November 13 is the feast of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850 – 1917), commonly known as “Mother Cabrini”. She is the first American citizen to be canonized a saint. Her profound trust in God and her perseverance gave her the strength to answer the call of God.

Mother Cabrini: Religious Vocation

Born in Lombardy, Italy in 1850, Frances desired to be a missionary in China. Twice, she attempted to enter the religious congregation that had educated her, but was turned down due to poor health. Eventually, she became a teacher and consecrated her life to God through a private vow of virginity.

Then, in 1877, she made her vows and took the religious habit. At that time, she became Mother Cabrini adding Xavier to her name.

Mother Cabrini: Foundress

In 1880, Mother Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Her goal was to do missionary work in China, but Pope Leo XIII advised her to go “not to the east, but to the west.”  Also, a great bishop —Blessed Giovanni Battista Scalabrini — encouraged her to take her sisters to the “Little Italies” of the United States — Boston and New York.  For, it is there she would serve the Italian immigrants who were struggling to survive.

Mother Cabrini: Helper to the Poor and Italian Immigrants

In 1889, she set out for the United States and arrived in New York. There she and six other Sisters worked with the poor, especially with Italian immigrants. Over the next 28 years, she founded numerous schools, hospitals, and orphanages.

Mother Cabrini was not a strong person physically, but she had a great inner strength. She had an unbending belief and trust in God. Throughout her life and in all her many undertakings, she always knew that God would provide for her and the missions she founded.

Mother Cabrini: Her Motivation

Like her modern day prodigy St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Cabrini saw Jesus in every poor man, woman and child.  Her humility and love for God motivated her to go begging in the streets for the poor and to live among them. Through alleys, she went in search of little hungry children who were homeless and friendless. She was the Mother who provided for all their needs. It was the love that she had for God which inspired her to care for His children.

Mother Cabrini: American Citizen

In 1909, she became an American citizen. She died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago on December 22, 1917. Her remains are laid to rest in Mother Cabrini High School the Bronx, New York, which is now a place of pilgrimage.

Mother Cabrini was beatified in 1938 and canonized a saint in 1946. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patron saint of hospitals, immigrants, and orphans.

In thirty-five years, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini founded sixty-seven missions. These included schools, hospitals, orphanages and child-care centers throughout the United States and England, France, Spain, and South America.

Mother Cabrini Quote

“Do not be satisfied with loving God by yourselves alone; make all those around you love him also, and pray that everyone will love Him.”

The post Mother Cabrini: Foundress and First American Saint appeared first on Jean M. Heimann.