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Mother Cabrini, who came to America 1889 as a missionary, to care for the Italian immigrants of New York, was the first American citizen to be canonized.  Born in a small town in Lombardy, Italy, on July 15, 1850, into a large, devoutly religious Italian farming family, Francesca was two months premature, and she remained in delicate health throughout her life. She dreamed of being a missionary, even as a child, wishing to travel to China or India to care for the people of these far off countries. She first joined the order of the Sisters of Providence in 1874, and was told that she could not travel to the missions because of her health.  But, she continued to follow her call to missionary service, and six years later founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Cabrini was sent to the United States by Pope Leo XIII in 1889 to provide for what was then a flood of recent Italian immigrants, many of whom were suffering from prejudice and discrimination.After arriving in New York City, she recognized the great need for an orphanage for Italian girls, and opened one to meet the needs. In 1890, she moved the orphanage out of the city to the beautiful country location at a former Jesuit novitiate located on the Hudson River in West Park, New York. St. Cabrini Home, which she founded, has continuously provided a home-like atmosphere, education, pastoral care and caring guidance to abandoned and wayward children from then to now. 
Once St. Cabrini Home was established in 1890, she set out to crisscrossing of the world, establishing a network of educational, health care, and social service institutions for needy immigrants, institutions that today provide services for those of all faiths and backgrounds. The remarkable missionary efforts of Mother Cabrini include the establishment of 67 missions--schools, hospitals, orphanages, and convents--from Denver to Chicago, Los Angeles to Philadelphia in the U.S., and at sites in 13 countries around the world! Less than 100 years ago, in 1917, Mother Cabrini finally succumbed to her frail health, and in 1946 was canonized as the First American Saint. Today, Mother Cabrini's first orphanage, St. Cabrini Home, continues to heal the lives of troubled children. It is still administered in the same loving spirit by her order of sisters with the help of lay collaboration and support, as it was when founded over 100 years ago by Mother Cabrini. Their web site can be found at: www.cabrinihome.com  General Description In 1946, Francesca Cabrini was canonized as the first saint of the United States. This Vision Book tells the exciting story of this missionary from Italy who came to America to spread the Faith. She founded a new order of nuns, the Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart, to teach the Faith and work with the poor in our country. She was a tireless missionary who crossed the ocean 37 times to expand her order across the world to France, England, Spain; in Central and South America; in the United States from coast to coast including New York, New Orleans, Denver, Seattle (where she took the oath of U.S. citizenship) and Chicago, where she died in 1917, a saint of our time.  Mother Cabrini Video Additionally the Holy Childhood Association offers a elementary lesson plan, for younger and older students, on the life of Mother Cabrini . |
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Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Cabrini trusted in You and Your call to service. Help us be as trusting and courageous as she was in living her faith and as responsive as she was in caring for your little ones.
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| Previous Saints of the Month Saint Francis of Assisi St. Anthony Mary Claret St. Katharine Drexel Blessed Damien of Molokai Uganda Martyrs Saint Martin De Porres Saint Mother Cabrini Saint Francis Xavier Saint Therese of Lisieux |
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