On November 13th, we normally remember St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s feast day. Of course, today being Sunday, Our Lord’s Resurrection takes precedence over the feast. Saint Frances X. Cabrini was the first U.S. American canonized a saint. She was tireless in her work establishing schools, orphanages and hospitals for the poor in the United States and Latin America. Mother Cabrini was born in Italy and took her religious vows in 1877. She had a life-long desire to be a missionary and in 1880 she obtained the Vatican’s approval for a new religious order, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
By the late 19th century, thousands of Italians had arrived in the U.S. and made New York City their home. These immigrants suffered many hardships in their new country. The Italians labored in the most menial of jobs while being treated as outsiders. The prayers of these devout immigrants were answered in the form of Mother Cabrini. Urged by Bishop Scalabrini, and with the blessing of Pope Leo XIII, Mother Cabrini and six of her Sisters landed in New York in early 1889.
Unable to speak English and lacking a place to stay, she and her Sisters endured many of the same problems that her fellow immigrants faced. But, obstacles did not diminish her spirit and within a short time she established an orphanage and school. Her primary donor was Countess Mary (Reid) Cesnola, wife of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Director. I would love to know how our Italian immigrant saint connected to the wealthy wife of an American mogul.
This was only the beginning. During her lifetime Mother Cabrini founded 67 institutions around the world including schools, orphanages, hospitals and social service outreach programs.
Mother Cabrini was invited to Chicago in 1899 to establish Assumption School, for many years the only Italian-American parochial school in Chicago. She also purchased an abandoned hotel and renovated it into the original building for Columbus Hospital. The last years of her life were spent in Chicago. Her health, always fragile, eventually failed as she contracted malaria. As she sat in her wicker chair at Columbus Hospital, the disease claimed her life as she prepared Christmas candy treats for the local immigrant children. Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini passed away on December 22, 1917, at the age of 67.
Now for my personal connection to Mother Cabrini. While attending elementary school at Holy Name School in Houston, Texas, I often would make a visit to our parish church that was adjacent to our playground. I would quickly say a prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and then before departing I would stop in front of the image of Mother Cabrini. Her gentle and kind face was so comforting. By the end of third grade, I had read her biography several times.
Fast forward to the 80’s – my mother had to undergo emergency gall bladder surgery while living in Chicago. Thanks be to God, everything went well. While in my mother’s room in Columbus Hospital, one of the nursing sisters asked me if I knew of St. Francis Cabrini. I glanced over to my mother and she smiled as I enthusiastically told the good sister of my daily visits with Mother Cabrini.
Well, Sister invited me to a special room in the basement of the hospital. She opened the door and told me to spend as much time as I wanted in Mother Cabrini’s room – the very room that she lived, prayed, slept and died in. Among her humble possessions, I saw her habit, rosary, cross, prayer book, worn shoes and soft veil. I was so honored to be in the midst of the possessions of this saintly woman.
My story gets better – my mother’s room was several floors up, but directly above Mother Cabrini’s room. I then had no doubt that my mother would be healed completely. Needless to say, I flew up to my mother’s room to let her know of the miracle and I saw in her face the peace that hope and trust in God brings.
Over time my family and I made many pilgrimages to Mother Cabrini’s room and to the hospital chapel. During one of these visits, I met an elderly sister and learned that as a young novice in Mother Cabrini’s religious order, she met the saint.
Mother Cabrini is a model for us in many ways. In particular we can learn to preserve despite hardships. She had no earthly wealth but left a legacy of institutions to benefit the sick, young and abandoned. I’m sure she was told “no” many times, but she kept her trust in Jesus, and He opened door after door for this small, persistent and energetic Italian woman. Pray for us, Mother Cabrini!