Henriette DeLille was a 19th-century Catholic nun from New Orleans who dedicated her life to serving marginalized communities. Born into a mixed-race family, she resisted the social expectations of the era, specifically opposing the plaçage system of common-law marriages. In 1836, she established the Sisters of the Holy Family, which became the second-oldest surviving African-American religious congregation. As their first Mother Superior, she provided essential care for the sick, the elderly, and both free and enslaved people, often facing significant social and ecclesiastical prejudice.