St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was an Italian-born founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the first United States citizen to be canonized. She was the patron saint of immigrants and was the first to be canonized in 1946. Born in Italy, Cabrini taught in Italy and later became the supervisor of an orphanage in Codogno. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1880, serving orphans and offering a day school. Despite her illness, she established 67 houses in various cities and founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages. The canonization process for Cabrini was expedited, with two miracles attributed to her 11 years after her death. She was beatified in 1938 and declared a saint in 1946. In 1950, she was named the universal patroness of immigrants and is also regarded as the patron saint of hospital administrators and impossible causes. A national shrine dedicated to her is located in Chicago.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917), also known as Mother Cabrini, was an Italian-American nun and the first U.S. citizen to be canonized as a saint. Born in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order dedicated to serving the poor, especially immigrants.

At the request of Pope Leo XIII, she traveled to the United States in 1889 to support Italian immigrants facing poverty and discrimination. Despite her frail health, she established 67 institutions, including schools, hospitals, and orphanages, across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Her work provided vital support to immigrant communities and demonstrated her unwavering faith and compassion.

Mother Cabrini was canonized in 1946 by Pope Pius XII, and she is celebrated as the patron saint of immigrants. Her feast day is observed on November 13 in the United States.