued to do so until her death in 1846.
Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society, had concerns, however. The two women were divided over the role of Louis de Sambucy de Saint-Estève; and in 1839 de Gramont opposed Barat. They were later reconciled.
Family
Her father, the Count de Gramont d'Aster, was attached to the Court of Louis XVI; he had married a daughter of the Count de Boisgelin, maid of honour to Queen Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
. The family was driven into exile by the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the subsequent fall of the monarchy. After travelling in Germany and Italy, they settled at Richmond in England. After the death of the Count de Gramont d'Aster, his widow was for a time in straitened circumstances, and maintained herself and her child by teaching. She soon returned to France.