“We are Pilgrims on a Journey…”
Staff members from Cabrini Health in Australia led by Julie Fleming, the Director of Mission Services, are currently on a pilgrimage to Codogno, Italy to walk in the footsteps of Mother Cabrini. They are being joined by Cabrini Mission Foundation (CMF) Board Member Dave DeCerbo and his wife, Linda, and CMF Executive Director Christopher LaBianco.
Sr. Therese Merandi, MSC and Sr. Maria Barbargallo, MSC have been accompanying the group during their stay in Codogno.
In their own words:
Julie Fleming, Cabrini Health shares:
“How many people are blessed enough to literally walk in the footsteps of a saint?
“The whole pilgrim experience has been deeply moving; learning details of Mother Cabrini’s life and her faith in the Sacred Heart of Jesus plus the passionate storytelling by Sr. Therese Merandi, MSC has been inspiring and has brought to life the Cabrini charism in a vibrant way.
Meeting the senior Missionary Sisters who have given so much of their life to service of others is so humbling. We feel a deeper and more familial connection with Saint Frances Cabrini and know that we will become better torchbearers of her charism in our ministries.
Jenny Nicholson, Cabrini Health, Australia:
I did not expect to be overcome by the profound impact this immersion experience would have on me.
To walk on the very floorboards, St. Frances Cabrini walked on in her home; to be in the rooms where she listened to the stories told by her father; where she slept, ate and prayed. All these things I had only read of.
The passion of those who continue the work of St. Frances, living their life through her, in her spirit, living out the gift of our charism. The incredible stories of Sr. Maria Barbagallo, the passion, fervour and spirit of Sr. Therese and Allesandra Bergamaschi. To receive the blessings of the many Sisters of the Codogno Spirituality Centre every day…we are blessed in God’s love to be here.
Miranda Coombs, Cabrini Health, Australia
I have been moved by the stories of the sisters and mother Cabrini, delivered with so much illumination and conviction. But above all else, I have been moved by their openness to love. I have been moved with love, to be open to love and more giving of love. I have felt so much love for my family, for my friends and fellow pilgrims who are also on this journey.
“It has been a profound experience to walk in the footsteps of Mother Cabrini as part of a Codogno pilgrimage with my fellow Guadalupe Province lay leaders from Australia. I have had the opportunity to bear witness to Mother Cabrini’s birthplace, schools she attended and taught at, places of worship, and missionary institutions she opened. Mother Cabrini’s story has always inspired me — her resilience, perseverance, business acumen. Today, history has taught me so much more about her suffering, her love, her leadership, and her strategic approach and mission focus. I am grateful to have participated, and look forward to the opportunity to further the mission in my daily life.”
It was a night full of smiles, laughter, and a few tears, as attendees came together to celebrate Cabrini Mission Foundation’s annual 2022 Gala, hosted on Oct. 13th at the Metropolitan Club. The theme at this year’s event, “Education of the Heart,” embodied Mother Cabrini’s education principle – teachers or advocates for Cabrini, need to “Educate the Hearts” of those they teach, which links intellectual competence with moral development and instills a special concern for those persons who are in need.
Cabrini Mission Foundation, in collaboration with Cabrini Immigrant Services – NYC, have partnered with Community of Sant’Egidio, a global Christian movement of volunteer communities focused on service to the poor, together have helped to distribute 400 meals weekly to the homeless population in New York City. Volunteers and supporters work in tandem to provide individuals in need with a hot meal, a friendly smile, and an opportunity for a long-term relationship.
In a continued effort to respond with urgency to the individuals affected by natural disasters, Cabrini Mission Foundation, in collaboration with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Guadalupe Providence, has partnered with Water With Blessings, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to providing clean drinking water, to assist those affected by the Appalachian floods in Perry County, Kentucky. The 100 filters donated will provide desperate mountain families and the elderly with access to safe, clean drinking water where the entire water system has been destroyed and offer financial relief from paying for bottled water, which may not be accessible.
I was very active in school,” she recalled. “I played sports and did all different kinds of things. I never really thought of entering the convent until my freshman year when I kind of had this calling.”
recently spoke at the Cabrini Mass at Sacred Heart Church, which is sponsored by Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, CT. It commemorates the Italian-American founder of the religious order, who supported immigrants throughout the United States and established 67 institutions, including schools, orphanages and hospitals that cared for the poor and marginalized.
Mother Cabrini based her work on an “education of the heart”; promoting Gospel values, critical thinking and openness towards others. Through this initiative and all of our Foundation programs the Cabrini Mission Foundation continues to carry Mother Cabrini’s legacy forward.
Along with these dedicated individuals, three honorees were awarded the Spirit of Cabrini Award, which represents an understanding of Mother Cabrini and a willingness to continue her legacy of helping people who are in need throughout New York City beginning with the Italian-American community. Philip Foglia, Sr. (Posthumously) and Chazz and Gianna Palminteri, have been involved with the Foundation for many years and were able to use their connections to erect the Mother Cabrini statue in Bryant Park.
Cabrini Mission Foundation responds with urgency to provide immediate assistance to those in need. The devastation that has swept through Haiti following last month’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake has left thousands of people without basic necessities, food, housing and access to life-saving medical attention.