Mother Henriette Delille (1813 - 1862)

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Mother Henriette Delille

Birth:	1813 New Orleans Orleans Parish Louisiana, USA
Death:	1862 New Orleans Orleans Parish Louisiana, USA
Founder of the black religious community, Sisters of the Holy Family. A descendant of slaves, she was born to an ancestral quadroon family who trained and supplied women to be the mistresses of wealthy white men. Although raised in privilege and comfort, she rebelled and became a nun. When Henriette was declared to be of legal age, she sold all her property and on November 21, 1836, she and eight other black women became the Sisters of Presentation. They cared for the sick and poor and upon acceptance of the order by the Catholic Church assumed the name Sisters of the Holy Family. Mother Henriette Delille died at her convent which was located behind present day historic St. Louis Cathedral. Her work lives on with some 250 Sisters of the Holy Family working in four states and Central America. Her story came to life in 1999 when Vanessa Williams portrayed her in a made for TV movie, "Quadroon Ball". (bio by: Paul S.) Search Amazon for Mother Delille

Burial: Saint Louis Cemetery Number 2 New Orleans Orleans Parish Louisiana, USA Plot: Nuns
Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Mar 21, 2003 Find A Grave Memorial# 7278812