February 9: The Angel of the Delta

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is February 9th, and our story is The Angel of the Delta. Margaret Howery was alone in New Orleans. She had moved to the city from Baltimore with her husband in late 1835, but two years later, both he and their infant daughter had died.

An orphan herself, the 23-year-old Howery had no family to whom she could turn. She was uneducated, illiterate, and penniless. Thanks, however, to her years as a domestic servant in Baltimore, Howery did know how to iron. That helped her find work at a local laundry, where, as she ironed, she would watch the children who lived in a nearby orphanage play. Within months, she became friends with the children and the women who cared for them, the Sisters of Charity. She visited the sisters regularly and began giving them part of her wages.

From what Hoggery kept for herself, she saved up enough money to buy two dairy cows for the orphans. Whatever milk they couldn't drink, Hoggery sold to local hotels and restaurants. Her little business grew rapidly, and within two years she owned more than forty cows, whose milk paid for the construction of two new orphanages. A few more years passed, and Hoggery took over a local bakery. As she did with the milk, she carried the bread around town on a small cart, and sold it to hotels and restaurants, giving the surplus to the poor.

Almost all her profits went back to the orphans. She kept little for herself, never owning more than two dresses at a time. When she died on February 9, 1882, the woman who had given more than $600,000 to the poor of New Orleans and built more than half a dozen orphanages received a state funeral.

City newspapers were edged in black as a sign of mourning for the woman dubbed the Angel of the Delta, and on her coffin rested a singular crucifix, a gift sent with thanks from Pope Pius IX. Margaret Howery's life exemplifies how one person's dedication can change countless lives.

Howery challenges us to act sacrificially for the benefit of others, to see opportunities for charity in our daily lives, and to cultivate a spirit of humility and devotion. Her story reminds us that compassion, when paired with ingenuity and determination, can leave a lasting legacy.

Identify a need in your community or circle. Take one concrete action this week to help or support those in need. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, February 10th, for another story of faith and courage in America.