Meet Catholic Charities Boston Teacher and Published Author, Sophonie Joseph-Laurore

“Within the depths of every heart lies a tapestry of untold stories—moments of joy, pain, triumph, and resilience that we often keep hidden from the world.” 

These are the words printed on the back cover of Sophonie Joseph-Laurore’s memoir ‘Unveiling Grace: A Journey of Storytelling and Testimony.’ From grief to love to the trials and triumphs of motherhood, Sophonie’s book explores what it means to be human and why sharing our stories with one another is a powerful catalyst for connection and self-discovery.  

Today, as an ESOL instructor and student advisor at Catholic Charites South in Brockton, Sophonie strives to empower her students, not only by helping them to learn English but also by teaching them the power of sharing their stories with the world.  

Born and raised in Haiti, Sophonie knows firsthand the challenges that many of her students who are immigrants face every day: being immersed in a new culture thousands of miles from family, yearning for a sense of belonging, and trying to learn a new language. 

Instead of defining themselves by the adversity they have faced, Sophonie said she seeks to help her students recognize their inherent strengths and the lessons they’ve gained from their unique life experiences. 

“People often say to me, ‘I don’t have a beautiful or powerful story to share, and I tell them, ‘That’s not true. We all have a story.” 

As a student advisor at Catholic Charities, Sophonie said she mentors adult students who have worked in diverse professions all over the world – lawyers, doctors, teachers, and writers. Due to the language barrier, she says many of them get discouraged and feel unable to progress in their chosen field.  

“My students will often say, ‘When I was in Cuba, I was a nurse. When I was in Haiti, I was a lawyer.’ I say to them, ‘Why do you say you were? I teach them to say I am. They can be whatever they want to be.”  

In Sophonie’s eyes, storytelling is not merely the act of putting pen to paper and stringing words together but rather the creative practice of deciding who we want to be. 

“I say to my students, ‘What story are you going to choose to tell?’ We are like painters with a blank canvas in front of us and we can choose what we want to create.” 

Perhaps the most poignant aspect of Sophonie’s own life story is her unwavering faith, which she says has carried her through every difficult moment: immigrating to the United States, losing her mother at the age of 16, and struggling with infertility – formative experiences she delves into more deeply in her book.  

Sophonie said even her name, which comes from the biblical name Zephaniyah, tells a story. 

“If you look up the meaning of it, it translates to ‘hidden by God’ or ‘God has hidden.'”

Sophonie said she often thinks about the ways that God himself has hidden in her struggles, disguised as her very own strength. When she looks back at the days of her life, she says she sees that He was there all along.   

Now, as an educator and student advisor at Catholic Charities, Sophonie is committed to being there for every student who enters her classroom, encouraging them to find their voice and share it with the world. 

“What is a light if we don’t get to share it with others?” she said. “The world needs our stories right now.” 

For details on Sophonie’s storytelling conference and book launch party, click here. 

To find out how you can support Catholic Charities Boston’s clients in need, visit our Ways to Give page.