Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini also known as Mother Cabrini. The impact of Mother Cabrini’s service is tremendous and like many of the saints, she endured illness throughout her lifetime yet never wavered in her missionary work – her lifelong calling.
Mother Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. She desired to live a consecrated life, but due to her health issues she was denied. At the age of 18, Frances received her teaching certificate and began teaching at a nearby village where people noticed her ability to win the children over with her love and kindness. With the recognition of a local priest, her desires came into fruition, and she began to live out her call as a nun.
By the late 1800’s a large influx of Italian immigrants flooded the United States, and their arrival was met with discrimination, meager wages and poor living conditions wrecked with disease. At this point, Mother Cabrini was called to serve those Italian families in New York. From there, Saint Frances established schools, hospitals and embodied the undying truth of each human person being made in the image and likeness of God.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for the people of the Diocese of Cheyenne – may we, too, acknowledge and honor the human dignity of all people, especially those whom we perceive as different from us.
