Creole Connection
P. O. Box 43313
Los Angeles, CA 90043
USA
Home Phone 323-299-5383

August 31, 2002

Pope John Paul II
and Committee on the
Mother Henriette DeLille
Proposed Canonization
The Vatican
Rome, Italy

Re: Mother Henriette DeLille
Proposed Canonization

Your Holiness and Our Beloved Father in Christ,

I am writing this letter in regards to the Proposed Canonization of Mother Henriette DeLille, Founder of the Order of The Sisters of the Holy Family of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1842. This Canonization Process has been in progress since 1989 with the aide of the Roman Catholic Church and the Sisters of the Holy Family. If all evidence is proven true according to accepted ecclesiastical doctrine and the Vatican’s rigorous examination, the process will eventually lead to her achieving the status of a Saint in Christ’s Holy Church.

But, Holy Father, there is discord concerning Mother Delille’s ethnic background. The Sisters of the Holy Family are publishing Mother Henriette’s ethnic identity as “Native Born African American” instead of as the “Native Born Creole” which she was born and lived as thoughout her lifetime of 1812 - 1862. Mother Delille came from an historical French Creole background. I must confess that the roots of this dilema are deeply entrenched in the racial discord which has plagued the American Nation for over three hundred years. To wit - from 1803, when the United Stated purchased the French Louisiana Territory from France and forthwith took away the Civil Rights of the Creoles of Color who were the inhabitants of the Territory, up until the present time - 2002. (See Copy of Treaty between France and the United States dated 1803).

As the writer of this letter, let me explain that I am a 76 year old Native Born Creole American myself, having been born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1926. I was born of Creole parents on both sides. My ancestral background consists of five ethnic backgrounds, to wit, French, African, Italian, Spanish and Native American Indian. My historical background held so much fascination for me, along with the many historical novels and films which have been produced regarding that era and time, that caused me in later years to research my Creole genealogy and history.. This began for me nearly 20 years ago. To date I have learned who these ancestral people were, their historical background and the years they existed and died in Louisiana, going back as far as 1768.

I am a descendant of the famous Cane River Creole Families of Isle Breville, Louisiana. In 1768, my first grandfather was Claude Thomas Pierre Metoyer from LaRochelle, France who had come to Louisiana, joined with my first grandmother, Marie Terese Coincoin, his leased African slave, and had nine offsprings who were the some of the first French Creoles born in the French Territory of Louisiana. Their first son, Augustin Metoyer, and third son, Louis Metoyer, gave the land and built the first Catholic Church in Isle Breville (now referred to as Cane River) namely, St. Augustine Catholic Church on July 19, 1829 and blessed by Father J. B. Blanc on July 27, 1829. As you perhaps know and can see by this evidence that my family and most of the Creoles of Color have been Catholic since birth.

Mother Henriette Delille was born in Louisiana in 1812 to parentage who possessed most of the same ancestral background as mine and they were born in the French Louisiana Territory which made them Native Born French Creoles. Her father, Jean Baptiste (de Lille) Lille (Sarpi) Sarpy (French/Italian) was born in 1762 in Fumel, Lot-et-Garonne, France and her mother, Marie-Josephe Diaz, of French, Spanish and African ancestry, a French Creole, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her grandparents were John Joseph Diaz, a Spanish wealthy merchant, and Henriette Dubreuil Laveau, French Creole. Her great grandparents were Jean Sarpi and Cecile Marthe Basile Dubreuil, whose father was Claude Villars Dubreuil born in 1716, from France. (See 2 copies of Genealogy of Mother Delille) also (See Pages copied from the book, “No Cross, No Crown” written by Sr. Detiege and Dr. Charles Nolan, which outlines Mother Delille’s Creole ancestry and who were permitted to join the Order in the years 1842 - l865).

The following will further establish our reasons for protest against the actions of The Sisters of the Holy Family because of their definite misleading of the public regarding the correct ethnic identification of Mother Henriette Delille.

The Background Which Establishes Our Protest:

1989 - The beginning of the Proposed Canonization process of Mother Henriette Delille. The Sisters of the Holy Family began circulating brochures which identified Mother Delille as a “Free Person of Color”, which was acceptable for she was that but by virtue of the fact of the time she lived, she was a French Creole American. (See Brochure Dated 1989 of the Sisters of the Holy Family)

1994 -The Proposed Canonization process of Mother Henriette Delille continuing for five years. The Sisters of the Holy Family changed and began circulating brochures which identified Mother Delille as a “Native Born African American” which Mother Delille was not. (See Brochure Dated 1994 of the Sisters of the Holy Family)

l994 - May 16 -- A letter was written by Gilbert Martin, a Noted Creole Author and Historian and Founder of the International French Creole Cultural Society, informed the Sisters of the Holy Family that the French Creoles would not stand for the incorrect identification of Mother Delille.(See Letter dated May 16, 1994 of Gilbert Martin to the Sisters of the Holy Family) ( also copy of the Charter of the International French Creole Cultural Society)

1994 - May 30 -- A response was received by Gilbert Martin from the Sr. Eva Martin of The Sisters of the Holy Family. In which he was informed that the Sisters were aware that Mother Delille came from a Creole Community. (Letter Dated May 30, l994 from the Sisters of of the Holy Family.

1994 - In spite of the above letter written to Mr. Martin admitting that Mother Delille had come from a Creole Community, the Sisters of the Holy Family continued to incorrectly identify Mother Delille as a “Native Born African American”.

2001 - The Sisters of the Holy Family made a special cross country pilgrimage from New Orleans, Louisiana to make known the proposed canonization of Mother Henriette Delille, along with the priest who was on the Canonization Committee from the Vatican, to Lafayette, Louisiana, - Houston, Texas, - Phoenix, Arizona, and the finally Compton, California. In everyone of these pilgrimages, the Sisters continued to pass out brochures which identified Mother Delille as a “Native Born African American” instead of the “Native Born Creole American” which she had lived as and died from 1812 to 1862.(Which See Same Brochures as in 1994)

2002 - July 13 -- A Creole Family History Convention was held at Montebello, California, sponsored by the Creole Heritage Center which is located in Nachitoches, Louisiana at the Northwestern University. This convention was attended by Sister Doris Goudeau, Superior of the Sisters of the Holy Family along, with Dr. Charles Nolan, Biographer for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana. At the convention I was told that the reason why they were idenifying Mother Delille as a “Native Born African American” was because Mother Delille had been adopted by the African American Community. How dare they identify Mother Delille by a community which adopts her!!! Mother Delille was not an orphan but had legitimate parentage with bloodlines representive of four countries. This was an insult to our entire Creole Community and the Creoles present at the Convention for these two people to come to our convention and mis-identify Mother Delille!! (Attached See Copy of Creole Family History Brochure, dated July 13, 2002)

In light of all of the foregoing, it would seem that the Sisters of the Holy Family wish to re-write history in order to satisfy themselves and thus their input as to the incorrect identification of Mother Henriette Delille. Their main reasoning being that since 1865, the Order has become comprised of mostly Native Born African Americans, in light of America’s racial segregation laws.l. It would seem that the Order wishes Mother Delille’s ancestry to reflect their ancestry and not her own.

By sending this letter and Petition, we are in no wise denying that Mother Delille had an ancestry of some African bloodline, and of that we are proud, as well as all of her other bloodlines. But we wish to point out that it was this multiracial bloodline that caused her to be identified as a Creole American during her lifetime of 1812 to 1862.

But how can the canonization of Mother Henriette Delille take place denoting that she is the “First Native Born African American Saint” when the true facts about her life and identity are revealed? This fallacy is a disservice to the African Americans as well as to the Creole Americans. When these facts are challenged by other noteworthy historians, how or in the future, this incorrect identification will porve to be an embarrassment to the Catholic Church for not properly researching the true historical facts converning Mother Delille and causing pain and confusion to many people.

Therefore I am enclosing the Petition in Protest against the incorrect identification of Mother Henriette Delille’s ethnic identification by the Sisters of the Holy Family. Because of time permitting, this Petition has been signed by a token number of the Creole Americans (but I have been made aware that other Creole groups are taking signatures also). These signors are descendants of ancestors of the original French Louisiana Territory. In sending this letter and Petition we intend the express purpose of preserving 300 years legacy of an estimated Three Million or More French Creoles who are still living and thriving in the United States of America.

It is our plea, Most Holy Father, that you will not let stand the incorrect ethnic identity of Mother Henriette Delille nor mislead future generations concerning her history and ours, and that you will protect our Creole Heritage which our ancestors so valiantly fought and died for. . That you will Let Mother Henriett Delille retain her ethnic identity which she had when she lived in 1812 to 1862 - “Native Born Creole American” which encompasses all of her ethnic identity (French, African, Italian and Spanish).

I attend Mass each and every Sunday and lately the priests have been stating more emphatically that the Church will be listening more closely to the words of its faithful parishioners.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mrs. Marion I. Ferreira
French Creole Historian and Activist

PS. In the words of the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. “An injustice done to anyone is a threat to everyone in the world”.

Also - “Truth crushed to the ground, will rise again”.

Dear Mrs. Ferreira:

Thank you for your letter of October 11, 2002. I note that you raise the question of the current ancestry of Servant of God Henriette Delille.

It is not appropriate for me to enter into these questions directly. I have great confidence in the work of Father Cyprian Davis, O.S.B., of St. Meinrad Archabbey.

When the Church canonizes a saint, she holds up this person as someone who practiced exceptional charity and whose life has a special message for people today. Henriette Delille will not be raised to the alter because she was supposedly two-thirds white and was nice to people darker than she. She will be recognized as a blessed because she was a woman of the poor who did not seek to run away from the life of oppression and petty demeaning regulations by "passing as white". Because she was a descendant of slaves, she knew how to meet the needs of slaves; as an illegitimate child, she sought to bring black slaves and free blacks to the sacraments and to a Christian life.

Henriette Delille was a black woman who loved and served the poor in a society where women of her background and ancestry were exploited and despised. It would indeed be regrettable if a woman who should be a symbol of reconciliation and justice should be turned into a symbol of dissension and internal racial divisions.

I ask that you join me in praying for the beatification of Henriette Delille so that she in turn may become a patron for justice, harmony and peace.

Sincerely in the Lord,

Most Rverend Alfred C. Hughes

Archbishop of New Orleans
ACH/mo

Email: Redbino9@aol.com