St Frances Cabrini- a passionate life

First published 2014 by Cabrini Health Ltd183 Wattletree Road, Malvern, Victoria, 3144 Australia

© Cabrini Health Limited

Mark Davis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Picture Credits:pp16,25,28,37,40,52,57,58 © Ian Scottpp5,15,19,59 © Anne Davispp11,21,23,29,33,43,45,61 © Ian Spencepp13,44,63 © Ged Barrowp56 © Mark Howardp33 © Christine Anderson

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St. Frances Cabrinia passionate life

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“Love, today, must not be hidden; it must be active, vibrant and true.”

St. Frances Cabrini


St. Frances Cabrini: a passionate life iii

Foreword .......................................................................................(iv)

Learning to Love .......................................................................... 1

Hearing Distant Voices .............................................................. 5

Courage at the Crossroads ........................................................ 9

The Paradox of Suffering ........................................................ 13

Loyalty and Struggle .................................................................. 17

Extravagant Dreams .................................................................. 21

Seas of Hope and Mercy ......................................................... 25

Heart Unto Heart ....................................................................... 29

Dancing With Providence ........................................................ 33

Restless Endeavour .................................................................... 37

The Beyondness Within ........................................................... 41

Fire and Ice .................................................................................. 45

Soul Care ....................................................................................... 49

Shoulder to Shoulder ................................................................. 53

Lifelong Becoming .................................................................... 57

Love Interpreted ......................................................................... 61

Bibliography ................................................................................... 66

Contents


It is indeed my pleasure to offer an introduction to ‘St. Frances Cabrini – a passionate life’ by Mark Davis who, together with Cath Garner, has contributed to the formation of our personnel and board members at Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia. Both at Malvern and in Codogno, Italy – the birthplace of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart where Mother Cabrini founded us on November 14, 1880 – participants have deepened their understanding of the qualities and gifts of Frances Cabrini, how she was truly a pioneer in international missionary work, and how she is for us today a dynamic role model to follow in the 21st century.

Mother Cabrini’s pioneering spirit was manifested early on, even before she founded the MSCs, as she grew in discernment, courage and energy, her capacity for relationship, her drive and tenacity. She learned early in her life how to deal with setbacks, blocks and frustrations: a gift she had learned from her deep and intimate prayer life and her loving relationship with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, her spouse and her model. She was a very passionate woman—passionate to help others, passionate in overcoming the difficulties, which were always assailing her, passionate in deepening a gospel spirituality not only in her sisters but also in those to whom she and her sisters were ministering. Through the years, Mother Cabrini had become expert at handling difficulties and adversities, always maintaining her peace and always alert to the needs of others, especially the poor, the marginalized, the immigrant. She had a far-sighted vision of mission and had planted her Institute in eight countries by the time she died.

Foreword


St. Frances Cabrini: a passionate life v

What was her secret? Where did all this energy and insight come from? From an early age, Frances knew how to immerse herself in the depths of the Heart of Jesus and Scripture. She took every problem she had to the Heart of Jesus who inevitably showed her his love for her, how to resolve her difficulties, what he wanted from her, and what her priorities had to be.

Mother Cabrini was always writing in her diary and we are so blessed to have these intimate glimpses into her heart and soul, her passion and energy, her love and zeal. She was truly “a contemplative missionary” and she encouraged all her sisters to be the same. Today that is the same challenge that is offered to every Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, every Cabrini Lay Missionary, every Cabrini collaborator and employee who is called to serve the Lord and his people with compassion and zeal, determination and farsightedness.

Let us continue to seek and establish new outlets for this passionate Cabrinian spirit throughout the world, bringing Mother Cabrini’s charism, not only to where and how the Cabrinian Family is currently, but also to new spaces and new missions where together, sisters and laity alike, can spread our charism and zeal to the people of God. What a blessing it is for us in the Cabrini Family in the 21st century to have such a legacy, a far-sighted vision of mission “to the ends of the earth”!

Sister Patricia Spillane, MSC Superior General 2008 – 2013


“God has surrounded me from my earliest years with his boundless love, encircling me as the waters of the sea surround and enclose a fish.”

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’


St. Frances Cabrini: a passionate life 1

“God has surrounded me from my earliest years with his boundless love, encircling me as the waters of the sea surround and enclose a fish.”


In the gradual emergence and flowering of any human person it is difficult to overestimate the influence of home and family. The remarkable woman who would become ‘Mother Cabrini’ owed much to the domestic circumstances in which she grew up. It was from her family, especially her mother and father,

that she received her personal strength, her tenderness and her faith. What she also received was an appreciation of the value of a stable, happy home – something which she would seek to provide for many of the neglected immigrant children who came her way during her later life.

Her parents, Stella Oldini and Agostino Cabrini lived in the town of Sant’Angelo Lodigiano in the Province of Lombardy in Northern Italy. Compared to many people living in that area at the time, they were materially comfortable – Augustino providing for his family by cultivating a piece of the fertile land for which the region is rightly famous. Yet life was not without its tragedies. In an age before adequate healthcare, child mortality was high and, of the eleven children born to Stella between 1830 and 1856, only four would survive to adulthood.

Learning to Love


2 Learning to Love

‘Maria Francesca’, their tenth child, was born prematurely on 15th July 1850. As there was concern that she herself might not survive, her mother and father saw that she was baptised on the day of her birth. This was a natural response for people whose religious faith was so important to them. It was this faith that provided them with the meaning and strength they needed to cope in moments of great difficulty.

The fact that Frances did pull through, although she had to deal with physical frailty throughout her life, was seen as providential – something that was heightened by an incident which took place at the time.

Local tradition tells us that on the morning of her birth a flock of white doves descended on the courtyard of the farm where her father was separating the chaff from the grain. One bird, apparently, became caught in his threshing flail but instead of keeping it, he let it fly away.

The family home in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano



It was for this reason that Frances’ family always thought of her as a little white dove and why even today, in her home town during the annual celebration of her birthday, doves and pigeons are released as a symbolic tribute to ‘their saint’.

Love and FaithPerhaps the greatest gift that little ‘Cecchina’, as they called her, received from her family was the fact that she was cherished. Her mother lavished great affection on her and was, from infancy, her first teacher. A woman of great personal piety, she gave witness to the value of a life of prayer and devotion. It is said that she would rise at dawn to pray for an hour before attending daily Mass and would end the day with a similar recollection.

Once education of a more formal kind was required, it was initially provided by her elder sister, Rosa, who had recently qualified as a teacher. Firstly at home and later at the private school she established in Sant’Angelo, Rosa took responsibility for her schooling. Some fifteen years older than Frances, she was almost a ‘second mother’ to her and a hugely influential role model. Perhaps to counter-balance the gentleness of Stella towards Frances, Rosa displayed a somewhat stern, uncompromising manner. After their mother died, however, she behaved quite differently towards her younger sister – treating her with affection, warmth and encouragement.

As well as introducing Frances to French, Italian and other subjects – notably Geography, Rosa also took charge of her moral education. Taking as an ideal the style of formation offered to those in religious life at the time, she instructed her charge in obedience, austerity, modesty and humility – virtues that would stand her in great stead for the life to which she was called.



“Let your voice resound and I will go to the ends of the earth to do all that you want of me.”


4 Learning to Love

Along with the rest of her family, Frances was very involved in the life of their local Catholic Church – a vibrant community whose cycle of religious festivals, liturgies and devotions gave shape to their year. At this time, this church community was well served by its priests who were very significant positive figures in the locality and were the first port of call in moments of crisis. In terms of pastoral emphasis, it was the nurturing of faith, especially among the young, that occupied the mind and heart of the parish priest, Fr. Bassano Dedè. Among the many catechetical practices he initiated, two particular strands left their mark on Frances. The first was support for the work of Catholic missionaries overseas and the second was devotion to the love of God expressed through the image of the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’.

As well as participating in the rich devotional life of Sant’Angelo Church, Rosa and her younger sister were drawn to practical acts of compassion and service on behalf of others. This attraction was encouraged, among other things, by the attitude and behaviour of another family member – their maternal uncle, Fr. Luigi Oldini. He was a priest at the nearby town of Livraga and was a man of such transparent charity that local people would say of him that, ‘He was a thief to himself ’! Apparently, it was not unknown for him to take the shoes off his own feet and the blankets off his bed to give to the poor. Fr. Oldini was an important influence on Frances. His selfless dedication to others and his concern for social justice left a lasting impression on her.



“Let your voice resound and I will go to the ends of the earth to do all that you want of me.”


Hearing Distant Voices

The fact that Frances Cabrini became one of the great missionary travellers of the 19th and early 20th Century is nothing less than extraordinary when one considers the cultural milieu from which she emerged. The people of her region were of settled stock, wedded to the

rich, fertile land on which they lived. A spirit of adventure was rare among them and few travelled any distance from their homes – their lives circumscribed and illuminated by the regular cycle of the seasons. Even though Italy as a whole was undergoing great change during this period and the forces of revolution and reform were gaining momentum, this part of Lombardy was relatively untouched by the gathering storms.

From where, then, did Frances get her burning desire to travel and her missionary intent? For part of the answer we must look again to her immediate family and her faith community. Her father, Agostino, would regularly read to his young family from a book describing the missionary activities of famous Catholic saints. Perhaps because of her father’s evident enthusiasm, and no doubt because of the content of the stories themselves, something stirred in the heart and mind of the young Frances. In her imagination she could see herself joining their number, being particularly drawn to the accounts which described the travels of St. Francis Xavier to the Orient, where he sought to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.


“I felt something I could not explain. It seemed as though I were no longer of this world; my heart was filled with glory. I know it was the Holy Spirit.”

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Letters’

6 Hearing Distant Voices

At this point in its history, the Catholic Church was once more entering a period characterised by widespread missionary activity. Right down to the level of the local parish, there was great interest in the foreign missions. Frequent sermons from the pulpit, together with the establishment of local Missionary Societies in support of these evangelical efforts, brought them to everyone’s attention. It is important to note how positively missionary activity was viewed by many Catholics of that time. Missionaries were seen as heroes travelling into the great unknown as agents of the love of God. They were considered to be front line ‘warriors of light’ contesting against three types of darkness – poverty, ignorance and despair.

That Frances was profoundly influenced by these ideals is clearly evident. One of her favourite childhood games involved making paper boats and filling them with purple violets before casting them onto the waters of a nearby river. The violets represented missionaries sent out across the oceans to bring Good News to a darkened world. When only thirteen she is reported to have sought out a Franciscan missionary who had come to spend a few days in Sant’Angelo to express her wish to travel to China in the footsteps of her favourite saint. His suggestion that she talk this over with Rosa produced a somewhat chastening response. Frances was very disappointed but not deterred, storing up the desire in her heart for when the time was ripe.



Even at this early stage Frances was clear about what she wanted to do. Her growing sense of vocation received inner confirmation for she discovered for herself the voice of God resonating within. Although as ‘Mother Cabrini’ in her later life she did not write or speak in great detail about her prayer-life and her intimacy with Jesus, there are enough hints to suggest that it was a relationship of great depth and familiarity. What she does record are particular incidents when the Divine presence was especially obvious.

One such event took place when she was only eight years old while receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Unlike many young people who seem unaware of the significance of this spiritual threshold in the Christian life, Frances was blessed with an extraordinary spiritual experience – that of being loved and cherished by God. It is said that years later, when she spoke about it, she used to make a gesture to suggest that ‘the Holy Spirit had surrounded her with light as with a cloak’. Certainly it was a turning point in her young life, “My heart was replete with a most pure joy” she said.

In the spiritual life it is not uncommon for individuals to have such ‘peak experiences’. What they tend to provide is assurance of the Divine presence in the rest of life as well – the normal daily events which, on their own, can often disguise as much as they illuminate. This seems to have been the case with little Cecchina. Her later writings include notations which describe some of the signs of divine involvement she noticed even in childhood – the avoidance of minor catastrophes; the finding of things at just the right time; the beauty of the natural world in which she found herself.

“I felt something I could not explain. It seemed as though I were no longer of this world; my heart was filled with glory. I know it was the Holy Spirit.”



My Jesus, I have not always recognised your loving plans for me. But, every day, with the help of your light, I learn more of your loving care.

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

8 Hearing Distant Voices

Early FormationHer growing relationship with God was supported by the interest and wisdom of the priests of her parish. From the age of eight she was accompanied spiritually by first the curate, Don Melchisedecco Abrami, and later by her parish priest, Don Bassano Dedè. He, in particular, encouraged her to respond to her inner voice. Whenever she faced some problem or difficulty, or expressed some gratitude for a grace received, he would say “Go and tell that to Jesus”.

Another significant formative spiritual influence in the life of the young Frances was a group of religious sisters called ‘The Daughters of the Sacred Heart’. She first came across them in Sant’Angelo itself where they conducted a school, but what she would owe to them only became obvious after she enrolled in the teacher training college they had established in the nearby town of Arluno. During the five years she studied there Frances learned much that would shape both her view of education and her spirituality. She discovered, for example, that education could be a work of love and that kindness and patience, rather than sarcasm or intimidation were better ways of leading a young person to realise their own potential. She also found deep personal resonance in the sisters’ way of being Christian. Their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus echoed in her own heart and became the primary image informing her interior life.



My Jesus, I have not always recognised your loving plans for me. But, every day, with the help of your light, I learn more of your loving care.


Courage at the Crossroads

Having studied for five years in Arluno, Frances passed her exams and qualified as a teacher. During these years her lifestyle had been very similar to that of the sisters who were her guides and teachers. Since childhood she had wished to be part of such a religious community

and it seemed only a natural progression that she should join their number. The little girl who used to dress up her dolls as nuns when playing on her own in the family home, seemed to be on the point of realising a long-held dream…but this was not to be.

Her request to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart was refused, which on the face of it appears quite startling. After all, she seemed a prime candidate, being later remembered by the nuns for her ‘exquisite gentleness, docility, and deference to those in authority’ – so why was she turned down? Ostensibly it was because of her frail health, but the main reason may have been otherwise. The Superior General of the Order suggested to her that she might be called by God to establish her own religious community in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Was this a gentle let-down offered to someone she was sorry to refuse, or was it a moment of profound insight into the destiny of this quiet, self-contained young woman? Only time would tell...


10 Courage at the Crossroads

It is interesting to note that Frances was not the only family member who had to deal with disappointments of this kind. Some years earlier Rosa, too, had wanted to enter religious life – her preference being to join the Canossian Sisters of Crema with whom she had spent time on retreat. The main reason that this did not come about was the commitment of Rosa for her family, especially to her sister, Maddelena, who had been born with some form of brain damage and required constant supervision and care. The expectation at the time was that the eldest daughter would be a strong support to the rest of her siblings, as well as to her parents as they advanced in years. This scarcely avoidable duty might well have contributed to the feelings of frustration sometimes evident in her dealings with young Frances.

For Frances herself the polite refusal was a profound disappointment, but one which did not deflect her from her heart’s desire. Throughout her later life she would display an amazing capacity, not only to accept setbacks but to turn them positively to her advantage – always regarding them as expressions of the kind purposes of God. This was an early test of her commitment and resolve from which she learned much.

Waiting and GrowingIn the summer of 1868 Frances returned home to Sant’Angelo to assist Rosa as an ‘Elementary School Teacher’ – a title of which, her writings suggest, she was understandably proud. Together they not only offered a basic education to local children, but also worked voluntarily as part of the pastoral life of the parish.



Unfortunately, however, this relatively settled existence did not last for long. In 1870 both of their parents died – first of all Augustino after a long illness and then Stella a few months later.

On her deathbed, their mother had spoken of her particular concern for the delicate health of Frances, but like so many people after her, she underestimated her daughter’s inner strength and determination. Nevertheless, there were health concerns. In 1871 there was a smallpox epidemic in the area and both daughters responded in practical ways to alleviate the sufferings of others. Unfortunately, Frances caught the disease herself and it was only the devoted nursing of Rosa that prevented her, once she recovered, from bearing the scars that commonly remained with survivors.

From another perspective, Frances found this whole experience trying. Although she herself nursed other sufferers, she found the sight and smell of the sores highly repugnant. This remarkable woman who would later found several hospitals, was not drawn to healthcare at all. She thought of herself, first and foremost as an educator, but faced with the overriding needs of others, she did what was necessary in response.


“I wept a great deal… to bear it all with patience would have been a virtue, but at that time I did not understand the value of the Cross.”


Later that same year, Frances left home to take up the post of ‘Public Schoolmistress’ in the nearby town of Vidardo. She went there first of all at the request of Fr. Dede, her then spiritual director, to cover for a teacher who was sick. What was ostensibly ‘two weeks work’ became a two year posting and an important stepping stone in her young life. As well as discovering something about her own capabilities, she also became friends with the Rector of the local parish, Don Antonio Serrati who would prove to be one of the most influential figures in shaping the direction she would take. While immensely supportive of her in later times, and a kind spiritual father to the first community of sisters, his timidity and limited vision, particularly at the outset, contrasted sharply with Frances’ courage and drive.

In terms of her own professional development, teaching at Vidardo was an important time for Frances. She proved herself to be an excellent educator and a great organiser, while at the same time settling on a way of being with people which was in step with her own disposition and personality. Naturally shy and reserved, she was initially not quite sure how to behave towards those she was asked to teach. A first attempt to imitate the habitual sternness of Rosa was not very well received but, perhaps reflecting further on the influence of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, this gradually gave way to the ‘easy naturalness that would be one of her distinguishing characteristics’. Throughout her later missionary life she managed to bring people around to her way of thinking with a potent mixture of certainty and charm.

This determination was put to an early test in the tide of anti-clericalism that was sweeping Italy at the time. The Mayor of Vidardo, Carlo Zanardi, tried to forbid the teaching of religion within the classroom. This slight young teacher courageously took up the challenge, rallying many of the townspeople in opposition and, bringing her own considerable powers of quiet persuasion to bear on the individual concerned, she managed to win the day.

12 Courage at the Crossroads



It is rightly said that the road to holiness is never straightforward and following one’s vocation is rarely a smooth path. In the lives of many great saints there are ample signs of the presence of two unprepossessing companions – ‘sorrow’ and ‘suffering’. What they bring to the journey are opportunities for personal

growth and the development of character, but it is tempting to ask if things could be accomplished in other ways. Hindsight often suggests, however, that such agonising experiences are necessary to the formative process.

Suffering, of course, comes in many varied forms – physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual – and it is clear that by her early twenties, Frances had already acquired considerable experience in this regard. Acquainted with grief through the loss of her siblings and parents, she had also to cope with physical sickness, incomprehension and evident personal frustration – her strong desire to become a religious sister seeming further away than ever. Indeed, we learn that she had made another approach to join a different religious order, this time the Canossian Sisters of Crema, but was again turned down. Disappointingly, this seems to have been partly due to the intervention of her new found advisor, Fr. Serrati, who did not wish to lose the valuable services of such an able teacher and catechist.

“I wept a great deal… to bear it all with patience would have been a virtue, but at that time I did not understand the value of the Cross.”


The Paradox of Suffering


In his defence, however, what he had observed in Frances was something precious and extraordinary and when he himself was promoted to ‘Monsignor’ and moved to Codogno, he provided her with a vital next step on her journey. His lavish praise of her abilities led his local Bishop, Domenico Gelmini, to request that she come to help reorganise a failing project that had become a particular concern – an orphanage which rejoiced in the title ‘The House of Providence’. Looking back later in life, Frances would indeed see the providential nature of the assignment which would prove to be, perhaps, her greatest test.

The orphanage had been established at the request of the Bishop under the leadership of two wealthy women, Antonia Tondini and Teresa Calza, who had provided significant financial resources at its inception. They had been allowed to administer the charitable project provided that it was organised with the structure and the spirit of a religious institute. As their previous experience had not prepared them for this, the women were sent for religious training with a view to their working in partnership with an established group of religious women called the ‘Pie Signore’. However, they assured the Bishop that they did not require assistance and would establish their own religious community of women to support the work. Somewhat naively, he agreed with their request and they went on to establish a group called the ‘Sisters of Providence’.

Growing ConcernIt soon become clear that all was not well within the new foundation as the two women, while putting on the outward appearance of religious life, behaved in ways that were clearly inappropriate. They argued constantly, were less than transparent in apportioning charitable donations and neglected the orphans in their care. Strangely though, despite the presence of such dubious role models, several other young women came forward to join the community. In time these would prove to be much more committed and competent than their notional ‘superiors’ but were still in need of adequate formation and support.

14 The Paradox of Suffering



In accepting the invitation to respond to a worsening situation Frances was understandably cautious. Even Tondini recognised she needed assistance and as early as July 1873 had gone personally to Vidardo to request Frances’ help. However, it was more than a year before she took up the post of Secretary to the House of Providence. With the external co-operation of the recently promoted Monsignor Serrati, Frances immediately set about giving order to the works undertaken by the community and providing spiritual formation to the household. Over the next three years there was relative calm in the House of Providence and the scope of its work developed. As well as running the orphanage, various other educative activities, both secular and religious, were initiated for young people and adults. There was an increase in membership to the Sisters of Providence who, at their peak, numbered some twenty women at various stages of commitment.



“Lord, let this Institute perish rather than allow your Spirit in it to weaken.” St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

Times of TrialDuring this time Frances found herself in a rather unusual and difficult position. She had accepted the habit of the Sisters (taking the religious name ‘Severia’ in honour of St. Francis Xavier) and was undergoing her own novitiate, while also providing formation for the other young women who were joining. In September 1877 both she and they took final vows together, knowing that they would be pledging obedience to Tondini who was clearly jealous of her obvious skills and growing influence. The situation was made more complicated by the action of Monsignor Serrati who, on behalf of the Bishop, immediately promoted the newly professed Frances to ‘Superior’ of the Community. Antonia Tondini was given the honorary title of ‘Foundress’ but would now be accountable to the younger woman.

What followed was a period of sustained and systematic harassment against Frances by a section of the Community. Instigated by the embittered Tondini, she became the object both of a vicious whispering campaign and overt threats – even of physical violence. Attempts were made to close the orphanage itself and even in the quiet of the Chapel every attempt was made to undermine both her authority and disturb her usually calm demeanour. The obvious animosity was so evident that loyal sisters took turns at night to stand outside her door for her protection.

The pressure clearly had some effect on Frances’s delicate health. She was confined to bed with a high fever and palpitations of the heart for over a month. These outward manifestations of illness reflected an inner torment. We do not know how much her own love and faith were tested at this time, but we can see from her later writings that she drew courage from the image of the suffering Christ and received consolation and strength from the urgency of her prayers.

16 The Paradox of Suffering


One might begin to ask why Frances Cabrini put up with the situation at the House of Providence for so long. It seems to have been a mixture of things. First of all she was deeply concerned for the wellbeing both of the young sisters in her care and the children of the

orphanage. Secondly she was, and always remained, deeply loyal to the Catholic Church and its hierarchical structures of authority and governance. She felt herself to be under obedience to the Bishop and would, therefore, wait until he saw fit to intervene in a steadily worsening situation.

This is not to say that Frances was above challenging those in authority if she felt they needed prompting. For several years she wrote to Bishop Gelmini informing him, in no uncertain terms, of the unnecessary suffering she and her sisters were experiencing. Monsignor Serrati added his own voice in support of her concerns, but matters were allowed to drift for a considerable time.

Things were finally brought to a head when Antonia Tondini and Teresa Calza took the Bishop to court over ownership of the property they had originally ceded to the diocese for its use. Perhaps surprisingly, the local magistrates ruled in their favour and the Bishop was moved to act. In 1880, he dissolved the ‘House of Providence’ as a Church institution and encouraged Mother Cabrini to found her own new religious community.

“Lord, let this Institute perish rather than allow your Spirit in it to weaken.” St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

Loyalty and Struggle



EmergenceWith customary passion and purpose, Frances immediately set about looking for another property where she and her companions could live. What she found was an abandoned Franciscan friary in another part of Codogno. It was in a poor state of repair but could be made fit for purpose and so she purchased it with a 10,000 Lire loan from Serrati and began its renovation. Although the new community was able to gain the bare necessities of life through the kindness of other religious women and clerical friends, it was a very frugal beginning. What was required was the sort of hard work and persistence which only those with deep personal conviction can deliver.

Yet for Frances and the seven other young women she named as ‘co-foundresses’ of the Order, this was a time of great joy and fulfilment. At last they were free to follow the desire of their hearts and begin the sacred journey to which they felt called. On November 14th, 1880 the ‘Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ became formally established – an event marked by the first Mass celebrated in the house since Napoleonic times. From that time onwards, as head of this new religious institute, Frances became known as Mother Francesca Severia Cabrini – or just ‘Mother Cabrini’.

Shape and Style The founding of every religious order sees the establishment of a pattern of living for both present and future members. This ‘Rule of Life’ describes both the purpose of the foundation and the way its members will seek to live out their own individual vocations. With the bitter experience of the House of Providence to remind her, Mother Cabrini sought in her ‘rule’ to describe a disciplined form of community life – yet one in which mutual love and respect reigned supreme.

18 Loyalty and Struggle



In every community she would found, her sisters were required to gather for short periods of vocal prayer several times a day with the expectation that each individual sister would also spend an hour every morning in meditation. All would be assigned some form of productive work which was to be undertaken quietly and purposefully. Each evening there was a time of recreation where the sisters would gather and relax in one another’s company. While it might not always be the case, the intention was that the community would live as true sisters, creating a wholesome harmony in which they could live happily together. The rule that Frances Cabrini established was congruent with her own disposition and personality. Some of the sisters recalled later in their writings her simplicity, humility and kindness. She taught her ‘daughters’, as she like to call them, by example – full of determination and enthusiasm, but also possessing a keen sense of humour. Above everything else, however, she was remembered as deeply prayerful and clothed in a measured gentleness.


The world is too small to limit ourselves to one point; I want to embrace it entirely and to reach all its parts.

St Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

Starting something new is rarely straightforward and many religious founders within Christian tradition have had to push against the prevailing expectations or norms of the Church of which they are a part. One of the first difficulties Cabrini faced, with regard to ecclesial acceptance of her new venture, was her insistence in using the word ‘missionary’ in the title. Bishop Gelmini had in mind the establishment of a diocesan order under his jurisdiction whose activities would be focussed on and confined to a local area. While this might appear both controlling and myopic, it should be noted that growing anti-clerical sentiment within Italy during the period of its unification meant that new religious movements often needed the safety and security of such patronage. However, safety was not a priority for Frances Cabrini. She was fired by missionary intent and would not be deflected.

This insistence put her in a somewhat prophetic stance with regard to the wider Catholic Church. Later in Rome she would experience further objections and, indeed, further prejudice. Apparently there was no feminine form for ‘missionary’ in the lexicon of the Church at that time and even if it could be allowed, there was a visceral assumption among the hierarchy that it would never have the same standing as the male equivalent. The later lived experience of the many heroic religious women who travelled the world to share, in practical and effective ways, the love of God for all people, would expose the short-sightedness of such a view.

Only gradually did Mother Cabrini bring others around to support her position – but one after another, they did so. Archbishop Luigi Calabiana of Milan, for example, tried to persuade her to limit her activities to Northern Italy, but he later capitulated and endorsed her endeavours. While always grateful for the help and advice of wise members of the clergy and being careful to enlist the support of the local bishop in all she undertook, Cabrini deliberately founded a company of strong women who, for the most part, stood on their own feet. Nevertheless, this was not a revolutionary movement. She always saw her ministry to others in the broad context of the Roman Catholic Church, never forgetting that it was the Church of her childhood that first revealed to her, Jesus Christ, the heart of her heart and the love of her life.

20 Loyalty and Struggle



Frances Cabrini and her sisters emerged from the House of Providence with the same apparent bewilderment as an emergent butterfly – needing a brief pause to gather strength and yet intuitively knowing the direction to take. They certainly felt a great sense of relief on climbing the darkened stairs

of their new home after all the uncertainty and delays, but there was no time for prolonged rest. There was much to be done and they set about things immediately. The renovation of the property was high on the list of priorities and when some local workmen were not progressing fast enough, some of the sisters were drafted in to help with the building. Soon an orphanage and school were opened – the mission had begun.

In 1881 the diocese approved of the ‘Rule of Life’ which Cabrini had written for her sisterhood and the next few years saw local consolidation with the establishment of several other houses in the immediate area. Another school was opened in Grumello, for example, and similar work was undertaken in Borghetto and Casterpusterlengo. Within two short years, in response to a request from the Archbishop, a teacher training college and school were established, somwhat further afield in Milan.

The world is too small to limit ourselves to one point; I want to embrace it entirely and to reach all its parts.

St Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

Extravagant Dreams


Drawing ForthWith new ministries to staff, there was a great need to recruit more sisters to the cause. Fortunately, the growing reputation of ‘Mother Cabrini’ drew many young women to consider this new type of missionary life. She, in turn, opened her heart and her doors to a wide variety of enquirers. Perhaps gravitating to some who had shared her chastening experience, Frances was willing to take in some who had been refused by other orders – confident she could educate and form them. Nevertheless, there were limits. A whole community of nuns from another foundation wished to amalgamate with the new Order. Frances refused to take them on as, in her view, they were already too set in their own ways.

Within a very short space of time the Institute grew in such numbers that there were concerns expressed about how they could all be accommodated. Those who were accepted were gradually formed into a coherent whole by the attention and personality of their spiritual ‘Mother’. Such was her benign influence that Bishop Gelmini was noted to observe, “never have I seen anyone who has more skill in drawing out the best in people”.

Towards RomeEven during the difficult period in the House of Providence, Frances’s intention was to be a missionary to the whole world, but she nursed a particular personal desire to become a bearer of the love of God to the peoples of China and the far East. In order to do this she had to gain authorization from the Vatican. To this end she set out for Rome in 1887 to seek papal approval of her new religious society. Such approval is not given lightly and there were many obstacles to overcome before she was successful. The fact that it was granted with such rapidity is an early indication both of Mother Cabrini’s deft and persistent negotiating style and that her desire chimed with the evident needs of the Catholic Church at the time.

22 Extravagant Dreams


Within a week of her arrival in Rome Frances gained access to Cardinal Parocchi, the Pope’s Vicar General. Although he raised many objections to her proposal, after a few weeks she was permitted to open a house in Rome and was asked to administer a Pontifical School. This rapid accession meant that by the end of October, with great joy and five sisters, she opened her first Roman foundation. Just over four months later she received the approval she sought with a Decree of Commendation for her Institute. Although this was only the first stage in a long process of validation it opened the door to a wider world.

Later visits to Rome allowed her to make personal contact with the Pope himself. In Jan 1889 she and three of her sisters obtained a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. It was the beginning of a long friendship from which Frances gained both personal and institutional support.

To gain access to papal attention in the first place, Frances had managed to secure the recommendation of Bishop Bonomelli of Cremona, in whose diocese she had recently established a foundation. The patronage she received from him proved doubly significant. Not only did it pave the way for her request to be considered, it also introduced her to Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini of Piacenza – a close friend of the bishop who shared with him a great concern for the many Italians who were leaving their homeland for the New World.



“Courage, daughters, now is the time to show that you are true Missionaries.” St Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

To the WestBishop Scalabrini is widely recognised within the Catholic Church as one of the most important Church leaders of his generation. A man of considerable learning and compassion, he was keenly aware of the political, social and economic context in which his fellow citizens had to live. Particularly concerned for the plight of the poor, in 1887 he wrote a pamphlet for his colleagues in Rome entitled ‘Italian Immigration in America’. In it he expressed his burning concern for the dispersed 28,000 from his own diocese who had travelled to America as economic migrants. He detailed their plight as uneducated labourers, taken advantage of by those who would employ them and forced to live wretched lives in the most squalid of circumstances. As one of their number so poignantly observed “Here we live like animals, living and dying without priests, teachers or doctors”...

Greatly concerned as he was for their physical wellbeing, Scalabrini was also deeply aware of their spiritual needs. In their new land there was little opportunity for them to practice their religion in the way they were used to, and many soon forgot or lost their faith. The local Catholic clergy did not warm to them, partly because they could not contribute financially to Church coffers and thus services in Italian were often relegated to basement chapels – all of which added to their feelings of rejection and dislocation. In response to this situation, this good bishop founded an order of priests specifically to minister to their needs and great was the task before them. Having met and been impressed by Frances Cabrini, he hoped to recruit her sisters as female auxiliaries to the work of his priests. It is clear that Pope Leo XIII was also very concerned about the plight of the Italians – he had already requested a full report on the problem from his advisors. It must have felt providential from his own perspective when he was presented with Frances Cabrini and her passionate desire to work internationally. After some consideration, therefore, he gave her his blessing and a particular task. She was not to go to the East as she had hoped, but to the West and the Italian poor.

24 Extravagant Dreams


In response to the papal commission and the request from Bishop Scalabrini, Mother Cabrini first sailed to New York in 1889 with six of her religious sisters. They travelled on a large steamship from Le Havre in France on 26th March, berthed in three second class cabins. As was later her custom on

subsequent Atlantic crossings Frances made it her habit to visit the Italian emigrants travelling below deck in ‘steerage’. As many as 1,500 were huddled down below on this her first ocean voyage and her heart went out to them, especially when difficult weather brought with it a great amount of sea-sickness.

According to contemporary notes from the crossing, the five day journey was far from pleasant. As much as anything else, it was an education in faith and courage for all concerned as they feared for their lives during one particularly violent storm. That Frances offered particular comfort and strength to her sisters during this time, says much for her own courage and self-possession. For she had acquired, from an incident in early childhood, a visceral fear of water. While playing by the side of a local river near Sant’Angelo she had toppled into the water and may well have drowned but for the intervention of a stranger further down the stream.

“Courage, daughters, now is the time to show that you are true Missionaries.” St Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

Seas of Hope and Mercy



Crossing the oceans to find a better life was the aspiration of many of the Italian poor at the end of the 19th Century – particularly those from the south of Italy. They wished to leave the country of their birth for a variety of reasons; some to avoid political repression after the struggle for political unification, but most simply to escape from grinding poverty. Four out of five Italians at the time made a living from agriculture, but falling grain prices and the loss of markets for fruit and wine made life for many farm labourers highly precarious. Some dreamed of earning enough money abroad to return and buy their own land – even if this meant for an extended period, the fracture of the family unit.

Their decision to depart was encouraged by the activities of dishonest agents who had been sent to Italy to persuade them to come to America with the promise of wealth and a new start. As Scalabrini observed, “They are going to America, where, they had heard many times, there was well-paid work for anyone with strong arms and a good will”. What many found on their arrival, however, was abuse and disappointment – often by unscrupulous fellow countrymen. ‘Padroni’ with malicious intent waited for them, steering them into poorly paid often dangerous work.

Unlike other groups of migrants arriving in New York, the Italians were relatively easy to exploit. Most came from the south of their country and were unskilled and uneducated. They lacked the advantage of being a unified group – recognising allegiances from within their own locality rather than the country at large. Prone to factions and disagreement, their internal divisions hampered the work of any who would try to help them.

Almost two thirds of Italian immigrants were men and there were criminal elements among them who gave the rest a bad name. Often refusing to learn the language of their adopted land they became objects of universal contempt and suspicion. Lacking the wherewithal to fight for their rights they lived in squalid slums where the fragmentation of normal family life often resulted in children being pushed out on to the streets.

26 Seas of Hope and Mercy


What faced Mother Cabrini and her sisters both in New York, and later throughout the United States, was a fearful, vulnerable Italian community…losing hope and faith. One example of their vulnerability can be found several years later during the Yellow Fever epidemics in New Orleans. Of all the communities affected, none were more so than the poor Italians who refused to accept the medical care that was offered to them. Such was their isolation and suspicion that they assumed that the uniformed doctors from the local Marine Hospital were simply out to kill them. It is a testament to the courage of the sisters at the time that they crossed the yellow flags into quarantine areas to persuade their fellow countrymen to take the help offered – often taking the medicine first themselves to demonstrate good faith.

Journeys by SeaFrances Cabrini’s first Atlantic crossing was just the beginning for this ardent traveller. Over the next thirty years she would traverse the great ocean no less than twenty five times. It could be said that these frequent journeys present a potent image of her missionary life. The needs of the voiceless poor led her to overcome her own natural fear and trepidation.

The journeys themselves and the sea’s varied moods reflected the unpredictability of her missionary endeavours. Periods of unexpected turbulence were followed by days of calm weather where this driven, passionate woman could find periods of necessary reflection. Perhaps above everything else, the ocean itself symbolised strongly for her the power, mystery and majesty of God. It is certainly clear in her writings that Frances made these sorts of associations. In doing so she echoed, in her own way, the words of the famous Carmelite mystic, St. Teresa of Avila, who wrote of her own spiritual life as “living on a sea of mercies”.



“Heart of my heart and life of my life.” St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

28 Seas of Hope and Mercy

Time to ReflectFor Cabrini herself, the length of time it took to travel from one part of the world to another was a mercy in itself. Often neglectful of her own health, these ocean crossings were periods of enforced rest, providential gifts where she could be restored. As she herself observed, “How lovely and sweet it is to undertake a sea voyage when one is tired and worn out with the labours of the missions!”

But it is not as if she could be idle for long! From the time of her second crossing, she started to write a diary and letters of encouragement for the edification of her sisters. Written as the fruit of prayer and reflection, they served to both form and inform the scattered members of her growing Order.

Among the many things she observed on her travels, one recurring motif worthy of note is her rejoicing in the beauty of nature – particularly appreciating birds of every kind. Flocks of seagulls passing overhead represented for her the souls of the people she had come to serve, or sisters who would later join her on the missions. Wings were an important private emblem of her own spirituality and the whole idea of ‘flying’ remained an important symbol in the formation she offered to her missionary sisters. She encouraged them to be completely free from all attachments and have sufficient trust to abandon themselves into the infinite horizons of God.



Within every religious tradition there is such a variety of ideas and images that individuals tend to gravitate towards those that attract them or provide particular meaning. For Frances Cabrini, and many of her Catholic contemporaries, it was the human heart

of the suffering crucified Christ that resonated strongly within. She saw expressed in the image of ‘The Sacred Heart of Jesus’, the love and kindness of the unseen God, his passion for all creation, and his chosen capacity to share in and ultimately redeem the suffering in the world.

The significance of heart symbolism to Frances cannot be overestimated. The motivation and the energy welling up within her came from a passionate love for God and a deep compassion for those in great distress – something which led her to profound self-sacrifice. Above everything else, she was motivated by love and inspired by a vision of loving that knew no bounds. Seeing herself as a sacred offering in the service of others, she felt called to make up for, in some small way, the heartlessness of the world.

“Heart of my heart and life of my life.” St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

Heart unto Heart


30 Heart unto Heart

New YorkComing from rural Lombardy, Frances and her sisters must have been somewhat unprepared for the enormity of New York and the scale of its attendant problems. The sheer numbers of people, the mixture of different cultures and faiths, and the gulf between rich and poor all presented a daunting prospect. As she herself observed, “We’re a small group that is swallowed up in such an infinite sea”, but typically, this did not undermine her. She was content to lead her sisters, with grace and fortitude, in undertaking their own particular mission, to the neglected Italian immigrants. But this was already a huge constituency comprising over 250,000 people – a number which grew by the day.

Although notionally Catholic, many were lost from the faith of their birth – something which in Italy had formed the social and spiritual bedrock of their lives. This seems not to have been simply the draining away of personal conviction, but a sense of being abandoned. As lower class, uneducated foreigners, without a welcome even from many of their fellow Catholics, they were served by only five Churches and fewer than 20 priests. Among them, of course, were those sent by Bishop Scalabrini who had begun to provide a supportive safe haven for Italian speakers at St. Joachim’s Parish. It was here that Mother Cabrini and her sisters began a ministry of religious education and catechesis, on the very first Sunday after their arrival. Very soon this work grew into a Primary School within the Church buildings with as many as 200 children in daily attendance.

Mother Cabrini saw herself, first and foremost as an educator and her immediate intention when arriving somewhere new was to find ways of exercising this ministry. The initial focus of her love was the children of the poor, particularly those who, for whatever reason, were denied a proper childhood. In the days before social services, she and her sisters sought to provide what today would be called ‘child care’, then primary and secondary education.



The setting up of orphanages for girls was often their first step. As well as orphans per se, there were many children whose parents were alive but unable to look after them. Mother Cabrini welcomed them all, offering not only shelter, but also education in an atmosphere of affective, maternal concern. For, in her view, ‘only when a child feels that it is loved will it acquire sufficient confidence to better itself ’.

Early DifficultiesPart of the expectation she had brought with her to New York in 1889 was that of establishing such an orphanage, but this turned out to be less than straightforward. As well as receiving a commission from Pope Leo and encouragement from Bishop Scalabrini, Frances Cabrini had also been invited to New York by Archbishop Corrigan. However, perhaps due to the vagaries of communication at the time, he was unprepared for their arrival. There was nowhere suitable prepared for the sisters to live and he seemed less than enthusiastic towards their idea of opening up an orphanage in a fashionable area of the city – a location favoured by Countess Cesnola, a well-intentioned wealthy Italian women who was willing to provide money and patronage for the project.

Thus, the sisters began their American adventure in very unfavourable circumstances. Cabrini’s letters from that time imply that her relationship with the Archbishop took time to cultivate. Heavily influenced by other voices, he suggested at one point that Frances and her sisters should return to Italy. She politely refused and gradually won him over through a characteristic mixture of charm and resolve.


“To lose confidence dishonours God since it implies that God will fail us, which is impossible.”


A New BeginningOn May 3rd, 1889, the Archbishop himself formally opened the new orphanage on 59th Street in downtown Manhattan and five days later the first of the orphans arrived – two grubby little girls wearing nothing but a few soiled rags. Many were soon to follow and such was the evident need in the Italian community that four hundred children were given shelter within its doors in the first four months. It was soon clear that the initial sum of $5000 donated by the Cesnola family would not last long and so Frances had to look for other sources of income. Naturally cautious, Archbishop Corrigan would only allow the raising of funds within the Italian community and as such only small sums were forthcoming and the financial situation was precarious. Not for the last time, Mother Cabrini and her sisters went out begging on the streets of ‘Little Italy’ for money and food to keep their missionary projects afloat.

As Cabrini later learned, what she and her sisters experienced was similar to that of other religious congregations before them. As she recorded, “To succeed in this city it is necessary first to go through a novitiate of extreme want. This has been the story of all religious sisters who have come here”. Perhaps this explains why, in spite of requests to male religious and local clergy, it was left to other groups of religious sisters to offer a helping hand. The ‘Sisters of Charity’ and the ‘Bon Secours Sisters’, among others, came to their assistance with gifts of money and sound advice.

32 Heart unto Heart

Little Italy, 1900



Early fund-raising efforts on behalf of the 59th Street orphanage, were sufficient to keep the project afloat but Mother Cabrini aspired for something much more substantial. She wanted to offer the children in her care as healthy an environment as possible in which to grow, away from

the grime and bustle of the city. Through a quite remarkable stroke of good fortune, she learned that the Jesuits had decided to move location from one side of the Hudson River to the other. Because of the apparent lack of a suitable water supply, they were selling a large property in beautiful extensive grounds at a very modest price. As soon as she saw the place, Frances knew it was for her, largely because it conformed so closely to a property she had already seen in one of her dreams.

Despite the water problem, therefore, she closed the deal with the financial help of some friends back in Italy and the generous terms of repayment offered by the Jesuits. It was an acquisition which proved to be a huge bargain made all the more special by her own discovery of a suitable place to dig out a productive well within the grounds. Within a year of its first opening, the inner-city orphanage was relocated here, much to the delight of all concerned. What remained in the locality of the Italian quarter was a reception house for the growing numbers of orphan girls arriving off the boats. Frances changed the name of the new property from ‘Manresa’ to ‘West Park’, later establishing on the same site her first American Novitiate where new members of her Institute were initiated into its missionary life.

“To lose confidence dishonours God since it implies that God will fail us, which is impossible.”


Dancing with Providence


New Forms of MinistryOne of the recurring themes of Frances Cabrini’s response to the Divine call is the way she enthusiastically embraced each new opportunity that presented itself. While weighing up carefully the merits of taking on a particular project, once she made up her mind she gave herself to it with almost reckless enthusiasm. Assured that the endeavour was part of the kind purposes of God, she did not allow the lack of available funds, for example, to dampen her resolve.

Having started with a particular intention, she found herself being drawn into new areas of apostolic work and it is her flexibility and willingness to adapt which is most striking. As early as 1891, for example, she was invited to become involved in running a hospital founded to attend to the specific needs of the Italian immigrants. Bishop Scalabrini’s missionary priests had already set up the establishment and had initially looked to another order of religious sisters to provide assistance. As they did not feel equal to the task, the fathers turned to Mother Cabrini to take up the challenge.

Her own natural reluctance to involve her sisters in this kind of ministry was overcome by a mixture of personal experience and spiritual insight. During one of her research visits to a public hospital in central New York she was struck by the plight of an Italian patient who had been unable to read a letter he had received from his mother in Italy three months previously. The simple act of reading this letter to him in his own language had a profound effect on both the man himself and the sisters by his bedside – such was his relief and gratitude.

The evident loneliness and isolation of such poor men in non-Italian speaking hospitals, where the poor were often less than welcome, demonstrated to Frances their need for spiritual and emotional care as well as the treatment of their physical suffering. Her desire to respond was confirmed through another significant dream. In this case she witnessed Mary, the Mother of Jesus, undertaking hospital work...in place of herself!

34 Dancing with Providence



Therefore, within a month of receiving a request from Archbishop Corrigan and Bishop Scalabrini, a group of sisters moved into the hospital. They found things in a deplorable state and yet set things in order with remarkable speed. Although not trained as nurses, the sisters more than made up for this obvious deficiency with their attentiveness, compassion and willingness to learn. However, without adequate funding, they were once more required to go begging on the streets. As was also their custom they opened a little convent chapel for their neighbours and were soon welcoming many worshippers.

In spite of the sisters’ best efforts, however, the venture was doomed to fail. Although no doubt well-meaning, the Scalabrini Fathers were very poor administrators and had already acquired significant financial liabilities which they assumed the sisters would inherit. Unsurprisingly, Cabrini refused to accept a deteriorating situation over which she had little control. The inevitable parting of the ways took place within a few months and yet the obvious needs of patients were not neglected.


“The Church and society expect great things from us… and immense will be the good work we all do.”

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Letter to Students’

36 Dancing with Providence

Columbus HospitalMother Cabrini opened a hospital of her own on nearby East 12th Street which she named after Christopher Columbus, the famous Italian pioneer who had ‘discovered’ America. This was a shrewd move as here was someone appreciated and claimed as their own by all Italians whatever their different factions. Some four hundred years after his first epic voyage to the Americas, Columbus Hospital was opened in New York.

It is difficult to imagine the inauspicious beginnings of what was to be, in later years, such a significant enterprise. Cabrini began her first hospital with donations amounting to only $250 (enough to pay the rent for one month) and only the barest of essentials. The single ward consisted of ten beds and the hospital pharmacy, contained only a dozen bottles of medicine, a writing desk and one set of donated surgical instruments. The first patients were those who could not afford to go anywhere else and everything they received was provided out of the sisters own poverty.

In spite of this, there was something about Mother Cabrini and her sisters that made a powerful impression on those they met and their natural self-sacrifice and generosity was infectious. Dr. Keane, the first head physician, gave his services for free and encouraged other doctors to do the same. Further donations of equipment and money were gradually given including a gift of $7000, previously collected to establish another Italian hospital which had come to nothing.

Over time, the enterprise came to a more stable footing as further sources of income were established. The quality of care offered by the sisters must have been admirable for some of the doctors felt able to bring private patients to their modest facility. In doing so they provided a welcome and necessary source of revenue.



By the time of the founding of Columbus Hospital in New York in 1892, Frances Cabrini had already traversed the Atlantic Ocean six times and visited central America. Inspired by love and faith, she was a woman in a hurry and the whole world was the landscape of her aspirations.

Further travels over the next twenty five years would bear testament to the way she refused to let her own physical limitations get in the way of the good she wished to accomplish. She was not content to ‘play small’ for the urgency of her compassion propelled her forward.

The return trips to Italy were motivated not only by the need to keep her early foundations going and to encourage the sisters in their efforts, but to enlist further help and support for the American missions. Each time she would return with more young sisters, chosen with the pastoral requirements of specific locations in mind. The way these needs came to her attention was quite varied. She already had many ideas of her own about the places she would like to visit, but it was often chance meetings with wealthy benefactors or direct requests from bishops and priests that would prove to be the deciding factor.

“The Church and society expect great things from us… and immense will be the good work we all do.”

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Letter to Students’

Restless Endeavour


38 Restless Endeavour

South AmericaOn her second visit to New York, for example, she was approached by a wealthy woman from Nicaragua who asked her to come and open a school in Grenada. What Dõna Elena Arellano had in mind was the Catholic education of the daughters of the rich rather than the children of the poor. In this and other ways, it may seem quite surprising that Cabrini responded with such alacrity to her request. There was, after all, no great enclave of Italian immigrants in the country and her own sisters did not have the language skills that would be required. However, it should be remembered that Frances never thought of her work as being exclusively for Italians and she recognised that the children of richer, more influential families were also in need of spiritual help. Having said this, as soon as the Grenada academy was established, she started making plans to take the gospel message and its practical outworking to the Nicaraguan Indians.

From a strategic point of view, it also seems that Mother Cabrini may have viewed Nicaragua as a connecting link between the two parts of the Western Hemisphere. Not only had many Italians come to the United States but several million of them had also travelled to Brazil and Argentina. What this move also prompted was a renewed effort to look for vocations from other nationalities – native speakers of English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. To this end, during the next ten years, she started missions in several European countries thus giving the ‘Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ an increasingly international character.

“Vast and fruitful are the harvest fields God spreads before you! Work in them with zeal and gather abundant sheaves every day”




Once the school in Grenada had been successfully opened, Mother Cabrini set out once more for New York by way of New Orleans. She had been persuaded to go there by Fr. Giacomo Gambera, a Scalabrinian missionary and friend. Many Italians had gone to the cotton plantations of the southern states of America to seek the type of agricultural work to which they were best suited. However, although many were employed, the wages were very low and they ran into inevitable competition with African-American workers. As hated outsiders they were looked upon with great suspicion and were the first group to be blamed for any public disturbance. In 1891 this found particular horrifying expression in the lynching of eleven young Italians by a mob who believed they had murdered the local Chief of Police – after they had already been tried and acquitted of the offence.

It is hardly surprising that what Cabrini found when she arrived in New Orleans was a cowed and frightened Italian colony lacking in every way. Greatly moved by what she saw, she promised to return and establish a mission having first obtained approval and encouragement from the local Archbishop. Despite a complete lack of the necessary funds, within two months she had sent three sisters from New York to find a suitable house. When it had been found, she returned with four other nuns to formally open the mission. Once she was satisfied they could manage for themselves she left them alone, trusting that they continue the good work on their own.

The mission they established was right in the middle of the Italian colony where immigrants from Sicily and Calabria lived. Among their number were criminal elements that, perhaps surprisingly, appeared to have a great deal of respect for these religious women – even making significant donations to their charitable work.

As far as the mission itself was concerned, the lack of local Italian priests meant that much of the pastoral work devolved to the sisters. They paid attention both to those in the immediate locality and would also travel out in twos and threes into the rice fields and cotton plantations in Louisiana and Mississippi in search of isolated groups.

“Vast and fruitful are the harvest fields God spreads before you! Work in them with zeal and gather abundant sheaves every day”



“Jesus… does not dwell outside of us but within us; his throne of love is within each of our hearts.”


40 Restless Endeavour

ChallengesMother Cabrini’s desire to establish productive missions in South America was not without its initial difficulties. In 1894 the sisters were thrown out of Nicaragua after a change in government and had to take refuge in Panama. Fortunately, Frances was able to visit them without delay and, having assured herself that they had landed in a much more equitable situation, she moved on in customary haste, to Argentina. This journey was undertaken in response to a request by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and involved travelling by mule and on foot across the mighty Andean Mountains.

It took so long for Cabrini to make this arduous journey, in the company of another sister, that by the time they arrived at their destination, the Archbishop had sadly died. Thus the sisters now found themselves somewhat adrift in a city and a country about which they knew very little. Undeterred, Frances sought out a certain Fr. Broggi whom she had met in Genoa a few years previously. He turned out to be of great help, not only providing accommodation but introducing her to the new Archbishop. In this she was doubly fortunate. Not only was she received well by the new prelate, but she also attended his first meeting with all his diocesan clergy and was able to make the contacts necessary to expedite her missionary ambitions.



In many of her letters to her ‘dearest daughters’, Mother Cabrini shared the wisdom and insight she has acquired on her journey of faith. Part of her purpose in doing so was to encourage the sisters, through the informality of this medium, to strive for further personal and spiritual growth. In whatever

difficult circumstances they were facing, she would ask them to remember why and for whom they were living this somewhat specialised, sacrificial life. For, it almost goes without saying, that the good works they were undertaking could not be separated from the inner life that supported them and gave them meaning.

Looking to Frances herself we find a woman who early in her life had fallen deeply in love – not with a good idea or a way of living, but a person. She had accepted the invitation of her faith tradition to seek and find God and, like countless Christian believers down the centuries, she came to recognise, in the person of Jesus Christ, what could only be described as ‘Love itself ’. In the stories of his life, death and resurrection she perceived the love of God for every person expressed in human terms – in ways that could be recognised and approached. This intensely personal discovery was the cornerstone of her life and it found profound expression in a rich interior life of prayer and reflection where she experienced both consolation and challenge. She had known from the very beginning that this would be the most important relationship in her life. Although formal vows were later taken at her consecration into religious life, the person of Jesus had already become what she later described as ‘heart of my heart and life of my life’.

“Jesus… does not dwell outside of us but within us; his throne of love is within each of our hearts.”


The Beyondness Within


42 The Beyondness Within

It should be stressed, however, that Frances’ life-long desire for complete identification with the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ was not simply a sentimental attachment to a pious devotion. This was a much stronger commitment based on an understanding of the heart rooted in the Scriptures. To the biblical writers, ‘the heart’ was seen symbolically as the whole of the human person. Here resided the depth of human aspirations and the strength of will to pursue them. Within the heart was the foundation of all meaningful activity and the place of ultimate decision about the orientation of a person’s life.

Hidden ResourcesIt is often said that faith is more ‘caught than taught’ and it is certainly true that it often needs credible witnesses if it is to grow and flower. Many who knew Frances Cabrini spoke of her in such terms. Beneath her customary reserve they discerned a quality of loving attention which was quite arresting. They noticed it, not only in her dealings with people, but even in the way she held herself when praying in the chapel. Many of the stories about her provide examples of her calmness under pressure, her intuition and her evident trust that all would be well.

Yet, in spite of all these witnesses, we do not know a great deal about the geography of her interior life. She rarely spoke directly about it and even when describing particular spiritual experiences she did so in the third person as if they had happened to someone else. Nevertheless in her many writings, particularly her letters to her sisters, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the dynamics of her relationship with Christ. It is clear that she continued to find her Jesus not only in times of inner reflection but in a variety of other ways. Predominantly through her daily reading of the Scriptures and reception of the Eucharist, but also in the beauty of creation, in the kindness and generosity of people and in the course of unfolding events.



Reading her own account of the crossing of the Andes it seems as if the whole world was, for her, disclosive of God. In recalling the domestic day to day happenings on the journey, perhaps the quality of meals or the kindness of strangers, she sees signs of Providence. When describing moments of danger and extremity, such as when a guide rescued her from falling to her death down a deep crevasse, she discerns Divine protection. In the beauty of the pristine snow fields and the quality of blue light during twilight over the mountains she sees a reflection of the purity of Mary, the Mother of God. Perhaps above everything else she sees the whole expedition, in crossing some of the highest peaks in the world, as a symbolic representation of the call to perfection.


“I can do all things in Him who gives me strength.”St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

44 The Beyondness Within

Light and DarknessIn spite of the effusive nature of her writing, however, it would be a mistake to suggest that the contemplative side of Frances life was all plain sailing. Her retreat notes, in particular, speak of times of personal desolation and a loss of courage – even though she resolved to put a brave face on such things for the sake of her sisters. Nevertheless, the anguish expressed in some of her prayerful entreaties hint of great trials. But even in these times of darkness and isolation, she holds on – trusting in the power and mercy of God.

Those who knew her well may have glimpsed these moments of desolation, but however difficult or pressured the circumstances, she would always return to prayer. She relished contemplative silence as well as practical compassion, seeking the inner balance and strength to enable her to accomplish the many things she sought to do. Indeed, later in her life she wrote about the temptation she experienced to withdraw completely into solitude away from the relentless demands on her time and energy, but this was not her way.

Her own spirituality was a juxtaposition of prayer and action, the roots of which may perhaps be seen in two other forms of committed life. Prior to becoming a religious sister Frances had been a member of the Third Order of Franciscans – a lay group inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi with its three-fold emphasis on poverty, itinerancy and fraternity. During times of retreat she turned to the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola and his use of imaginative contemplation to discern the will of God. This interesting mixture has a particularly contemporary feel as it has found a new synthesis in the spiritual emphases of Pope Francis.



“I can do all things in Him who gives me strength.”St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’

From the point of view of the many missionary projects she initiated and the organisations she founded, one of the most important characteristics to emerge from the life of Frances Cabrini seems to be her ability to combine a passion to help others with the organisation skills to give it practical

expression. A shrewd business brain added necessary balance to the affective concern for those in need.

Although the scope of her work was not confined to North America, it was where she devoted most of her time and energy. From her arrival in New York in 1889 until her death in Chicago in 1917, she criss-crossed the country many times in support of the waves of Italian immigrants. During this time she opened missions in areas as widespread and diverse as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Colorado, Washington State and California. Responding to whatever was required she and her sisters provided education, healthcare, social service and spiritual formation in a great variety of settings – both formal and informal.

All these activities emerged from the drive and compassion of her missionary zeal but they also bear testament to her shrewd and thoughtful planning and her personal charm in winning support from different individuals and agencies. Looking back on the way things developed she comes across as a particularly intelligent and determined woman finding her way in a male dominated world. The fact that she did so without formal training in business or management says much about her ability to learn from every new situation.

Fire and Ice


46 Fire and Ice

Experience taught her that she could not always trust those with whom she did business, particularly when buying property and organising its renovation. She quickly learned to insist on cast iron contracts to protect the sisters and their activities from those she rightly termed ‘swindlers’. Many a person who dealt with her discovered a very strong person beneath the gentle unassuming ways. They were also impressed by the way in which a religious woman, who struggled to express herself clearly in English, possessed such a wide knowledge of current events. It is interesting and instructive to note that every day she spent in the US she would read the daily newspapers to keep abreast of what was happening in the world.

Planning AheadAlthough there is no great evidence of an overall masterplan in her undertakings it is possible to notice some common strategies and approaches. Frances sought to establish foundations in cities rather than in rural areas, partly because of the concentrations of poor Italians and partly because they were spheres of influence. If not already invited by the local bishop into his diocese, she would always seek Episcopal approval before setting up a permanent dwelling.

She would send her sisters to scout the area to assess local needs and would herself pour over maps of the locality looking for strategic points from which to operate. She had an uncanny knack of choosing to buy properties cheaply ahead of a change in demographic that would make the purchases both more central and more valuable than would have been predicted at the outset. She liked to be present at the opening of any new house and would then withdraw and let her sisters take it from there.

Later prudence would see her buying land adjacent to her schools and hospitals with an eye to future expansion. Another good example of her foresight this was the purchasing during the First World War of a farm in expectation of food shortages for her missions.


Raising FundsOne of the necessary activities she took very seriously was the securing of suitable financial support to underpin the missionary activity. While it is true to say that Frances was fired with great confidence in God to provide all that the mission required, she also set about fund-raising with considerable energy and sophistication. As she observed later in her life, “We have no money and yet we spend millions!”

Throughout these years there were efforts to secure sums both small and large. There were normal approaches to individuals which went from simple begging in the street to formally approaching wealthy charitable citizens. Within the parishes where the sisters worked they obtained permission to raise money from their activities. In factories and offices Cabrini sought not only donations but also corporate funds and was happy to undertake commercial loans on behalf of the Institute – especially those offered by institutions established to help settlers.

The Catholic Church also had money available to help missionary ventures through a Roman secretariat called ‘Propaganda Fide’. Some subsidies were given from this source but many were unfortunately refused. Undeterred, Cabrini asked some of her Episcopal friends to lobby for her enterprise when visiting the Vatican. Through them she discovered that her previous association with Bishop Scalabrini had counted against her. The assumption had been made that some of the funds already made available to him would find their way to the Missionary Sisters. Once this mistake had been clarified, further assistance was forthcoming.



“I will try to consider myself the servant of all and treat them with respectful affection, reverence and love.”


48 Fire and Ice

Panning for GoldAlways looking for further help she even sent some of the sisters out panning for gold. This, somewhat suprising eventuality, was prompted by another act of generosity. In 1904 Cabrini recounted in a letter how she had been given half a mountain by a wealthy Colorado woman and was delighted to report that “gold has been discovered there…”. It set her on a train of thought that led to other claims being staked on behalf of the Missionary sisters in other mining areas, such as those near Albuquerque in New Mexico. Unfortunately, however, this form of speculation was less than successful and the prospecting did not yield as much as she wanted.

An approach which had much greater success was to charge the rich for services, such as excellent healthcare or education for their children, the proceeds of which would then be used to benefit the poor. Examples of this kind of twinning arrangement can be found in many of her works. Figures from Columbus Hospital in New York during 1900, for example, suggest that 90% of the patients were treated without charge, while moneys gained from charitable donations and fees from those who paid for its services kept the hospital solvent.



“I will try to consider myself the servant of all and treat them with respectful affection, reverence and love.”


Many of the Italian immigrants who had arrived in New York at the end of the 19th Century dispersed widely across the United States. They not only travelled to the cotton fields and farms of southern states but others also went out west to seek their fortune – or at

least reasonable employment. What attracted many of them was the promise of good money to be made working in the mining fields of Colorado. While some did find their way economically, they faced other dangers about which the local Catholic Church was becoming increasingly aware. Of all the Italians in America at that time they were the most spiritually impoverished. In the scramble for elusive fortunes men were segregated from their families for long periods and in the process lost themselves, becoming isolated, buried and forgotten.

The response of Mother Cabrini and her sisters to their plight provides a good example of their care for the whole human person. Frances had first come to the city of Denver in 1902 at the request of the local bishop to open a school for Italians. From this modest base, the sisters reached out to their scattered compatriots and their families. They visited mining camps throughout the state, frequently going deep underground to meet and talk with these men while at work. Glad of the interest and concern expressed by these Italian speaking visitors, they were happy to share their stories and their concerns.

Soul Care


50 Soul Care

It was through these contacts that Cabrini discovered their urgent need for health and childcare. Working down the mines was a dangerous occupation and there were frequent accidents. Miners were often badly injured, sometimes fatally so, and this meant an intolerable burden on their families – their children often being left destitute. These conversations also exposed the lack of any spiritual support, with many souls disconnected from the faith of their fathers, something which had also been so important to their cultural identity.

Bishop Nicholas Matz of Denver is reported to have said to Cabrini that these poor people should never have left Italy. Her response is telling; “Your Excellency…they had to come to the United States to earn a living. What breaks my heart is to see how often they think of nothing else.”

The Soul of a PeopleAs we have already noted, Frances Cabrini saw the work of the Missionary Sisters as sharing the love of God with everyone they encountered. In her view this meant not only addressing their temporal needs but also involved offering them ‘the consolation of religion’. The sharing of faith, then, was integral to the founding vision and, in an age before the advent of ecumenism, it was undeniably competitive in nature. Nevertheless, it was always seen as a profound expression of love, both human and divine, and was primarily focussed on those who had lost touch with their spiritual heritage.



Frances Cabrini was proud to be Italian, even though she eventually became a naturalised US citizen. She saw Catholicism as part of her identity and her inheritance and was therefore particularly distressed when her fellow Italians were rejected by already established Catholic churches and communities. In response, she tried to make a special welcome for them by encouraging the sisters to open their convent chapels as centres of worship – gathering scattered Italian communities back into the orbit of the Church and prepared the way for future parishes.

In this way she helped to recover the faith of an increasingly secularised people and in many cases it was a long journey back. Many ‘unchurched southern Italians’, for example, had little understanding of Catholic beliefs and practice yet still retained vestiges of a visceral connection to the faith through traditions of popular piety. Local village saints were venerated and there were festivals and public processions to highly decorated altars. These occasions were often no more than superstitious observances but they were welcomed by the sisters who saw them as potential vehicles towards a deeper understanding.

In many and varied ways, then, the Missionary Sisters co-operated with parish priests and other Catholic religious in the development of the local Church. They staffed and opened Church schools – where both children and adults were educated. They visited homes to encourage parents to have their children baptised and return to the practice of their faith. In many cases, their own convents became centres of catechesis where committed lay women, in particular, would come for times of retreat. Such was the quality of these moments of spiritual encounter that many new vocations came from this source.


“Sweetness in speaking, correcting, and the performance of our daily duties, wins over everyone and everything… a spirit of mildness,

understanding and patience should always reign.”St Frances Cabrini, ‘Letters’

52 Soul Care

Prison MinistryAnother aspect of caring for souls can be clearly seen in the work of the sisters within prisons. Not all Italians were people of virtue and among the immigrants, particularly from Sicily and Calabria, there were mafia families and other criminal elements. As can be imagined, there were many Italians in the prison system and often rightfully so. But there was also a significant proportion who were incarcerated through miscarriages of justice so common when authorities deal with a feared and reviled minority.

Nevertheless, whether guilty or not, the sisters treated all the prisoners they encountered in the same way – as unfortunate brothers, still beloved of God. Understandably, their practical, uncomplicated compassion was well received by men for whom the official chaplains could do little, as they were not able to speak their language. By all accounts it was those prisoners under sentence of death who received the most attentive kindness.

An exchange of letters in 1902 bears testament to the fact that Frances Cabrini herself developed a particularly strong relationship with the Italian prisoners in Sing Sing Prison in New York. On one occasion she comforted a man awaiting execution, by promising that his daughter would be taken into her West Park orphanage. Stories of other acts of solidarity and kindness in prisons make touching reading, but, of course, not all of them have Frances herself as the agent of goodness. Many other sisters were similarly heroic in response to this unmet need. Mother Ignatius Dossena, for example, earned a great reputation for this kind of work during her seven year apostolate in the prisons of New York.



In considering the vast amount of productive work undertaken in such a short space of time at the instigation of Mother Cabrini, it might be tempting to ascribe these good things to her alone. However, this would be a mistake. While it is true that she had been given the founding inspiration, she would

have been the first to admit that its realisation would not have been possible without her many close and committed co-workers.

Primary among them, of course, were her beloved sisters – starting with the founding group but quickly growing to include many new members. From the outset there was something about her open heart and infectious energy that drew others to join her in living out what would become a world-wide missionary endeavour. Part of the reason for this early success was that when these young women joined the community they discovered in Frances an ideal role-model for the life they had chosen. The example she gave of humility, generosity and kindness set the tone for everyone else. Her deep prayer life and single-minded commitment to the commission she had received left a lasting impression

Shoulder to Shoulder “Sweetness in speaking, correcting, and the performance of our daily duties,

wins over everyone and everything… a spirit of mildness, understanding and patience should always reign.”

St Frances Cabrini, ‘Letters’


Perhaps most telling was the way she exercised leadership among them, always being prepared to do anything she asked of anyone else. Even as the revered Mother General later in her religious life, wherever she visited a community she always joined in the practical work of the house. Never a fan of complaining or self-pity, no matter how trying the circumstances, she could be very demanding at times, but this was balanced by her sense of humour and compassion.

The affection and support she received in return was clearly of great importance to her. Although very much open to moments of inspiration to show the way ahead, she still required the discernment of others to confirm her intentions. When the prospect of leaving Italy to establish a mission in New York was first raised by Bishop Scalabrini, for example, Frances convened a special chapter meeting of the community so it could be considered by all her sisters. Their enthusiasm for the venture was one of the signs she needed to go forward with confidence.

Presence and AbsenceDuring the early period, when their numbers were relatively small, the presence and example of their spiritual Mother was a principal factor in the formation of the sisters. However, as things unfolded and personal contact with her became less frequent, her influence had to find other modes of expression. As we have already noted, Frances Cabrini lived in a time before efficient global communication and the letters she wrote to them during her sea voyages, and circulated throughout the scattered communities, had a powerful impact on them all. They were written in a heartfelt, natural fashion with a mixture of personal reflections and passionate invocation. But on their own they do not fully explain the bonds of mutual love and solidarity that clearly existed.

54 Shoulder to Shoulder


Perhaps we should look to the quality of her infrequent visits to the different convents to find a further explanation. It is clear from contemporary reports that whenever she was able to revisit one of their houses, she demonstrated great love for all her ‘daughters’. There are many testimonies from sisters of her intense interest in each of them personally, demonstrating great concern for their well-being displaying what many reported as ‘maternal benevolence’. Other little touches were remembered with fondness such as her habit of making sure she was present among them during the evening hour set aside for recreation – often bearing little gifts and other tokens of affection. There may, of course, have been other reasons, but it is interesting to note that although the numbers of Missionary Sisters grew to nearly a thousand by the time of her death, many of them felt a great personal connection with her.

It should also be noted that during her lifetime the structure of the Order lacked a middle tier normally present in large international religious congregations and so everything important went through ‘Mother’. While this had many positive effects, it also had a negative side – for the cultivation of such a strong personal allegiance did not provide a good basis for succession planning. Some of the problems experienced by the Institute in later years can be explained in this way. Her eventual successor wanted to maintain or complete everything as Mother Cabrini had herself planned or intended – something which resulted in a consequent loss of flexibility and vitality.



“God has special plans for each one of us, special plans of holiness”St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Christmas Letter’

Lay CollaborationAlthough Frances wanted her sisters to be the main agents of work in the missions she founded, she was also happy to collaborate with those lay people who were attracted to support the sisters in the good they were doing. This group included not only benefactors and employees but also partners in mission. A good example of this can be found in the development of hospital ministry in both New York and Chicago. At this time, the sisters themselves were not trained nurses but they had all the qualities of commitment, personal presence and compassion to be of great service in the care of the sick.

Although some were also good administrators and careful managers of scarce resources, for a hospital to survive and then thrive, it needed the expertise and commitment of lay doctors. In both cities, Cabrini seems to have been either very fortunate or very wise in her choice of close colleagues. A good number of them, as well as being excellent physicians, also imbibed the spirit of the missionary endeavour. In addition to providing income in the form of paying patients, they also undertook unpaid work on behalf of those poor people who could not afford their services.

As these institutions grew in size and influence, other significant people became members of Boards of Trustees – each offering different kinds of expertise whether legal or financial. The letters written between Cabrini and many of these partners in mission bear testament to a great deal of mutual respect and affection.

56 Shoulder to Shoulder



The establishment of further foundations continued throughout the first years of the 20th Century – not only in the United States but further afield in response to an increasing numbers of requests. Representatives of the Catholic Church in Brazil, for example, had asked many times for

a mission to be established in their vast country. They, too, had a large immigrant population of Italians to support and had been encouraged by the reported success of the Missionary Sisters in other South American countries.

As early as 1894 Frances Cabrini had resolved to send sisters there and had already arranged for a number of them to learn Portuguese. What she now required was an opportunity to visit the country herself, to make contacts and assess the local situation. The chance came in 1901 when travelling from Buenos Aires to Italy, she briefly stopped off in Rio de Janeiro for the first time to have a look around. Encouraged by what she saw, plans were made ready and within eighteen months seven sisters travelled up from Argentina to open a house and establish a school. The place chosen for the first Brazilian incursion was not, in fact, Rio but Sao Paulo which had the largest concentration of Italian immigrants. This was one of the few foundations that Frances did not formally open herself and it was not until some years later that she was able to visit. What she discovered on her arrival was a vibrant and flourishing mission based on her preferred ministry of education.

“God has special plans for each one of us, special plans of holiness”St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Christmas Letter’

Lifelong Becoming


58 Lifelong Becoming

Education of the HeartFor, although as circumstances demanded, she accepted many different ministries on behalf of the sisters, Frances Cabrini always remained a teacher at heart. Framed by her own formative experiences, she saw education as a process of transformation for the whole human person. To this end she insisted that those who taught in her schools, both sisters and lay teachers, would provide what she termed an ‘education of the heart’ as well as a thorough intellectual grounding. This characteristic dimension to her educational philosophy was rooted in her faith and has been elegantly described as a ‘feel for God in an environment of affective relationships in which education becomes an act of love’.

Such a holistic depiction of the educative process has very contemporary resonance for it suggests both teacher and pupil, enquiring and journeying together for their mutual enrichment. The transformation of the student may well take place through the witness of the teacher, but she, in return, is positively changed in the process. It is clear from this that Cabrini saw teaching as a missionary vocation where formation and education coalesce into a unity.



The spiritual dimension to this exchange is self-evident and it is therefore unsurprising that, as well as making a priority of religious education within the curriculum, there were always retreats and patterns of prayer for teachers in her orphanages and schools. In a letter written in 1906 to students at her teacher training college in Rome she writes in glowing terms of the contribution they would make to the lives of others through their chosen profession; “You, my good daughters, in your great mission of education, are the first co-operators in the missionary work of the Sacred Heart and for this reason you are especially dear to my heart...”

For the many disempowered and impoverished children of Italian immigrants, part of the gift provided by the Missionary Sisters was that of easing their transition into the society in which they found themselves. This involved not only insisting on their learning the common language of their adopted country, but also providing the skills by which to better themselves. This aspiration was expressed by one community of sisters in Seattle whose expressed intention was “to form the mind and heart of many poor children in virtue and return them to society honest, prudent and industrious”.

The element of service to others which the sisters brought to every aspect of their missionary work was also communicated through their educative endeavours. Although inviting their students to become the agents of their own continuing education, they were also encouraged to use what they had learned for the benefit of wider society. For an authentic ‘education of the heart’ resounded with the love of God for every human person, especially those in distress.

Implied in all this is the concept of life-long learning and personal development. Mother Cabrini was well aware that life is a journey which, at best, involves a movement towards greater integrity, compassion and maturity. Anything she could do to facilitate this process, not only among her students, but also the sisters themselves and their lay colleagues she enthusiastically embraced.


Love, today, must not be hidden; it must be active, vibrant and true.St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

60 Lifelong Becoming

New HorizonsAt the request of the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Missionary Sisters came to California and in 1905 Mother Cabrini opened both a school and an orphanage. At this time there were many Italians in need of assistance, but they were outnumbered in number and poverty by Mexican migrant workers and their families. Thus the schools and the later ‘preventorium’ for tubercular children she opened in the Santa Monica Mountains, also welcomed children from this disadvantaged group. As on many occasions Frances proved herself to be adaptable, determined and practical, but always motivated to alleviate the circumstances of those who were particularly neglected.

This sort of flexibility was characteristic of her approach to the missionary work. Overriding concern would lead her to do what needed to be done and this inevitably meant crossing thresholds – some of which were in herself. In many ways she displayed many of the characteristics of the best kind of entrepreneur. Careful to read the signs of the times and the potential obstacles in her way, she managed her way deftly through them. Able to operate effectively in both civic and ecclesiastical arenas, she moved beyond established norms where strongly held gender stereotypes often held sway.

By training and disposition an educator and evangelist she ended up providing healthcare of the highest quality and contributing to many different types of social service. In every aspect of her missionary life she displayed a potent mixture of vibrant spirituality and practical compassion…always motivated by the demands of love. In doing so she echoed the words of St. Francis of Assisi who said to his own companions; “proclaim the Gospel at all times…and sometimes use words!”



Love, today, must not be hidden; it must be active, vibrant and true.St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Travels’

November 14th, 1905 marked the twenty fifth anniversary of the foundation of the Missionary Sisters. Understandably, Frances Cabrini wished to celebrate such an auspicious occasion with her sisters at Codogno where it all began. However, she was heavily occupied with

work in California and asked that the celebration be postponed for a year. While her wish was granted, it was somewhat pre-empted by a much more public occasion organised by the Diocese of Los Angeles. On the day itself, in front of a huge crowd, the Archbishop offered a solemn Mass of thanksgiving for the sisters and their work. As well as praising Mother Cabrini to the hilt, he also made a generous contribution to the work of the Institute.

This event was something of a sea-change in the life of Frances as she, very reluctantly, became a public figure. The silver anniversary did not go unnoticed further afield and many good wishes and congratulations came from all sides. Notably, the Italian government, so often a less than helpful partner, now officially praised her through the words of their Ambassador who wrote in a national paper “I consider the illustrious Mother General of the Missionary Sisters a priceless collaborator; for while I work for the interests of Italy among the powerful, she succeeds in making it loved and esteemed by the humble, the infirm, and children.”

Love Interpreted


62 Love Interpreted

This was the sort of attention that Frances had always carefully avoided. She hated the spotlight and would never allow picture to appear in the papers. Having said this, however, there had been occasions when she readily talked to the press – recognising its power to sway public opinion. One such was an interview she gave several years earlier to the New York Sun where she highlighted the plight of the Italian immigrants.

It is estimated that by the time of this anniversary the Missionary Sisters in America had directly touched the lives of over 100,000 of their number and some 5,000 children were being educated in their schools and orphanages. It is not surprising that although they were a relatively small religious group, Italians everywhere knew of Mother Cabrini. Every people needs its heroes and heroines and she was one of theirs. In her turn, Frances Cabrini readily identified with them. After much deliberation she became a naturalised citizen of the United States of America in 1909, willingly accepting the label ‘immigrant’ for herself.

From this time on, it is possible to see evidence of Mother Cabrini turning her

attention to the future of the Order without her. While naturalisation was clearly

a symbol of solidarity, it was also a shrewd act of someone looked ahead with her

customary foresight and prudence. The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of

Jesus had acquired extensive property holdings in the US and much of it was under

the personal name of their illustrious founder. Frances, by becoming an American

citizen, facilitated what would be a straightforward legal transition. In the event of

her death, therefore, the welfare of the Institute would not be put at risk.

On returning to Italy the following year there was a great round of celebrating – not only in Codogno, but also in Milan and finally Rome itself. Frances Cabrini’s great friend and patron, Pope Leo the XIII had died in 1903 and she took the opportunity on this occasion to pay her respects to the new Pope, Pius X. Again they got on well and it was later the following year that the Rule and Constitutions of Missionary Sisters received formal Papal approbation at the end of a detailed and lengthy process of evaluation.



As the person who had written the Rule, Mother Cabrini resolved to make a personal visit to each house she had founded so as to promulgate the Constitutions in person. She believed it her duty to expound to all her ‘daughters’ their inner significance. Thus began a grand tour which took nearly two years to complete.

Just before leaving Codogno, she took time to visit her old adversary, Antonia Tondini, so that they might be reconciled. By all accounts it was a touching and significant meeting, of great benefit to both of them.

The Final ChapterIn the summer of 1910, Frances returned to Italy having made up her mind to retire from leadership of the Order. Always having to contend with poor health, her recent labours had left her particularly exhausted. However, the sisters in Italy, having heard of her intention, secretly canvassed all the other houses and with their full support organised a sort of gentle conspiracy. They elicited the support of the Cardinal with responsibility for Religious, who then on her 60th birthday, asked to see her. She expected that he would relieve her of her office but instead he said: “Mother Cabrini, as up to now you have governed your Institute so badly, I have decided to give you another chance, in the hope that you will do better in the future. You are to remain Superior General.”

All the sisters rejoiced when, with customary obedience, Frances accepted this decision to become the Mother General for life…

The final few years of her life, therefore, were as busy as ever. Returning to America she went immediately to Philadelphia to establish a school, before overseeing the enlargement of the hospitals in both New York and Chicago. When not fully engaged in these matters she found herself travelling throughout her adopted country dealing with a whole raft of issues and difficulties, in Denver, Seattle and New York State.


64 Love Interpreted

Concern for her sisters in Europe after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 also added to her burdens. It seems as though this was a particularly trying period for someone of clearly failing health who would have much preferred to spend her final days in rest and recollection – although, as ever, she made the best of it, reconciling herself to the love and kindness of God.

Various bouts of illness punctuated the last year of Frances’ life and she finally passed away Dec 22nd 1917, in Chicago’s Columbus Hospital. At her death there were over a thousand Missionary sisters active in sixty seven houses throughout the world – one for every year of her life – a living testament to a considerable life.

Such was the love and regard in which she was held, that the formal process of beatification – through which the Roman Catholic Church considers a person for proclamation as a saint – began very quickly. In 1946 she was canonised and acclaimed as the first American saint. Although born abroad, the Catholic Church in the United States always considered her as one of its own. Her image is now engraved on the door of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. But such was her significance to Catholics throughout the world, that in 1950 she was named ‘Patroness of Immigrants’.

We live today in a world wrestling with the large scale movements of peoples from country to country in response to warfare, climate change and economic necessity. It is to be hoped that St. Frances Cabrini will still inspire many people of good will to be their loving advocates, to aid their transition into a better future for themselves and a more equitable world for all her citizens.


Too Small A World: The Life of Mother Cabrini, Theodore Maynard (1945), The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (1990).

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini: the saint of the immigrants, A Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey, Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd. London (1948).

In Weakness, Strength: The Life and Missionary Activity of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Segundo Galilea (translated by Colette Joly Dees), The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (1996).

Frances Cabrini, Sergio C Lorit, New York City Press (1970).

Letters of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, complied by Sr. Ursula Infante MSC, The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (1970).

Journal of a Trusting Heart: retreat notes of St. Frances Cabrini, ed. Sr. Patricia Spillane MSC (translated by Sr. Irene Connolly MSC), The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (1984).

A Mother Speaks to her Daughters, complied by Sr. Ursula Infante MSC, The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (1984).

Mother Cabrini: Italian Immigrant of the Century, Mary Louise Sullivan MSC, CMS New York (1992).

A Light to Guide Us, The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Stella Maris Province (1995).

To The Ends Of The Earth: The Missionary Travels of Frances X. Cabrini, The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, CMS New York (2001).

A Continuing History, 125 Years of the Institute of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, ed. Sr. Maria Barbagallo MSC, The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (2005).

Bibliography


‘St. Frances Cabrini – a passionate life’ was commissioned by Cabrini Health Australia to help make this remarkable woman accessible to a new generation of employees, supporters, friends and benefactors. Its purpose is to look back at her life with fresh eyes, distilling wisdom from it for our time and for the future.

This beautifully crafted book draws both on the extensive letters written by Frances Cabrini during her lifetime, and other writings since. The chapter headings reflect earlier work undertaken by the author to express her charism, or her unique gift for understanding, prioritising and living her gift of faith. They are thoughtful, evocative and present their own challenge for living an authentic life today.

All of the images have been carefully chosen to provide a moment of reflection, to encourage a pause before reading on. We believe it is important to create moments in our busy lives to stop, to savour, to enjoy. We hope this book will provide such an opportunity for you…

Catherine GarnerExecutive Director Mission & Strategy

Cabrini Health

St Frances Cabrini- a passionate life

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