Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Mother Cabrini Tribute Room Opens at Cabrini High School, New Orleans

May 9, 2018

One hundred years after her death, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, still keeps watch at Cabrini High School. Her presence has been highlighted in a permanent exhibit of her life in New Orleans on the school’s Esplanade Avenue campus.

The idea for the exhibit dawned on Jack Truxillo when he became president of Cabrini High School a few years ago and he realized that many of Mother Cabrini’s artifacts were scattered around campus.

A more fitting home was in order, he though considering the contributions St. Cabrini had made in the lives of so many through her establishment of orphanages, schools, hospitals and clinics worldwide.

Truxillo chose a little-used room overlooking Esplanade Avenue and began in late 2016 assembling the pieces which were relics since she either touched or wore them. A timeline of her life was written and the room was formally unveiled on March 13 at a benefactors’ reception.

Among Mother Cabrini’s relics are her habit, cape, umbrella and shoes, a head garment and veil, a fan, a desk statue, rosary, reading glasses, sewing scissors, pocket watch, personal prayer cards, a Canal Louisiana Bank & Trust Company bank book, and an orphanage checkbook signed by Mother Cabrini.

It’s very special and an honor to have these artifacts of a saint who actually stayed, prayed and ministered in this very building,” Truxillo said. “Ourstudents, faculty, staff and administration get to experience this every day, and we want to share it with

the community.”

To read the entire article: https://clarionherald.org/2018/05/03/tribute-room-to-mother-cabrini-open-to-public/

~ by Christine Bordelon of the Clarion Herald

Announcing a Cabrini Pilgrimage in Chicago

January 25, 2018

Embarking on a Cabrini Pilgrimage

From the Province Formation Office:

We wanted to let you know that we are planning our last in a series of Cabrini Pilgrimages to take place in Chicago. The gathering will begin on Saturday afternoon, April 21, 2018 and end on Wednesday afternoon, April 25, 2017.

We will be staying at the Cenacle Retreat Center, 513 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago, IL 6061, and we will visit/tour the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini as well as the Cabrini Retreat Center, in Des Plaines, IL.

The gathering will focus on the principles of Sacred Heart spirituality and practical applications of learnings from Mother Cabrini’s charism and ministry. The content and process of the pilgrimage will be presented by Mark Davis (), Nancy Golen (Director, Cabrini Retreat Center) and MSCs.

The Pilgrimage is both a personal and communal process, with the goals of:

Engaging and inspiring the lived experience of the participants in their connection with Cabrini
Furthering the understanding of Cabrinian heritage

In order to achieve these goals, the experience will offer a balance of content input, immersion experiences and reflective processes.

The cost of the Pilgrimage is $500 which covers all meals/lodging & the program. For those who live locally – a $180.00 Day Guest rate is available, which includes meals, program (no overnight guest room). A $150 deposit is required to reserve your place. Please make checks payable to the Missionary Sisters.

Space is limited. To access the registration form:

Download (PDF, 572KB)

Meet The Facilitator

Mark Davis

Consultant, Facilitator, Trainer

UK/Australia – Supporting and Developing Churches, Religious orders, Faith-based Organizations and Communities

Personal Details

Born in 1956, Mark is a Roman Catholic lay person, married to Anne and proud father of three grown children: Rebecca, Daniel and Jonathan and grandfather to Harriett.

Professional Profile

Mark is an experienced international consultant, facilitator and trainer working very successfully in a wide variety of ecclesial contexts for over twenty years. Acclaimed as a highly skilled facilitator in groups small and large – including the Provincial Chapters of several major RC Religious Orders – he has also acted as a development consultant to various dioceses, religious orders and faith-based organisations with the UK, Ireland and Australia. An established author, he continues to offer professional training in the facilitation of groups.

Central to his work is the creation of interpersonal environments where graceful conversation may take place and his particular interest is in the nature of religious charisms and how they may be shared more widely than their original founding vision. At the moment his work includes helping faith-based organisations explore the legacy of their foundation, often by religious orders and societies, who are now longer able to actively participate and support their on-going futures.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan presides at closing Mass for Centenary Year

January 17, 2018

St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City rang with the voices of friends, volunteers and Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who gathered to celebrate the end of Mother Cabrini’s Centennial year. On December 16, sisters from Cabrini missions in Argentina, Central America, Australia, and all over the Eastern United States gathered in Cabrini Shrine Chapel, greeting each other with open arms, wide smiles and many stories of their ministry around the world.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan officiated at the Mass in both English and Spanish. During the Mass, Cardinal Dolan said of Mother Cabrini, “We love her. We need her. We thank God for her… She herself became an immigrant, in search of the immigrant.”

The centennial theme song from Argentina, “¡Y Emprendemos un Viaje!” and the Cabrini Shrine song, “Go Where I Send You” were loudly sung by the happy congregation.

The immigrant community that joined with the sisters for the mass was encouraged and uplifted by their continued commitment to the work that Mother Cabrini began among us so long ago.

It was a glorious day.

Here is a link to the story in Catholic New York:

http://www.cny.org/stories/centenary-mass-cites-mother-cabrinis-care-for-immigrants,16604

Photo credit: Anthony Jalondi

The Centenary Year Draws to a Close

December 19, 2017

On December 22, 2017, we will commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the passing into eternal life of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini.

“Mother Cabrini had a dream and a passion. She desired to spread the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the whole world. Today the Missionary Sisters along with our lay partners in mission and with the people of God who share in the grace of this special charism continue to live this dream.

“This celebration of the Centenary of Mother Cabrini’s death most deeply invites all of us to assure that her missionary dream lives on into the future. As we look to the future we must have the courage to continue to make Christ’s love concrete to all the ends of the earth, especially to the poorest people who have become discarded by the privileged in our various societies, and to whom no one else wants to go.

“We will continue to live Mother Cabrini’s dream by staying deeply rooted in our love for the Heart of Jesus, through prayer and attentive discipleship to the Gospel, and by giving our very lives in mission so that others might have life.” ~ Sr. Barbara Staley, MSC, General Superior, Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

A Feast Day Message from Sr. Pietrina, Provincial

November 15, 2017

Dear Sisters and Cabrini Lay Missionaries;

It is with great joy that we celebrate the feast of our foundress during this centenary year. Truly, we have been gifted with a foundress and a charism that is as relevant today as it was in 1880.

Our Holy Father, Francis, takes every opportunity to praise Cabrini for her life of foresight in addressing the needs of migrants saying that she is an example of how to treat people with both charity and justice.

Recently our foundress has been featured in many articles including the Share the Journey campaign website and in many talks given by Pope Francis. This should inspire us to rededicate ourselves to a life of prayer and action on behalf of justice.

Our world is in need of healing especially after the natural disasters and acts of violence that have been inflicted here in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Wars continue to force people out of their homelands into refugee camps, risking their lives in boats and through deserts.

What would Jesus do? What would Cabrini do? These are questions we need to reflect on and ask Jesus to give us the courage, energy and strength to respond in a way that we are able to with our time and talents. We are not asked to cure all the ills of the world but we are called to be bearers of the love of Jesus to all we encounter and do our part to spread unity and not division.

Our lives of prayer, sacrifice and service are means by which we can be builders of peace and justice. Let us move out of our comfort zones and give to Jesus our sufferings, prayers and actions in order to be part of the healing process.

Thank you for all that you do for the mission of Jesus. Your sister in the heart of Jesus,

A Gathering to Remember Those Who Have Gone Before Us

November 1, 2017

On Saturday, October 28th, a large bus pulled onto our property in West Park, NY and many Missionary Sisters stepped out to recall and share memories of so many sisters who have gone before us but especially those who have died since 2015.

What a privilege to assist at Mass in our International Formation Chapel celebrated by our former student Rev. Michael Salerno, who shared his special memories of our sisters and all they did for him and his family. We recalled the names of so many of our sisters buried there [in West Park] during the Prayers of the Faithful. Following our Mass, we proceeded to a spectacular luncheon.

The dining room had been transformed into a Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving center. Sisters Aloysia and Lorene with the help of Sisters Marisel, Joseane and Lucia prepared goodie bags for each of us, and decorations all around. The wonderful food was provided by Sal’s Caterers of Highland, NY and the choices were abundant and amazing.

No one was forgotten. We were invited to take food for those who could not attend. (I assure you that was most appreciated!)

After our feasting and animated sharing, we collected our goodies and headed back to our cemetery overlooking the Hudson River. How many memories floated back as we recalled years spend with our sisters now interred in their final resting places. What a perfect preparation for November, the month of the Holy Souls. What a meaningful, memorable day – the glorious sun shining down on us as we gave thanks for those who went before us. ~ submitted by Sr. Mary Ann Hawes, MSC

Mother Cabrini Way Dedicated in NYC

October 31, 2017

The sidewalk at the corner of East 19^th Street and 3^rd Avenue was packed with people in a jovial mood well before 11:00 am on October 20^th. A covered sign had been conspicuously placed below the one indicating 19^th Street with a long rope coming from its corner wrapping around the pole. After months of hard work, this section of street in New York City would be dedicated to Mother Cabrini.

The people gathered were indicative of the Cabrini reach over the last 100 years. In addition to Sisters the guests included a group of retired Cabrini nurses and staff, police officers in uniform, and representatives from a number of NYC institutions including the Archdiocese of New York and Sacred Hearts-Saint Stephen’s Parish in Brooklyn. All of these had experienced Cabrini in some way and were now present to celebrate this momentous occasion.

A brief program led by Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC started at 11:00 am. Speakers of note included Father Arthur Golino, formerly of Epiphany Parish, who blessed the sign, Sr. Catherine Garry, MSC who gave a stirring reflection on the life of Mother Cabrini, and Kathleen Kelly from Community Board 6 who wrote the resolution requesting the City Council honor our foundress in this way. The keynote comments were provided by Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, who highlighted the continuing work being done by the Missionary Sisters in support of immigrant communities. Finally, all Sisters in attendance were invited to participate in the removal of the sign cover. “Mother Cabrini Way” was revealed to a resounding countdown from 10 and cheers from the over 100 people present.

The celebration continued during a reception at Cabrini Senior Apartments, where people could take photographs with the duplicate sign. The community room and outdoor patio was filled with laughter and happy chatting. This coming together as one showed a true Cabrini spirit, which doubtless caused Mother to smile upon the occasion.

To view a Smilebox presentation on the dedication:

http://play.smilebox.com/SpreadMoreHappy/4e4455334f4455344d445a384d5441304d7a6b7a4e5445770d0a?title=Mother%20Cabrini%20Way&image=4e4455334f4455344d445a384d5441304d7a6b7a4e5445770d0a.jpg

Pope Francis Cites Mother Cabrini as Exemplar of Ministry to Immigrants

September 20, 2017

~ reprinted from the Catholic News Service

By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although she died 100 years ago, St. Frances Cabrini is a shining example of “love and intelligence” in ministering to the needs of immigrants and helping them become integral members of their new homelands, Pope Francis said.

Responding to “the great migrations underway today” the same way Mother Cabrini did “will enrich all and generate union and dialogue, not separation and hostility,” Pope Francis said in a letter to Sister Barbara Louise Staley, superior of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which the saint founded.

Mother Cabrini arrived in New York in 1889 to work with Italian immigrants, setting up orphanages, schools and hospitals in nine U.S. cities. Naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1909, she died in Chicago Dec. 22, 1917.

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are holding their general assembly September 17-23 at the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicago.

In her work, particularly among Italian immigrants to the United States, Mother Cabrini “focused attention on situations of greatest poverty and fragility, such as the needs of orphans and miners,” the Pope wrote in his letter, which was released at the Vatican Sept. 19.

Mother Cabrini also demonstrated “a lucid cultural sensitivity” by making sure she was in constant contact with local authorities, the pope said.

“She undertook to conserve and revive in the immigrants the Christian tradition they knew in their country of origin, a religiosity which was sometimes superficial and often imbued with authentic popular mysticism,” he wrote. “At the same time, she offered ways to fully integrate with the culture of the new countries so that the Missionary Mothers accompanied the Italian immigrants in becoming fully Italian and fully American.”

With dialogue and help integrating, he said, “the human and Christian vitality of the immigrants thus became a gift to the churches and to the peoples who welcomed them.”

While Mother Cabrini and the sisters had a specific mission to assist the immigrants and strengthen their faith, he said, Catholics today cannot forget “that is the vocation of every Christian and of every community of the disciples of Jesus.”

On a more personal note, Pope Francis told the sisters, “I assure you of my remembrance and prayers with deep affection, both because I have always known the figure of Mother Cabrini and because of the special concern I devote to the cause of immigrants.

Homily Highlights Immigrant Legacy

September 7, 2017

When Dr. Donald B. Taylor, President of Cabrini University, joined the Cabrini University community he brought with him great energy, new ways of thinking, and new traditions to be inaugurated. One such tradition is that of the Carry the Light ceremony which is held at the beginning of each academic year at the conclusion of the Mass of the Holy Spirit. The candlelight service honors the memory of members of the Cabrini University Community and the Missionary Sisters who have passed away during the previous year.

This year, the Mass of the Holy Spirit took place during a week in which there was much upheaval in the United States regarding the decision of the current administration in Washington to rescind DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an American immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.

Fr. Carl Janicki, Director of Campus Ministry and University Chaplain, began his homily by saying, “Over the weekend, in light of the pending DACA decision, I read this piece: ‘Oh, poor immigrants! Exploited many times by those who call themselves their protectors, they are all the more deceived by the very ones who know well how to cover their personal interests with the pretext of charity and love of country.

‘I used to see them on my visits to those beloved countrymen, managing the railroad lines in the most remote places in the mountains, miles and miles away from inhabited locations. They are separated many years from their families, removed from the Church and deprived of holy blessings, which Sunday Mass brings to the poor workers in our fields. We want our workers to be able to lay aside their hoes, dress in their Sunday best, devote their morning to attending Mass and listening to the homily of God. Then they have the entire day to devote to family and to honorable diversions and can, on the following day, resume work with a rejuvenated spirit.’” Good Christians and Good Citizens ~ Sr. Maria Barbagallo, MSC

. Carl continued, “Mother Cabrini wrote [these words] in 1906 about passing through and around Denver while riding on the Santa Fe Railway to Los Angeles. Care of migrants and refugees is in our DNA. Mother Cabrini has set the path, a way for us to imitate and advance her legacy. For Cabrini, the bar is set high and the expectation great because of the work of our namesake. We have to ask ourselves, how do I provide welcome and sustenance; charity and justice, love of God and neighbor? Now is our opportunity to follow Mother Cabrini’s example and advance her legacy.”

Mother Cabrini Shrine Hosts Gala and Summer Bazaar

July 17, 2017

With spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and the city of Denver, the 16^th Annual Mother Cabrini Shrine Gala took place at the Pinnacle Club at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver on Friday, June 23, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The near sold-out crowd enjoyed a wonderful evening that included a silent and live auction, raffle and dinner all in support of Mother Cabrini Shrine. Jeff Lewis, Shrine administrator, introduced the Missionary Sisters in attendance and gave a short presentation of the Shrine’s mission statement and ministry and explained that the purpose of the gala was to further support these efforts.

The Company for Cabrini Award was given to Spero Winery. Clyde and June Spero have a long history with the Shrine and the Missionary Sisters. They also host a wine tasting and dinner each November with all proceeds going to the Shrine.

The Spirit of Cabrini Award was given to The Dire Family, in memory of Mike and Lorraine Dire. For many years, the Dires coordinated a weekly bingo to help the Shrine financially. Lorraine’s parents lived in North Denver and met Mother Cabrini when they repaired her shoes at their family business.

The money raised at the gala is used for the operations, maintenance and special projects of the Shrine and it helps us continue our ministry and the great legacy of St. Frances Cabrini. We are so grateful to everyone has supported this event over the years.

The Mother Cabrini Shrine Summer Feast and Bazaar took place July 15 & 16 and was a celebration in honor of the birth of St. Frances Cabrini and her canonization. It was a faith and fun-filled weekend with Masses, rosary processions, Spanish Dancers, food booths, games, handmade craft items. Spanish Dancers entertained all with their dancing and beautiful costumes. A dove release in Cabrini Gardens was a special addition to the weekend as we honored Mother Cabrini’s life and ministry.

Bishop Jorge Rodriguez, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass in English and the 2 p.m. Mass in Spanish and both services filled the chapel to capacity and then some. It was a beautiful weekend of celebration.