Mass, «The Sisters of the Holy family» convent, New Orleans.

The Sisters of the Holy Family, founded in New Orleans in 1842, were the first African American Catholics to serve as missionaries. Twenty years before the Civil War of the United States, and before it was legal for a Black Congregation to exist, the Sisters of the Holy Family were founded in New Orleans, Louisiana by Henriette Delille, a free woman of color. Their religious identity did not prevent the discriminations associated with their racial identity. Even permission to wear the habit that would mark their religious identity was delayed for over thirty years after their founding. The Sisters of the Holy Family remain active today, with over 200 members by operating free schools for children, nursing homes, and retirement homes in New Orleans, in US,and the Central American country of Belize. Our community had to fight to arrive here...It has always been a challenge. Even today we still go through an experience, a time where we have to consider racism, we have to work very hard to get some opportunities. In many cases it’s because of racism. The fight continues. The reason for what we fight is for the people we serve, you can see that there are some injustices and we are here to promote justice. Sister Greta Jupiter Vice-Congregational Leader.