St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

The Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart will lead today’s commemoration of the feast of its revered founder, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron of migrants. Several churches, orphanages, schools, and hospitals in many parts of the world, including the Philippines, will hold commemorative rites today in honor of the first American citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Born in Italy in 1850, St. Frances was a devotee of St. Francis Xavier. She added “Xavier” to her name after she took her religious vows in 1877. She was sent to New York City in the United States by Pope Leo XIII in 1889 to look after the welfare of Italian immigrants. She established orphanages, and schools in many parts of the US as well as in Europe. In 1909, the Italian missionary nun was naturalized as an American citizen. St. Frances died in 1917 and was buried under the altar of the chapel of Mother Cabrini High School in New York City. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 7, 1946. (Christina I. Hermoso)