With the release of the new film Cabrini, many people are beginning to learn about the first US citizen to be declared a saint. “Mother Cabrini,” as she was known for decades, was born Maria Frances Cabrini in what is now northern Italy. Originally working as a teacher, Maria Frances felt drawn to the life of a missionary. Rejected by the community of nuns that taught her, Cabrini founded her own religious order - the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She added “Xavier” to her name to honor the great Jesuit missionary of Japan, St. Francis Xavier.
Like her patron, Mother Frances wanted to travel to the Far East and start a mission in China. When she went to Rome to request permission, Pope Leo XIII asked her to change her plans and “go west.” The Holy Father wanted Mother Cabrini and her sisters to care for the growing number of Italian immigrants who were flocking to the United States. With humility and determination (and despite a life-long fear of water), Frances sailed to the “new world” and came to New York in 1889.
“Wherever the sisters traveled, they became a voice for those who had no say in society...”
For almost 30 years, Mother Cabrini and her Missionary Sisters cared for the needs of immigrants from Italy. Her community provided healthcare, housing, and spiritual care to thousands of people in cities around the country. Wherever the sisters traveled, they became a voice for those who had no say in society and defenders of those lost in the complicated systems of modern life. Mother Cabrini became a naturalized citizen in 1909 and was recognized as a leader in the Church and in the city. She died in 1917 and was officially declared a saint in 1946. Mother Cabrini was given the title of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and was officially named “patroness of immigrants” a few years later.
The film “Cabrini is a powerful reminder of the role of women in the church and in the history of our nation. I thought it appropriate that the film was released in March, the month when our culture celebrates Women's History Month as well as the contributions of Irish Americans. Both St. Francis Cabrini and St. Patrick remind us of the countless gifts that Italians, Irish, and people from all over the world have brought to the “melting pot” of America. Historians and ordinary citizens agree that one of the greatest gifts our forefathers and mothers brought to this nation was their faith. One of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini’s spiritual daughters summarized these gifts, writing: “Some saw in Cabrini the embodiment of immigrant aspirations: to get ahead, to excel, to prove one’s self. Yet others attributed her achievements to the special zeal of a saint.” (Sr. Mary Louise Sullivan, MSC, Mother Cabrini: Italian Immigrant of the Century). To this day, the Missionary Sisters embody the immigrant spirit and the spirit of St. Francis Cabrini. The community constitutions state: “No work will be too difficult, no land too distant, no person too wounded for the love of the Heart of Jesus and for all those invited to be bearers of the love of Christ in the world.”
Even in this new century, even though we are a “country of immigrants,” our nation continues to struggle with accepting newcomers. Let us look to St. Patrick, St. Frances Cabrini, and so many holy men and women who came before us, to help us open our heart – and our home - to welcome the stranger, to find the lost, and to support all God’s children.
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
