Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Feast Day: November 13

St. Frances was born in Lombardi, Italy on July 15, 1850. She was the thirteenth child of a farmer's family and was educated to be a school teacher.

In her teens, she desired to become a Nun, but poor health stood in her way. The idea however, never deserted her so she sought admission from one religious order to another only to be rejected over and over.  Finally, Monsignor Serrati, saw her potential and assigned her to a small orphanage which had been poorly managed and the funds squandered.  Despite this, Frances attracted other recruits to the community.  She made her vows  and took the religious habit in September 1877.   Eventually, at the request of her Bishop, St Frances Xavier Cabrini  founded the "Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart" to care for poor children in schools and hospitals.    Along with her are 6 other sisters from the orphanage.

St Frances Cabrini's time marked the period of great migrations to America.  In Italy, Bishop Scalabrini, spoke to her about the religious and social conditions of the Italian immigrants in the States and pleaded her to go there.

Even with her frail condition, Frances Cabrini along with other six sisters traveled to New York City to work among the thousands of Italian immigrants.  Upon arriving, they were told that the house intended to be Cabrini’s first orphanage in the United States was not available. Cabrini was advised to return, but determined to establish the orphanage and believing that this was God’s will for her, she refused to leave.  St Frances Xavier Cabrini set up  orphanages and schools for the Scalabrini Fathers; organized schools and adult education classes for the immigrants as well as put up hospitals in New York and Chicago and a mission in New Orleans. She didn’t stop there but went all the way to Nicaragua, South America, England and Spain to set up schools and hospital.  At the time of her death, on December 22, 1917, at Chicago, Illinois.  Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini founded nearly seventy institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, abandoned, uneducated and the sick.  In these institutions, she was known to have an astute business sense and fine administrative abilities.

In 1946, she was elevated to sainthood by Pope Pius XII making Frances Xavier Cabrini the first American citizen to be canonized. One of the miracles attributed to her was the complete healing of the baby accidentally blinded at birth.

Patronage:

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants, hospital administrators, and the Universal Church.

Prayer:

Dear St. Frances Xavier Cabrini,

You who dedicated your life to serving the needs of immigrants and the marginalized,

We turn to you in times of uncertainty and change,

Asking for your intercession and guidance.

Help us to have the courage and compassion you displayed,

As we strive to welcome and support those who seek refuge in our land,

Grant us the strength to see the face of Christ in every person we encounter,

And inspire us to work tirelessly for justice and equality.

St. Cabrini, patroness of immigrants and hospital administrators,

Pray for us, that we may follow your example of selflessness and love.

Amen.

Reflection:

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is a woman of prayer and action.  Surely, she met disappointment and difficulties in executing these tasks but her deep trust in God gave her the strength to continue doing Christ's work.  She always accepted challenging moments in her life with patience and love. And because of her persistence and desire to give herself wholly to God she became a pioneer worker for the Italian immigrants and established orphanages, schools, and hospitals, in over eight countries in Europe, North, Central and South America.

Mother Cabrini is a source of inspiration to women of today.  She is consistent and uncompromising in her faith and values.  By balancing prayer and action whether in taking care of the children, cooking, cleaning the house or working or running an institution…..etc.  Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini proclaimed Christ not only by words, but by example and service as well.  

As we reflect on her life and work, may we also be moved to reach out to the marginalized and offer them the compassion and support they deserve. St. Cabrini's dedication to serving immigrants reminds us of our duty to welcome and care for those who seek refuge and a better life, just as she did during her lifetime.

What is a Saint?

From: Our Catholic Faith (A Manual of Religion) p 394

The model of Christian perfection is our Lord. The saints, who imitated Him steadfastly, are also patterns of perfection. This aiming, "to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy," this seeking to be like Christ - "another Christ," is to strive for Christian perfection.


"the Church,,, is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as 'alone holy', loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy spirit for the glory of God.' The Church, then, is "the holy People of God," and her members are called "saints".


From: Catechism of the Catholic Church p.2013

"All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity." All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that...doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.

From: Lives of Saints p. 9-10

“Saints are human and lovable.”

“It is true indeed that some Saints performed miracles while they were still alive; it is true that many of them could have moments in which they seemed to have no feelings at all. But this is looking at the Saints only from one angle.  The truth is also that many Saints did not perform any miracle while they were still alive, for miracles are given through them not for their own sake, but in view of their service to their fellowmen.  It is also a fact that Saints have intense feelings.  It is enough to look at the martyrs and their unflinching courage.”

“Even this image of the Saints, however, would still just be another angle.  The greater part of the lives of the saint is passing 24 hours a day as we do, experiencing the same sun and the same season as we do…For the greater part of their lives, they are very much like us.”

“What makes them different from us?  Fundamentally, one thing is clear – they have lived their lives fully.  They have found a purpose and have set their whole lives on that purpose.  They have found other people, and they were ready to respond to the real needs of people.  They have experienced God and spent their days in His presence.  In short, the Saints have discovered love and know that to live they have to be transformed into love.  Yes, for Saints, to live fully means to love.  That’s why they are the most lovable humans.”
“….Their love is one, that is the love of God and neighbor, but their lives are many according to their diverse temperaments, cultures, circumstance and historical conditions.  This should be an encouragement for us.  It means that however diverse are the conditions in which we find ourselves, we can still imitate the Saints.  When the Church canonizes a Saint, She is proclaiming before the world an exemplary life which the faithful can imitate.  After all, we, too, are human, and seek to live a life fully alive, fully in love.”