Marie Josephine Goetz
Encyclopedia
Marie Josephine Goetz was a French nun, the second superior-general of the Society of the Sacred Heart
.
and Marie Anne Wagner;her parents dying early, her education was left to the care of an aunt who sent her to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Besançon
. At the age of seventeen she entered the novitiate of the Sacred Heart at Montet
and took her first vows in 1837.
In 1842 she was entrusted with the charge of the school at Besançon, which was going through a difficult phase, and showed judicious management. Immediately after profession in 1847 she was appointed mistress of novices at Conflans
. She continued in this charge, to which was afterwards added the government of the house as superior, until 1864, when she was named vicar-general.
The failing strength of Sophie Barat, who founded the Society, made it necessary for her to have some one at hand, to whom she could communicate her views for the future. She found a full understanding of them in Mother Josephine Goetz, who was elected superior-general in 1865.
Mother Goetz governed as superior-general for nine years. Her work was principally one of consolidation. She established a training school at Conflans to prepare the young religious for their duties as teachers, and entrusted to a small committee the revision and adaptation of the curriculum of studies to the growing needs of the order. During the Franco-Prussian war
and the time of the siege and Commune in Paris, Reverend Mother Goetz was obliged to withdraw to Laval
, that communications with her religious might not be cut off.
She made visitations of the houses then existing in Europe, as far as time and health permitted - but her strength rapidly failed and she died from a stroke of paralysis, after a few days' illness.
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'...
.
Life
She was the daughter of Joseph Goetz of StrasburgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and Marie Anne Wagner;her parents dying early, her education was left to the care of an aunt who sent her to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
. At the age of seventeen she entered the novitiate of the Sacred Heart at Montet
Montet
thumb|left|MontetMontet is a municipality in the district of Glâne in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-Geography:Montet has an area, , of . Of this area, or 70.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 20.1% is forested...
and took her first vows in 1837.
In 1842 she was entrusted with the charge of the school at Besançon, which was going through a difficult phase, and showed judicious management. Immediately after profession in 1847 she was appointed mistress of novices at Conflans
Conflans
- Communes :Conflans is the name or part of the name of ten communes of France:*Conflans-en-Jarnisy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département*Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the Yvelines département*Conflans-sur-Anille in the Sarthe département...
. She continued in this charge, to which was afterwards added the government of the house as superior, until 1864, when she was named vicar-general.
The failing strength of Sophie Barat, who founded the Society, made it necessary for her to have some one at hand, to whom she could communicate her views for the future. She found a full understanding of them in Mother Josephine Goetz, who was elected superior-general in 1865.
Mother Goetz governed as superior-general for nine years. Her work was principally one of consolidation. She established a training school at Conflans to prepare the young religious for their duties as teachers, and entrusted to a small committee the revision and adaptation of the curriculum of studies to the growing needs of the order. During the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
and the time of the siege and Commune in Paris, Reverend Mother Goetz was obliged to withdraw to Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
, that communications with her religious might not be cut off.
She made visitations of the houses then existing in Europe, as far as time and health permitted - but her strength rapidly failed and she died from a stroke of paralysis, after a few days' illness.