Our Lady of Prompt Succor

I recently read and reviewed Our Lady of the Lost and Found. One of the Marian devotions described therein is to Our Lady of Prompt Succor, who as any good New Orleans girl knows, it the patroness of our city. Her claim to fame here is that the Ursuline nuns prayed to her during the Battle of New Orleans and the outnumbered Americans defeated the British in a battle fought after the peace treaty was signed regarding the War of 1812, but before word reached the wilds of Louisiana. I thought that was the origan of the devotion by learned in the book that it started in France when the Ursalines wanted to come to New Orleans but the bishop said he would allow it only if the Pope told him to. Since the Pope was held captive, he figured that wouldn't happen. The nuns petitioned the Blessed Mother and promptly, the Pope gave permission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Prompt_Succor

In any case, Our Lady of Prompt Succor is the patroness of New Orleans and we invoke her intercession weekly at mass during hurricane season. As Gustov looks like he is headed into the Gulf, join me in praying that he ends up somewhere that he doesn't hurt people or property.