November 13: Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Mother Cabrini

History

St. Frances always wanted to become a nun who worked in missions. She even gave up candy when she was a child because she didn't want to grow used to it when she wouldn't be able to eat it on the mission field. When she grew up, she wasn’t healthy enough to be admitted to a convent. She cared for her parents until they died and then taught at a girl’s school. Her bishop asked her to start the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children in schools and hospitals, so at last she was a nun. In 1889, Pope Leo XIII asked her to go to the United States to work with Italian immigrants. She rapidly started schools, hospitals and orphanages, touching the lives of thousands of people. She became the first American citizen to be canonized a saint.

Activity

To celebrate Mother Cabrini’s feast, make a traditional Italian-American lasagna for supper tonight. Use your favorite recipe, or here’s an easy version made from uncooked noodles and jarred sauce – you need about 15 minutes to assemble it and an hour to bake. 

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

Missionary Sisters website

EWTN

Catholic Online