A woman was the first person in the United States to be named a saint by the Roman Catholic Church

Maria Francesca Cabrini was the driving force in starting 67 schools, hospitals, orphanages, convents, and missions, an average of one for every year she lived.

Born July 15, 1850, in the village of San Angelo in Italy, she was the youngest of 13 children. From an early age she felt called to missionary service. Originally, she aspired to go to China, but, at the request of Pope Leo XIII, she came to the United States instead to work with Italian immigrants.

She Americanized her name from Francesca to Frances and became known as Mother Cabrini. Born two months premature, she struggled with poor health throughout her 67 years. For example, she had smallpox at age 22. Because of this illness, she was denied admission to a religious order. She was considered too frail to endure the rigors of a convent. 

In 1880, when she was 30, Frances founded her own order, the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with seven other women. Nine years later, the Sisters came to the United States, where initially they did not get encouragement from the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Until her death 28 years later, in 1917, she traveled around the country, starting charitable work, in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and other locations. She also founded institutions in South America and Europe. 

Mother Cabrini died on this date, December 22, 1917. Though it usually takes about 50 years after death for a person to be canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church, she was beatified, or declared blessed in 1938 and was canonized in 1946 as the first saint in the United States.

Part of the canonization process includes authentication of two miracles. Mother Cabrini’s miracles both involved healing: restoring sight to a new born baby who had been blinded by an overdose of nitrite of silver solution and curing a nun who had been given only days to live. The sister lived another 20 years.

Saints in the Catholic Church are given designated days in the annual church calendar. Saint Frances Cabrini’s feast day is the day of her death, December 22. Advent anticipates the coming of Jesus, who lived a selfless life and died a sacrificial death. On this day in Advent, we celebrate the life of a frail little lady who sought to follow in his steps.

A Verse for Today

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.