Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today, we celebrate the 166th Birthday of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen saint and the Patroness of Immigrants.

Maria Francesca Cabrini was born on July 15, 1850 in Sant’ Angelo Lodigiano, a small town on the plains of Lombardy, some twenty miles south of Milan. Two months premature, she was, at birth and throughout her life, of delicate health.

Her parents were Agostino and Stella Cabrini. She was their tenth child.

On that day, little did her parents know that this tiny child would grow to become a “religious leader, business administrator and spokesperson for the downtrodden.”

Having founded her own religious order in 1880, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Cabrini was always a woman of compassion. Her womaniless was immediately apparent beneath the checkered silk veil and the lace edged headcap she had chosen for her Institute. A bow at the chin and a cincture fringed with macrame’ partially softened her otherwise severe black garb. Her only other adornments were a simple silver cross and a gold ring. An aura of closeness to God emanated from the large blue eyes, which were the most distinctive physical feature of the diminutive Mother Cabrini. Her smile was warm, her manner usually gentle yet firm, her voice high with a bell like quality, her stride light and quick.

Frances Cabrini was very much a woman alone. Unlike the majority of religious foundress, she had not been selected by a bishop or priest to establish a Roman Catholic sisterhood in accord with clerically modeled plans. The plan was her own. The inspiration and intiative were heres and she bore the responsibility for conceiving and carrying out new ventures. She was not beholden to anyone in particular. This gave her freedom of action and enable her to accomplish deeds suggested by her clarity of vision and ardor of spirit. ~ Sr. Mary Louise Sullivan, MSC Ph. D. Mother Cabrini, Italian Immigrant of the Century

: Mother Cabrini as a child.

: In 1880, the Foundress

: With her Missionary Sisters.

Following the exhaustive Vatican processes of beatification and canonization, Mother Cabrini was declared Blessed on November 13, 1938, and on July 7, 1946, she cabrini headps became the first United States citizen to be canonized a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

In the book, “Immigrant Saint” The Life of Mother Cabrini” by Pietro Di Donato, he writes of the canonization day, “On July 7, 1946, St. Peter’s wore a holiday appearance. It’s venerable and imposing pillars were decked with magnificent ancient damask hangings. Countless electric lights and candles were grouped around the pontifical altar…paintings depicting Mother Cabrini hung from the balconies. The activities in the Vatican began just after seven in the morning, when the Cardinals, patriarchs, Archbishops and other dignitaries who were to participate in the canonization began to arrive at the Sistine Chapel. Pope Pius XII entered the Sistine Chapel and intoned the Ave Maris Stella.

“The Pope made the following solemn declaration in Latin: “…we inscribe in the Catalogue of the Saints, the blessed Francesca Xavier Cabrini, ordaining that her memory be celebrated in the universal church on the Day of December 22, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.’”

In his homily the Pope said of Mother Cabrini, “Although her constitution was very frail, her spirit was endowed with such singular strength that, knowing the will of God in her regard, she permitted nothing to impede her from accomplishing what seemed to be beyond the strength of a woman.” ~excerpt from “Immigrant Saint” The Life of Mother Cabrini by Pietro Di Donato

“Religious leader, business administrator and spokesperson for the downtrodden, Mother Cabrini was always a woman of compassion. Despite hardship, poor health and disappointment, Mother Cabrini’s peace of soul enabled her to radiate a joy born of unfaltering trust in divine providence. This total and unabashed trust in God was her outstanding personality characteristic and was the source of an inner strength, which propelled her to remarkable accomplishments in a relatively short amount of time. Some saw in Cabrini the embodiment of immigrant aspirations: to get ahead, to excel, to prove one’s self. Others, instead, attributed her achievements to the zeal of a saint.”

~ Sr. Mary Louise Sullivan, MSC, Ph.D., Mother Cabrini, “Italian Immigrant of the Century”

Time Magazine, this week, features Mother Cabrini’s canonization anniversary:

http://time.com/4380994/frances-cabrini-first-american-saint

Today is the 166th Birthday of St. Frances X. Cabrini

July 7th is the 70th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

To watch historical footage regarding the canonization: