Daily Saint

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917), known as Mother Cabrini, was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint and is remembered for her tireless work among immigrants.

She was born Maria Francesca Cabrini on July 15, 1850, in Lombardy, Italy, the youngest of thirteen children. Frail and often sickly from childhood, she was told she was too weak for religious life. Yet she remained steadfast. She became a teacher, cared for orphans, and eventually professed religious vows in 1877. Three years later, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Mother Cabrini wanted to serve as a missionary in China, but Pope Leo XIII redirected her zeal: “Not to the East, but to the West.” He urged her to minister to the growing number of Italian immigrants in the United States, many of whom suffered poverty, prejudice, and poor living conditions.

After arriving in New York in 1889, she found little help and much resistance from Catholic clergy who doubted her ability to succeed. With tenacity, determination, and great faith, she dedicated herself to the work of establishing schools, orphanages, and hospitals. She became a U.S. citizen in 1909 and died in 1917. She founded 67 institutions across the Americas and Europe.

Mother Cabrini was canonized in 1946 and declared the patroness of immigrants in 1950. Today, her work continues through the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the countless lives she has touched through her vision and faith.