Saint Frances Xavier Cabríni, the heroine of modern times
Followed the way of the Magisterium with the religious Daughters of the sacred heart of Jesus
Called by Pius XII “hero of modern times”, Saint Frances Cabrini was born in Sant’Angelo in Lomabardia, Italy, in Lódi, in 1850. The last of 13 children of Augustine Cabríni and Estela Oldini, she received in baptism the name of Maria Francisca, which later she added the Xavier, for her love and veneration of the Apostle of the India.
The 11-year-old made a vow of chastity. Followed the way of the Magisterium with the religious Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Athens, she ended that journey at 18 years. Feeling divine vocation, she intended to enter to this religious congregation, but was refused due to ill health.
She practiced as schoolteacher in Vidardo for two years and then three years she devoted herself in her country to the religious education of youth and the treatment of the sick and of those who were hit by the plague. At 23 years old she tried to once again to enter the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, but again obtained a negative.
After that, Saint Frances moved to the “House of Providence” in Codogno. . . She made her profession in 1877 and from there, amid great tribulations and sufferings, she found the first seven companions of her future work.
Three years later, she founded a new religious congregation. The 10 November 1880 lodged with seven companions, a dismantled Franciscan convent, where 14 of the same month, gave beginning to the new Institute, with the inauguration of a chapel in honor of the sacred heart of Jesus. A month later, his work received episcopal approval. Frances counted then 30 years.
While devoted to the companions to education of girls and the catechesis of the boys, was composing her institute’s rules, work of superhuman prudence, which received episcopal approval in 1881 and the Holy see in 1907. In 1884, with 7 years of life, the work already had five houses.
In 1887 she moved to Rome where, at first, only found trouble and closed doors until, with faith, simplicity and perseverance, St. Frances obtained the permission of Cardinal vicar to build a free school for poor people outside the Porta Pia and a children’s asylum in Sabina, in Aspra.
The problem of Italian emigration to North America concerned the then Bishop of Placença, Mons. Scalabrini, who asked the servants of God for some of their religious to go rescue those stranded. But the virtuous founder decided not to respond, because she thought of the missions of the East. Then she consulted Pope Leo XIII who, after hearing Frances, concluded: “No to the East but to the West”. And from that moment it was decided that she would depart for New York, which she saw for the first time in 1889.
Almost 40 years of age, she begins a series of journeys, covering the whole of America, crossing the Andes on horseback, being everywhere known as the “mother of migrants”. She went from from House to house in search of the lost sheep, the sick and children ignorant. Fought strongly against hunger, disease and death itself.
In 1912 she made her last trip from Rome to New York. The Holy foundress of the missionaries of the Sacred Heart died in Illinois, near Chicago, the 22 December 1917, with 67 years of age. Equal to the number of houses that she had founded and I 1938 that climbed to more than 100, with approximately of 4000 religious.
The fame of her virtues and the miracles attributed to her shortly after the death started the process of his beatification, which came to be held in 1938. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on 7 July 1946.
Her body is buried in New York City at the Mother Cabrini Shrine
Saint Frances Xavier Cabríni, pray for us!