Frances Xavier Cabrini, Teacher & Religious

Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first citizen of the United States to be canonized as a saint. Born Maria Francesca Cabrini at San Angelo, Italy, she was naturalized as a citizen of the United States at Seattle in 1909. She joined the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and their ministry was the Christian education of girls. In 1889, Pope Leo XIII asked Frances to sail to the United States to work among the Italian immigrants there, and Frances left for New York with six other sisters.

Within three months of their arrival, Mother Cabrini had already founded an orphanage and a school. In the thirty-five years before her death, she was to open sixty-seven hospitals, schools, orphanages, convents, and other foundations in the United States, Central America, and South America. Despite a great dread of water, Mother Cabrini sailed the oceans more than thirty times in her missionary work.

The strength of the United States has come from those who have emigrated from other countries to our shores. Mother Cabrini was sent to tend to the needs of these people. Today, we seem to have lost sight of the richness which immigrants have brought to our country.