St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants with a feast day on Nov. 13. Sometimes referred to as Mother Cabrini, she lived from 1850 to 1917. One of 13 children, she grew up in Lombardi, Italy. She worked with her family on a farm until a priest asked her to become a teacher. She began the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart at the urging of her Bishop.
Pope Leo XIII encouraged Frances Xavier Cabrini to come to the United States in 1889 and work with Italian immigrants. She was known for managerial expertise while founding numerous facilities in the U.S. including orphanages, schools, and hospitals.
Frances Xavier Cabrini’s work continued in the early 20th Century founding facilities in France, Spain, Great Britain, and South America. She had such a profound effect on Christian life that Pope Pius XII canonized her as the first U.S. citizen to be named a saint.
