The St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan hosted the remembrance Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12, and Tuesday, July 15. Mother Cabrini, whose birthday falls on July 15, is the patroness of immigrants. She was born Maria Francesca Cabrini 175 years ago – July 15, 1850, in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano (Lombardy region), Italy.
“It was the Pope himself (Pope Leo XIII) who sent Mother Cabrini to the U.S. She had intended to go to China,” Father Sheridan, parochial vicar of nearby St. Elizabeth Church, noted early in his homily at the July 15 Mass, in discussing the beginnings of the saint’s mission upon leaving Italy.
He also spoke of Pope Pius XI who in the late 1930s “sent a letter to his brother bishops in Germany warning them and the Catholic people of Germany of certain ideologies which are repugnant to the Catholic faith…Pope Fracis, may he rest in peace, sent a letter to the bishops of this country shortly before his death warning them and us Catholics about the treatment of immigrants in this land.”
Cabrini’s legacy in action
The priest went on to note, “This is a land of immigration. It is evil to scapegoat a group of innocent people and to blame them for our supposed problems…Christian Nationalism has nothing to do with our faith. I pray for the passion of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini to fill the minds and hearts of us who call ourselves Catholic Christians, that we will not be afraid to stand up and defend those who are most vulnerable, most in need in our midst – whether it’s the baby in the womb, or the child, or the person who’s mentally ill or physically incapacitated, or the hardworking immigrants…Sin has consequences.”
The birthday celebration, which drew more than 600 people over the three days, featured a Friday night screening of the 2024 movie “Cabrini” on the lawn of the shrine, with cake beforehand. It also included an 11 a.m. Mass and 3 p.m. Spanish Mass on Saturday – with cake following each Mass and barbecue available for sale all day. In addition, there were talks on Mother Cabrini’s dedicated work with immigrants, as well as presentations on advocacy efforts for immigrants.
“The topics included what is happening today in New York City with immigration issues, practical ways to get involved in supporting immigrants, and a lengthy Q&A to clear up concerns and misconceptions about news reports,” Julia Attaway, executive director of the shrine, told The Good Newsroom. She said the ways to help include writing advocacy letters to lawmakers.
The Tuesday Mass wrapped up the celebration; among the several dozen attendees were Carlo and Fina Treglia, parishioners of Maria Regina Church in Seaford, Long Island.
“Mother Cabrini has been a (venerated) saint in our family for over 40 years; so every year we come here a couple of times to celebrate her in our lives,” Mr. Treglia told The Good Newsroom after Mass. “My mother was very attached to this saint; and she transferred that love of this saint to us.” The Treglias are parents of three and grandparents of four.
St. Frances Cabrini arrived in New York City from Italy in 1889 to help struggling Italians who had arrived in New York during the second great wave of immigration. She established schools, orphanages, and medical facilities in New York and other U.S. cities.
Mother Cabrini, the first American saint, became a U.S. citizen in 1909. She died on December 22, 1917, in Chicago at age 67. Her feast day is November 13. It was on that day in 1938 that she was beatified by Pope Pius XI. She was canonized on July 7, 1946, by Pope Pius XII.