DeLille Did the Impossible Way Back When

She was born a Creole in New Orleans in 1812. Brought up in the tradition of the placage system by her mother. It was considered the best position for a woman of color at this time, but Henriette disagreed.  In this system the French and Spanish colonies in the South adopted this extra-legal agreement for white men of means to make arrangements with the mothers of half black women to "Buy" the female child a lifestyle in exchange for a beautiful, dutiful woman in a common law marriage.  This free slave woman could live the life of a plantation owner's wife without being one, a wife I mean.

In exchange they raised a family together for 25 years or more only to find that in the latter years of the woman's life, her keeper, her common law husband could marry a white woman for his legitimate heirs, without a divorce. Just leave her and their offspring. Marrying a person of color was not legal in the 1800s. So we see, once again, men find a way around the law to suit themselves.

Henriette was a teacher and brought up in the catholic faith, as a child she learned God wanted man and woman to live together in a legal marriage and did not like the placage arrangement.  Especially since she saw her own mother was left without a companion in her late life. Her father went off with a younger white woman to produce legal heirs.

She refused to go to the ballroom where she was to be presented to her future keeper, a man her mother and father had arranged through financial payment in return of a promise to give her the lifestyle of the wealthy. One without the boundaries of  legal marriage.  Her mother was furious when Henriette refused and threw her out. Henriette went o the church where she found residence while she taught both white and black creole students by day and then black slaves by night.

The woman's life fascinated me, courage and calm voice without violence to secure her place in founding the first colored convent in America.  What seemed at the time an impossibility with racism and second class power of women in general, she won.  Frustrations sure, but her persistence to look to divine providence for guidance in her darkest hours with a belief her life would make a difference for her people and lives everywhere was rewarded. Patience is a virtue, women with kind confidence have so much of this.

After many years and later when the English white settlers moved in and wanted to reverse the laws for these free colored slaves, she persevered and became Mother Henriette DeLille of The Colored Sisters of The Holy Family at New Orleans established in 1842. In time with the help of the Archbishop she was able to establish 8 more schools to teach the homeless, the poor, and educate them as well.

The ballroom that formally reduced women to concubines was purchased with the help of diocese funds for the first catholic church and school for blacks. Yes we need money, prayers alone does not build a church. Thank you Archbishop Etienne Rouselan for your heart and help.

There is a street named for her in New Orleans and a museum of her life and legacy there if you should ever visit. The plaque commemorating her was placed behind St. Louis Cathedral on Royal Street sidewalk.

The Pope & Catholic Church finally recognised her as a saint in 2005 for her heroic efforts.

Women have power in their persistent endurance of what is good and right without violence. It is always gentleness with a steady focus on the peaceful goal that changes everything for longer and better.  Men and women in conscious control of their minds, are really good at this.

Thankful to be a strong woman, thankful to practice the road to peace within.