Explore the Saints

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

An immigrant herself, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini served thousands of Italian immigrants who came to America at the turn of the century, looking for a better life. She is the first naturalized American citizen to be canonized a saint.

Frances was born in 1850, two months premature, to a very large family in Italy that grew cherry trees. She grew up with a great desire to become a missionary to China, but had chronically fragile health and was not allowed to join a religious order. She began to work as a school teacher in Italy.

By 1880, she had become the headmistress of an orphanage and gathered other women to join her work, teaching and raising the children. This community of women formed into a new religious order, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and dedicated themselves to missionary work.

When the order was approved by the pope in 1887, she asked to be sent to China, but the pope instead sent her to serve the large number of Italian immigrants in the United States. Some 50,000 Italian immigrants were living in New York City, many of them in poverty, so she left Italy in 1889 with six other sisters to begin their work. Thanks to her remarkable trust in God and sharp administrative mind, their order grew and established many schools, orphanages, and hospitals.

Panel honoring St. Frances on the exterior of Eck Hall

Her order served people in New York but soon spread to other parts of the nation, then around the world. In 1907, Frances became a citizen of the United States, and she died ten years later in Chicago. She is represented in this panel on Notre Dame’s law school building (right).

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants and hospital administrators. Here is a prayer inspired by her commitment to recognizing the dignity of immigrants:

Loving God,
You led St. Frances Cabrini around the world.
By her example, teach us concern for the stranger.
By her prayers, help us to see Christ in our immigrant Sisters and Brothers
And all who welcome them.
By your guidance and Mother Cabrini’s inspiration, may we love boldly and work tirelessly to correct injustice
May civic leaders recognize the dignity of all people and the sanctity of the family
And may our nation and our hearts
Be places of welcome.
We ask this through the intercession of St. Frances Cabrini.
Amen.

Some of Mother Frances’ relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus, while most of her body is preserved at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Upper Manhattan. Frances Cabrini’s inspiring witness to Christ and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who cared for the displaced and poor who came to America as immigrants—pray for us!

Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.