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On Wednesday, November 12 a group gathered on the lawn at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City for the unveiling and blessing of Mother Cabrini’s newly-restored prayer bench. This bench was used by Mother Cabrini when she stayed in northern Manhattan. It features griffins as side supports, and an ornate iron top.
Originally placed in the garden outside the professed sisters’ residence, the bench was moved to a side yard when construction of the current Shrine began. Later it was moved yet again to a location overlooking a parking lot. In recent decades the bench fell into severe disrepair. Nearly 200 donors contributed toward its restoration. Now sturdy and beautiful, the bench can once again be used by visitors the way Mother Cabrini herself used it: for prayer.
The brief ceremony was led by Msgr. Robert Ritchie, with Sr. Diane Olmstead, MSC, Provincial, Sr. Patricia Dunleavy, MSC and Sr. Sharon Casey, MSC in attendance. The bench is now located at the back of the Shrine’s lawn, where it overlooks the Hudson River. Next year the Shrine intends to build a serene prayer garden to surround it.