The Subversive Power of Love: The Vision of Henriette Delille (Madeleva Lecture in Spirituality)

Henriette Delille, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family, lived out a vision that defied social convention, cultural custom, and tepid religiosity. Her vision embraced the enslaved, the poor, the sick, the elderly; and, in the midst of nineteenth century New Orleans, thoroughly reconceptualized black women’s bodies. Delille gave herself unreservedly to a bold venture that embodied belief and hope, enduring commitment, and the subversive power of love. Her cause for canonization has been officially opened by the Vatican. †