St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is promoting an American saint each month of the Year of Faith. This month, we can be inspired by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized and the patron saint of immigrants.

St. Frances Cabrini was born in Italy on July 15, 1850, two months prematurely, leaving her small and weak. But her poor health proved to be a gift of Divine Providence, along with her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was a popular devotion when Frances was young.

She was denied admission to several religious orders due to her frail health. A superior at one convent, of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, encouraged her with these words, which turned out prophetic: "You are called to establish another institute that will bring new glory to the Heart of Jesus."

Frances earned a teaching diploma and taught in Italian schools for six years before she was asked to direct an orphanage. She and five teachers at the orphanage began religious formation and eventually professed religious vows. Frances, at age 27, added Xavier to her name, honoring the Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier, who evangelized the Orient.

The women received a mandate from their bishop to form a new religious institute. In 1880 they founded the Institute of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The bishop thought the sisters would primarily serve the local diocese, but Mother Cabrini had bigger plans.

She wanted to evangelize in the Orient, but Church leaders encouraged the sisters to minister to Italian immigrants in the United States. When Mother Cabrini posed her missionary dilemma to Pope Leo XII, he responded: "Not to the East, but to the West." New York's archbishop invited the sisters to begin their work there.

In 1890, the missionaries opened an orphanage for Italian children. The sisters attracted other women to join them, opened a school and another orphanage in the New York area. The sisters soon moved to other cities to build other schools, orphanages, and eventually hospitals.

When Mother Cabrini was first asked to establish a hospital, she hesitated. But then she had a dream in which she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary caring for a hospital patient. In the dream, Mother Cabrini asked Our Lady what she was doing and Our Lady replied: "I am doing the work you refuse to do." Mother Cabrini quickly entered her sisters into health care, where they excelled in their work.

When Mother Cabrini died in 1917, at age 67, her Institute had established 67 missions in the United States, Italy, France, England, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Nicaragua. Eight years earlier, she had become a U.S. citizen.




St. Frances Xavier Cabrini's Discernment Prayer

My Jesus,

I have not always recognized

your loving plans for me.

Every day,

with the help of your light,

I learn more of your loving care.

Continue to increase

my awareness of the gentleness of

your loving plans.

I want to follow the purpose

for which I was created

See, I am in your hands.

I need you to help me choose

the best way to serve you.

Walk with me, Jesus.

Stay by my side and guide me!

*Much of this information on St. Frances Cabrini was provided by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which the saint founded.