Venerable Henriette DeLille

 With my saint posts, I prefer to stick with those who have been canonized (Saints) or beatified (Blesseds) because there are so many of these that I will never run out of material. However, there are some who are on their way to that point that are worthy of mention and whose story I feel the desire to share. Our 'H' saint is one of these.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI declared Henriette DeLille to be Venerable, meaning that the person has demonstrated heroic virtue in their life and can be considered for the next step in the process toward canonization. 

Henriette was born on March 11, 1813, in New Orleans, LA. Her mother was a free woman of color and her father was French. Their union was a common law marriage such as was common type of union (called the placage system) between ethnic European men and women of African, Native American or mixed-race descent. Henriette was raised to enter into the same type of union by being taught, French literature, music and dancing. Her mother also taught her nursing skills and herbal medicine. 

Raised a Roman Catholic in the French tradition, Henriette was drawn to the teachings of the Church. She resisted the life she was raised to, becoming a strong opponent to the placage system which she believed went against the Church's teaching on the sacrament of marriage. Henriette was influenced by Sister Marthe Fontier who had opened a school for girls of color in New Orleans. In 1827, at the age of 14, Henriette began teaching as well. 

In 1835, Henriette's mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was declared incompetent. Henriette was granted her mother's assets. After providing for her mother's care, she sold all the property and used the proceeds to found a small, unrecognized religious order which she called the Sisters of the Presentation. This small congregation of nine women cared for the sick, helped the poor and educated free and enslaved children and adults. They took into their home some elderly women who needed more than visitation and thereby opened the first Catholic home for the elderly in America. 

In 1837, Fr. Etienne Rousselon of New Orleans obtained formal recognition of the congregation from the Holy See. The congregation changed its name to Sisters of the Holy Family and continued their work for the sick and the poor. Henriette died at the age of 49 on November, 17, 1862, during the Union occupation of New Orleans in the American Civil War. Her friends attributed her death to a life of service, poverty and hard work. The Sisters of the Holy Family remain active today. 

Since Henriette DeLille has not yet been beatified, she has not been assigned a feast day, but she is recognized as patron of racial equality, gender equality, social equality, educational equality, health equality and equanimity.