Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Francesca S Cabrini)

                                                                    (1850-1917)

1.          Why is this person important?

Francesca S Cabrini was an orphanage and hospital founder and she was the first American to be worshiped in the Roman Catholic Church. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, which is a Catholic religious school that was a safe haven for Italian immigrants coming into the United States.

2.      Why did you choose this person? How does her/his life relate to you?

I chose her because my family is Catholic, and my grandma was very dedicated to the religion.  I am not as religious as she was, but I know it is important to know facts about your religion and what it all comes from.

3.      If she/he had never existed, would the world be different from how we know          it now? Why?

I don’t think that the world would be very different, because I know that other people would have come along to open hospitals and other Roman Catholic churches, but she was very important to Italian immigrants in the 1800’s.  She founded the church that many of them went to in times of trouble.

4.      If you could meet that person, what would you ask her/him?

If I could meet her, I would ask her how she felt to be the first American to be worshiped by such a prominent religion in this world.  I would ask her of her experiences through the church and what it was like to see all of the immigrants coming to the church that she founded.

5.      Do you think the fact this person was Italian played a role in his/her achievement?

 Yes I do.  If she wasn’t Italian, I don’t think the Italian immigrants who were heading to America would have been so affected by her church.  I’m sure that people of other nationalities would have followed her, but it is pretty cool that she was from Italy (as is my family) and that she had so many people that looked up to her, and now she is recognized as a saint!