October 9: Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is October 9th, and our story is Our Lady of Prompt Sucker. War was coming to New Orleans. For weeks, British ships sat anchored in the Gulf of Mexico, not far from Lake Pontchartrain, while British troops camped south of the city. American forces tried once to repel them, but failed. So, they strengthened the city's fortifications instead and waited for the British to attack.

Before dawn on January 8, 1815, the waiting ended. On the eve of the Battle of New Orleans, the city's women fled to the Ursuline Convent on Charter Street. There, they joined the sisters and priests keeping vigil before the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

As the day wore on, the Ursuline Prioress vowed to have a mass of thanksgiving offered every year, if only Our Lady would spare their city. Just moments later, the sisters learned that the British were beating a fast retreat.

U.S. Commander General Andrew Jackson had routed them successfully. American casualties numbered 71. British casualties surpassed 2,000. When hostilities ended, weeks later, Jackson went to the convent and thanked the sisters for their prayers, crediting his victory to heavenly intercession. For the rest of Jackson's life, whenever he came to New Orleans, he never failed to visit the sisters on Chartres Street. The Battle of New Orleans, however, was only one of many times the Ursulines came to the city's aid. They were the first order of women religious to settle in the present-day United States, and arrived in New Orleans in 1727.

Immediately, they began caring for the city's poor at the Royal Hospital and opened a school for girls. They welcomed all students, black, white, and Native American. Nearly 300 years later, the Ursuline sisters continue their mission of educating the young women of New Orleans through Ursuline Academy. Likewise, their convent on Chartres Street still stands, although it no longer houses the Ursuline Sisters. Today, it belongs to the Archdiocese's Catholic Heritage Center.

Declared a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960, the old Ursuline Convent is purportedly the oldest existing building in the Mississippi River Valley. The story reminds us that courage and prayer are often inseparable. Faith empowers action and fosters resilience in times of crisis. Pray today for protection or guidance for someone facing difficulty, committing the outcome to God's care.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, October 10th, for another story of faith and courage in America.