Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today (it’s my 4th wedding anniversary today) Happy feast day to all Deacons, Seminarians, Priests, Bishops, Monks, Nuns, Reverend Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all named Frances and parents of all named Frances Happy feast day to all those devoted to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini Happy feast day to all Children of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially all who recite the Holy Rosary in Her honour Happy feast day to all Virgins and parents of Virgins Happy feast day to all devout Parents especially those who teach their Children the Catholic faith and teachings. Happy feast day to all blessed with the virtues of humility, obedience and love of neighbour Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today (November 13) marks the Feast of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini She is popularly called Mother Cabrini She was one of 13 children and was born on a farm in Italy around 1850. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born on July 15, 1850 in SantAngelo Lodigiano, in the Lodi region in Lombardy, Italy. She was born into a poor family and the youngest of thirteen children where only four, including herself, survived Her parents, Agostino Cabrini and Stella Oldini managed to instill important values on their children always following Gods intention. The family was enriched with the Catholic faith and a devout love in God Frances was born a frail and weak child always becoming susceptible to illness. She was usually tended to by her equally devout sister, Rosa who was fifteen years her senior. It was from Rosa and her Uncle Don Luigi Oldini of Livagra, a local priest, where Frances trained and practiced on becoming a faithful Catholic. Frances completed her primary schooling under her sister Rosa who at this time was the village schoolmistress. One of the most extraordinary events of Frances Cabrinis life was the day she received confirmation. On August 1, 1858 while still only a little girl of eight, Frances was anointed with the chrism and it was at that moment, she received the special grace of being forever seduced by God. This began her intense training of becoming a good Christian. Obedience was the way Frances could reach God and strict discipline was her answer to be closer to God. Rosa was the instructor for Frances instilling on her such values as humility, modesty and obedience. Frances copied her elder sister Rosa and continued this until it was like second nature to her. Frances felt the more humble she became the closer she was with Jesus. At nine years old, Frances was allowed to make her first communion. This receiving of the sacrament elevated her desire to be with Jesus and soon after she joined the Daughters of Mary. It was about this time that Frances wanted to become a missionary and help in China. When she brought this idea up to her elder sister Rosa, she scolded Frances by saying You, so little and ignorant, how dare you think of becoming a missionary? This was the type of treatment that Frances received to make her more humble and humiliated. These ill treatments she frequently received trained her to no longer have her own self-will rather to allow Jesus to tell her where to go and how to go about things. Another one of Frances steps was to take an annual vow of virginity which she did at thirteen and was made permanent when she reached the age of eighteen. On her fifteenth birthday she had to obtain a spiritual director. She chose a Father Dede whom was her Pastor. She did this by stating Because God wants it. Her parents died when she was 18 years old After falling victim to smallpox illness in 1872, she was denied admission to enter the Daughters of the Sacred Heart because she was too frail. It was felt that if she was admitted she may not endure the demands of the religious life. Confused, Frances began teaching in the Village of Vidardo, where in 1874, Don Antonio Serrati persuaded her to begin to work at the House of Providence orphanage in Codono. The woman who trained this orphanage were the Sisters of Nazareth. After three years there, she took religious vows and was then appointed Superior to the orphanage. Frances Cabrini took religious vows in 1877 and added Xavier to her name to honor the Jesuit Saint, Francis Xavier. The orphanage was closed in 1880 by Bishop Domenico Gelmini and she began under his direction an institute of missionary sisters with seven young girls. This foundation was approved by Rome on March 12, 1888. After this she began to grow into the Saint that is so remembered today. The active, selfless, courageous, loving and obedient Mother Cabrini that was sainted and canonized for all of her good work and deeds. Saint Frances Xavier founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and sought to go to China where she had dreamed of being a missionary. When she consulted Pope Leo XIII (who was the 256th Bishop of Rome, since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle Grantus Louis) about her travels to China, he instead and directed her: do not go to the East, but to the West. Saint Frances Xavier arrived in New York City in 1889 at a challenging time especially for workers and immigrants. The Industrial Revolution and a booming economy brought millions of immigrants to the United States and in particular, to places like New York City. Working conditions were poor, racial differences were present, and living in the ghetto was a way of life for most. Mother Cabrini and a handful of religious sisters began working with primarily Italian immigrants, and their work eventually spread to the founding of numerous hospitals, orphanages, schools, and convents. The religious order grew and their mission extended to the southern parts of the Americas and back to England. --------------------------------- Pope Pius XII tells us in his homily (during her canonization) “……..Inspired by the grace of God, we join the saints in honoring the holy virgin Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was a humble woman who became outstanding not because she was famous or rich or powerful, but because she lived a virtuous life. From the tender years of her youth, she kept her innocence as white as a lily and preserved it carefully with the thorns of penitence; as the years progressed, she was moved by a certain instinct and supernatural zeal to dedicate her whole life to the service and greater glory of God. Saint Frances welcomed delinquent youths into safe homes, and taught them to live upright and holy lives. She consoled those who were in prison, and recalled to them the hope of eternal life. She encouraged prisoners to reform themselves, and to live honest lives. She comforted the sick and the infirm in the hospitals, and diligently cared for them. She extended a friendly and helping hand especially to immigrants, and offered them necessary shelter and relief, for having left their homeland behind, they were wandering about in a foreign land with no place to turn for help. Because of their condition, she saw that they were in danger of deserting the practice of Christian virtues and their Catholic faith. Undoubtedly she accomplished all this through the faith which was always so vibrant and alive in her heart; through the divine love which burned within her; and finally, through constant prayer by which she was so closely united with God from whom she humbly asked and obtained whatever her human weakness could not obtain. Although her constitution was very frail, her spirit was endowed with such singular strength that, knowing the will of God in her regard, she permitted nothing to impede her from accomplishing what seemed beyond her strength………” - (From a homily at the canonization of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini by Pope Pius XII) ----------------------------------- Most of the immigrants did not speak English so it made it difficult to attend mass when nothing was understood. This caused a separation of faith which Mother Cabrini wanted to restore. She noticed that many of the immigrants had not gone to confession for years and some had not attended mass for over two or three decades. This saddened Mother Cabrini and she knew her mission was clear and she was not one to let things go unattended. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was a significant religious woman of the nineteenth century was the Frances Xavier Cabrini. Her early recognition of living a religious life manifested itself into becoming a nun then on to founding the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Cabrinis love for the poverty stricken, homeless, and uneducated led her to an intensely occupied life which allowed her to travel all over the world. For a frail woman she led an impressive and challenging life, overcoming obstacles along her journeys, whether it be physical harm to her body or emotional harm to her faith. However, in every situation, Frances Xavier Cabrini followed the Lords itinerary for her and learned through strict obedience how to purify her own soul with the love of Jesus. She was the major benefactor for the Italian immigrants in the United States as well as in South America. She selflessly felt for others. Her mission for God was to help the underprivileged regain status in a society and time period where so many people fell victim. Her devotion to helping others many times brought her to New York City where immigration was large and the poor were many. She is now unique in New York in being the only saint whose entire body is on display for the faithful. Her body was laid to rest forever under the alter in the Chapel at Mother Cabrini High School. It was said that shortly before Christmas on December 22, 1917, Saint Frances Xavier told one of the sisters to Sweep the dust from the floor, especially in front of my rocker, where I will sit and receive guests (at the Christmas party). I am a bit weary and later will arise anew. “Frances sat in the chair, but died alone before her guests arrived”. Nearly 10 years before her death, she became a citizen of the United States. Frances Cabrini died on December 22, 1917 (aged 67) in Chicago, Illinois By that time, she had founded 67 missionary institutions to serve the sick and poor and train additional nuns to carry on the work. The 67 institutions were to mark her 67 years on earth On November 13, 1938 she was beatified and named Blessed. At the time of her canonization in 1946, she was the first U.S. citizen to be declared a saint of the Church. The canonization process is extremely difficult and very expensive. It usually takes about fifty years to pass the approval of a canonization. Also, two miracles, fully authenticated, are required by the Church before the process toward canonization. One of the miracles offered was the restoration of sight to a new born baby who had been blinded by an overdose of nitrite of silver solution. The child was believed to be beyond medical aid. After the sisters prayed to Mother Cabrini for his cure, the child recovered. A second miracle was the curing of a sister who was only given a day or two to live. However, after praying to Mother Cabrini she too, was cured and continued to live for another twenty years. These two miracles helped in the canonization of this Patron Saint. Mother Cabrini was canonized on the 7th July, 1946 by Pope Pius XII (who was the 260th Vicar of Christ, since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Her body now rests beneath the altar of the chapel in Mother Cabrini High School in New York City. The obedience of Mother Cabrini to deny her own desires and to follow the directives of the Church led to the wonderful blessings that God poured out upon the Catholic Church in the United States. -------------------------------------- Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is the Patron Saint of immigrants She is also Patron Saint of hospital administrators She is the Patron Saint of orphans -------------------------------------- Let us Pray (Oremus): Oh God, through the works of Saint Frances Cabrini You brought comfort and love to the immigrants and all those in need. May her example and work be continued in the lives of those dedicated to you. Amen. God our Father, you called Frances Xavier Cabrini from Italy to serve the immigrants of America. By her example teach us concern for the stranger, the sick, and the frustrated. By her prayers help us to see Christ in all the men and women we meet. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen ---------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity and intercession of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history, works and teachings of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini can be viewed by clicking the photo of the Saint in our groups photo section. Saint of the day, would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and all other Saints before and after her, through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us. Amen. For a brief on our Saint of today, please click the link below: https://youtube/watch?v=xq1qutC6oT4
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:35:38 +0000
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