Nov

13

A True American Saint

November 13, 2007 |

St. Frances Xavier CabriniToday the American Church celebrates the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini - the first canonized American citizen - and what an incredible life she led.

Born a poor Italian farmgirl in 1850, she went on to found the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart - establishing schools, orphanages, hospitals and similar institutions.  In 1889, she found herself in New York City at the request of Pope Leo XIII to help the poor Italian immigrants settling in the U.S. at the end of the 19th Century.

She was so successful and unrelenting in caring for the poor that, at her death, there were 5,000 children under the care of her order, which had 500 members in 70 houses in the U.S., South American and Europe.  Her death itself greatly exemplifed her life - she died just before Christmas 1917 - alone in a chair in one of her hospitals, suffering from malaria, making dolls for orphans for Christmas.  Serving the orphans to the end.  Living the gospel to the end.

She was naturalized an American citizen sometime before her death and the U.S. got its first citizen saint when Pope Pius XII canonized her in 1946. 

And she very much embodied all that makes America great.  We are a nation of immigrants and we as a people have an incredible heart for those who cannot care for themselves.  We will lay our hearts, our money and our lives on the line to serve others throughout the world.

We are not perfect - we can be too self-centered, self-absorbed and self-important.  But we as a people truly care about those in need.  St. Frances is just one of the vast multitudes of Americans who have done great things to live the gospel and be the face of Christ.

So, what are we doing in our lives to fill the shoes of the great Catholic Americans to come before us?  How are we laying our hearts, money and lives on the line to serve others?  Do we care about the less fortunate in our own community, our nation and in places throughout the world?  Are we putting actions to our concern?  Are we doing everything we can to alleviate suffering?

St. Frances left a great legacy for us.  So many were impacted by her life.  She saw Christ in the face of every person she met.  As Catholic Americans, we need to do our best to continue her work.

The following is an excerpt of a prayer attributed to her . . .

“ [G]ive your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless axiety, solicitude and worry.  Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to you so that your Will may be my will.  Grant that I may rid myself of all unholy desires and that, for your love, I may remain obscure and unknown in this world, to be known only to you.  Do not permit me to attribute to myself the good that you perform in me and through me, but rather, referring all honor to your Majesty . . . “

Doesn’t this prayer sum up how we should serve Christ and our fellow man?

St. Frances - a truly amazing American and Catholic woman for our times.


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