Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Bringing Christ's love to the world

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Today is the World Day for Consecrated Life

“BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GO FORTH! Remember the beauty of your first call. Jesus continues to call you today with the same full love and untamed grace. GO FORTH! There is always more to do, to encounter, to be grateful for, to be astonished by. Begin and end with the joy of prayer—the marrow of consecrated life. GO FORTH! Each of us has a role to play in the Church. Witness and sow well each day, and look to tomorrow with hope. GO FORTH! Grow in love for God so that others will be attracted by the divine light in you. Welcome the new vocations the Lord sends to continue the work of consecration. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God and first disciple of her son, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.” — Pope Francis

In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day for women and men in consecrated life. This global celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all peoples. World Day for Consecrated Life will be celebrated in the Church on Thursday, February 2, 2023, and in parishes over the weekend of February 4-5, 2023.

Please pray for our Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life, and be sure to thank them on their special day. May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation.

Sharing Stories that Inspire

On Sunday, January 15 MSC novices Evon Somirla, Evarlyn Ndeti, and Bezunesh Elias spoke at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine about their faith and how they discerned the path to follow in the footsteps of Mother Cabrini.

Eager attendees provided a delicious potluck lunch that featured Filipino, Ethiopian, Dominican, and American dishes. The most common comment: “This was so inspiring!”

An Official University Welcome to Sr. Bridget

Now that classes have commenced for the spring semester, Sr. Christine Marie Baltas, MSC, Campus Ministry Associate, extended an invitation to join in some fellowship to officially welcome Sr. Bridget Zanin, MSC to Cabrini University.

Sr. Bridget’s office is located in the MSC Cottage on campus where she will be serving as a spiritual director. Sr. Bridget has been making the rounds of campus buildings sharing information about spiritual direction.

Already, several members of the University community have made appointments with Sr. Bridget.

The University is grateful for Sr. Bridget’s presence and wish her well in her new ministry

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Every year since 2010, the President of the United States has dedicated the month to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime.

During this month, we celebrate the efforts of foreign governments, international organizations, anti-trafficking entities, law enforcement officials, survivor advocates, communities of faith, businesses and private citizens all around the world to raise awareness about human trafficking

President Biden has proclaimed January 2023 as “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” reaffirming his Administration’s commitment to protect and empower survivors of all forms of human trafficking, to prosecute traffickers and to bring an end to human trafficking in the United States and around the world. “Since human trafficking disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities, women and girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, vulnerable migrants, and other historically marginalized and underserved communities, our mission to combat human trafficking must always be connected to our broader efforts to advance equity and justice across our society.”

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, includes both forced labor and sex trafficking. It not only represents a threat to international peace and security but also undermines the rule of law, robs millions of their dignity and freedom, enriches transnational criminals and terrorists, and threatens public safety and national security everywhere.

There are an estimated to be more than 27.6 million people – adults and children – subjected to human trafficking around the world, including the United States. Traffickers often take advantage of instability caused by natural disasters, conflict, or a pandemic to exploit others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, traffickers are continuing to perpetrate the crime, finding ways to innovate and capitalize on the chaos.

Despite the nearly worldwide adoption of international and domestic norms to address and prevent human trafficking, we continue to witness traffickers exploit people in the United States and around the world. But, everyone has the power to make a difference. Every Presidential proclamation for January ends with a call to action for all Americans to recognize the vital role everyone can play in combating all forms of human trafficking. To learn more please click here

To learn more about the Missionary Sisters’ Corporate Stance against Human Trafficking, please click here

MSCs on Mission – True Missionaries Faithful to God’s Call

After long-standing service at Cabrini Health, Australia and the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Chicago, respectively, Sr. Sharon Casey, MSC and Sr. Bridget Zanin, MSC are now beginning new ministries.

Sr. Sharon Casey, MSC
The following are remarks that Sr. Sharon Casey, MSC shared with the Cabrini Health community:

Greetings during this Advent, Christmas and Hanukkah season!

I’d like to say thank you for your warm welcome to me in 2009 upon my arrival here at a medical facility across the earth! It definitely was a daunting experience. However, your excitement and demonstration of the Cabrinian values which I sensed immediately was heartening.

Your encouragement and support bolstered my determination to fulfil the mission God called me to do in Melbourne.

During these years, a message arose within me, saying, ‘remember who you are’. It was clear, stirring and helped me often to re-ground myself. This message made me pause amid the dizzying pace and consider my roots, beliefs, manner of being and interacting. It gave me the opportunity to remember those upon whose shoulders I stand.

This message was a gift from God. I often remind myself with the grace of God, of who I am, where I’ve come from, and the values that shaped me. These moments, made me conscious of the strong pull from society to become truly self-centered.

I encourage you to remember who you are as a member of the Cabrinian community whether you’ve been here for 30 years or three months. I encourage you to remember the commitment that you made to be faithful to our Ethic of Care when you came here.

When social media and society lure you into believing in acting in another way, I encourage you to go and spend some time by the sculpture that was designed and made over a number of years due to the COVID pandemic.

The sculpture VIGIL – The Heart of Cabrini is a memorial of thanks to the sisters who first came here, carrying the spirit of Mother Cabrini and each of you who have made Cabrini what it has become thus far.

When you need encouragement, consider going out and sitting by this sculpture, helping you remember who you are.

On behalf of all my Sisters of the Sacred Heart throughout the world and our lay collaborators and partners, I thank you for your efforts to work according to the Cabrinian values, Ethic of Care, and legacy.
Sr Sharon Casey, MSC – December 2022 To view a video of Sr. Sharon’s sharing her message: https://vimeo.com/780550489/e1cd1d118c
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Sr. Bridget Zanin, MSC
Bridget Zanin, MSC, joined the Cabrini University community on Tuesday, November 29. She has served as a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) since 1962. As a teenager in Brazil, she was called on a spiritual path that led her from her home to the United States Midwest and eventually Radnor, PA. Get to know Sister Bridget through the Q&A below. Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. ~ submitted by Matt Nestor, Cabrini University

What are your first impressions since arriving here at Cabrini University?
Sister Bridget: The campus is beautiful. I feel a little bit isolated because I’m so used to living in a city where you step out and can go anywhere and do anything. Here, you need a car.

Which city were you in before you arrived here?
SB: Chicago. I was the Director of the National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicago. I was at the Shrine for 10 years. And before that, I was in the city of Des Plaines [Illinois]. I was working as a chaplain at the Holy Family Hospital. And, before that I worked at Mercy Family Hospital in Chicago.

What kinds of service did you do there and elsewhere?

SB: My first profession was as a nurse. I worked as an ICU nurse in medical/surgical. It was kind of getting heavier and heavier, so I went in to chaplaincy so I could talk to patients and their families. Having the nursing background, being a chaplain I think was a blessing for me, because I could understand the patient’s diagnosis—what they were going through. I could talk to them not as a nurse, but as a chaplain.
You grew up in Brazil, correct?
SB: Yes, I was born in Brazil. My grandparents migrated from Venice, Italy to Brazil where they worked very hard to get themselves through a hard time. They moved there during the Second World War, when people were moving out to look for a better life. So, they struggled a lot. But, I see now their struggles were not in vain, because I see now my family are in good positions. I have a judge, two lawyers, and a doctor in the family.

How did you choose religious life?
SB: I always felt a call. I used to go and pray every day. I had two other friends and they wanted to go [to the convent]. Two months later, my dad rented a car and took us to the convent. I was only 15. Can you imagine? Then, we did our profession and took our vows. And, I was missioned to the United States.

Obviously, you are a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an order founded by Mother Cabrini. What does it mean to you to come here to Cabrini University, the only Cabrinian University in the world?
SB: I think it’s very special. And, the people who I have met so far, they’re so nice. I had a passion for the [Shrine] that I was at, and seeing that the people here have the same values and are part of the Cabrini family, has encouraged me to keep on giving and do whatever I can.

What attracted you to the MSCs?
SB: It was their simplicity and their faith. I like simplicity. I knew nothing about Mother Cabrini but they gave us books to read. And, the more I read, I saw she had this big devotion to the Sacred Heart. She kept saying the Sacred Heart is the fountain of all virtues.

What do you hope to accomplish here at Cabrini, and what do you hope to send students out in the world with?
SB: If I can make a difference in someone’s life, this life will go on to make a difference in the world. I feel that we all have a mission. Sometimes, people think they have to have a vocation to do the mission. No, you don’t. Life is an attitude. So, we can have a positive attitude—a faith attitude. I have my certificate in spiritual direction and I’m also a chaplain. And, I was a nurse. I am hoping to bring these skills to my present mission, everywhere I go and in everything that I do. I hope I can make a difference in campus life. To read the full interview with Sr. Bridget, please click here

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12

Even before the sun breaks through the horizon on December 12, the burst of firecrackers rings throughout Mexico to announce the greatest national fiesta of the year—the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

At la Villa de Guadalupe, the National Sanctuary near Tepeyac Hill, pilgrims begin to arrive days earlier to camp out on the plaza surrounding the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Many travel for days to get there, entering la Villa on their knees as a sign of their devotion and gratitude for la Virgen Morenita’s protection. Much like a family member holding a beloved’s picture close to the heart, pilgrims carry images of their Mother Guadalupe on their backs, banners, and bodies.

Celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe always culminates with the reenactment of the familiar story. In 1531, just a few decades after Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World, the Mother of God appeared three times to a humble Chichimeca Aztec baptized as Juan Diego. Our Lady asked him to be her special messenger and provided proof of their encounters for a skeptical bishop in the form of two signs: a cloak full of fresh roses in December and a miraculous image of herself on Juan Diego’s tilma, or shawl. Yet the Guadalupe apparition is not only one of the earliest Marian apparitions. It is also the only time in history that Our Lady has shared her portrait.

The Heart of the Guadalupe Message
“The Blessed Mother has an interesting way of empowering the poor like Juan Diego,” explains Mark Zwick, founder and director of Casa Juan Diego Catholic Worker House in Houston. “You can’t speak that kind of empowerment. She chooses an indigenous person—and that’s revolutionary!”

Throughout history, Our Lady “chooses to appear almost exclusively to those who wouldn’t have a respectable place in society.”
Patroness of the Americas
It is hardly a coincidence that in 1945, the year that World War II ended, Pope Pius XII looked at the suffering, fragmented world and declared Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Americas.

He knew that both continents North and South, in many ways, share a common heritage—and future. In the words Our Lady spoke to Juan Diego: “I am your Compassionate Mother, yours, for you yourself, for everybody here in the land, for each and all together, for all others too, for all folk of every kind . . . here I shall listen to their groanings, to their saddenings; here shall I make well and heal up their each and every kind of disappointment, of exhausting pangs, of bitter pain.”

Let us pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of our Guadalupe Province, in a special way on her feast day and each day that she may guide and protect our ministries, all those who serve within, and all those whom we serve.

A Woman for Our Times

By Ron Polaniecki, Chicago
(reprinted with permission of StreetWise Magazine, Chicago)

Recently a new sculpture of St. Frances Xavier (“Mother”) Cabrini (1850-1917) was unveiled in the courtyard of Holy Name Cathedral, located at State and Superior Streets.

“The occasion, in part, was the conclusion of a ‘jubilee year’ celebrating the 75th anniversary of Cabrini’s canonization (she is the first American citizen saint). And, in part, it is to recognize a Chicago-based woman who was indefatigable in her service to immigrants at the turn of the century,” says the Rev. Greg Sakowicz, rector of Holy Name Cathedral.

Her relevance is obvious in these times of immigration challenges. And her historic importance is confirmed by her inclusion in such works as Chicago and the American Century, The 100 Most Significant Chicagoans of the Twentieth Century by Richard F. Ciccone, and her listing in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls, N.Y.

Francesca Cabrini was born prematurely in 1850, outside Milan, Italy, and was sickly throughout her life. Young Cabrini’s goal was to become a missionary to China. However, she was turned away from two religious orders because of her frail condition. Undaunted, Cabrini founded her own group, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (at a time when missionaries where almost exclusively male).

A path filled with twists and turns led her to Chicago where she founded, and then taught at, the Assumption School for Italian immigrant children, originally at 317 W. Erie St. It opened in 1899 with 500 children, and upon Cabrini’s insistence, it was free of charge.

The needs of her fellow Italians in Chicago grew rapidly as Chicago’s Italian born-population rose from 5,700 in 1890 to 16,000 in 1900 and to 45,000 in 1910. Like so many other immigrants, they lived in vastly overcrowded housing and worked for meager wages. One particular challenge faced by Italians was the lack of government or philanthropic agencies to advocate for them. Untypical of the times, Cabrini encouraged her sisters to teach young women industrial arts that would help them support themselves.

In addition to schools, hospitals were needed. Though lacking a healthcare background, her tireless zeal led to the founding of Columbus Hospital in Chicago, at first in Lakeview, and then Columbus Extension, located in a low-income neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.

Even at a relatively young age, Cabrini was noted for organizational skills – and business instincts. For example, in purchasing the site for Columbus Hospital, she suspected the sellers were being dishonest. At 5 a.m., Cabrini and a fellow sister measured the land parcel themselves and discovered they were being cheated. Faced with the facts, the transaction was corrected.

Another example was her purchase in 1917 of a 102-acre farm in Park Ridge, near Northwest Highway and Dee Road. Her plan was to supply fresh milk, eggs, and chickens to the hospitals and orphanages she had established, according to Milton E. Nelson’s, Milestones of Park Ridge.

However, the other part of Cabrini’s legacy was walking the streets of the Italian district, consoling families, and delivering a message of faith in God to the needy residents. She never tired of asking for funds for the poor and advocating for the marginalized. Her simple motto was, “I can do all things in Jesus who strengthens me.”

Cabrini’s reputation grew. Over the years, she and her sisters founded 67 missions in many American cities, such as New Orleans, Seattle, Colorado mining towns; and in Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, and other nations.

As remarkable as Cabrini was, in her own realm, so, too, is co-sculptor, Lou Cella. Rotblatt Amrany Studio of Fine Art, Highwood, Ill., is his arena.

While Cella’s name is not well known, his works are. They include the sculptures of baseball legends Harry Caray, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo outside of Wrigley Field. And Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko at Guarantee Rate Field. And football hall-of-famer Bart Starr for the Green Bay Packers Heritage Trail, plus numerous other famous sports heroes.

While Cella acknowledges that he never sculpted a saint, he said he felt connections to Cabrini. He noted that he was raised Catholic, is a Chicagoan, and is part Italian. Further, he adds, his mother-in-law was an immigrant from Mexico.

Each subject is unique, Cella said. In this case, the goal was to depict Mother Cabrini reaching out from her heart (hence one hand is on her heart) with a deep concern for all people.

“The attention to details and personal touches, which is a hallmark of our studio work, is apparent in the fabric of the habit, her cross and ring,” Cella continues. “Also, she is stepping through delicate violets, which were her favorite flower.

“Cabrini did not check anyone’s credentials before she would help them,” Cella added. “And she had this special focus on immigrants as she was an immigrant herself.” She became a U.S. citizen in 1909.

Co-sculptor Jessica LoPresti, also an artist at the renowned Rotblatt Amrany studio, was, like Cella, new to saints. Like Cella, LoPresti is a Chicagoan, of Italian heritage on her father’s side and raised a Catholic.

A behind the scenes tidbit: LoPresti modeled a habit that was similar to what Cabrini wore. “This helped us capture the pose, the folds of the fabric, the delicate checkered pattern of the veil and other details.”

The statue was made possible by a donation from Dr. Carol Christianson, a former nurse for many years at Columbus Hospital as well as a missionary in service overseas.

LoPresti adds, “Cabrini’s message is relevant to our current society, which could benefit from having more compassion and care for others.”

Mother Cabrini passed away in Chicago in 1917 and her room is part of the National Shrine of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini in Lincoln Park.

11.30.2022

Cabrinian Organizations Continue the Mission of the Patroness of Immigrants

On November 13, 2022, the Church celebrated the Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini,  Patron Saint of Immigrants, and at the end of her jubilee year in honor of the 75th anniversary of her canonization.

Two of the CLINIC’s (Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.) affliliate organizations bear the name of Mother Cabrini: The St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance, which is part of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas and Cabrini Immigrant Services in New York City.

Cabrini Immigrant Services of New York City or CIS-NYC, remains close to the mission of Mother Cabrini in its location: after a recent office move, it is now located right in the building of the Mother Cabrini Shrine in the Washington Heights neighborhood.

Ella Nimmo, Director of Community Programs and Development, said that this location has allowed them an even closer relationship with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who founded CIS and several of whom still work at Cabrini Immigrant Services. Donations from pilgrims visiting the Shrine sometimes go toward supporting CIS-NYC, and sometimes immigrants who are visiting the Shrine will happen upon their office and request help. The Shrine staff often refer immigrants in need to visit CIS. CIS offers a wide variety of services for the immigrant community, from legal services to social support programs.

Beyond the outward connections to Mother Cabrini – its name, if founding by the Sisters, it location, Nimmo say CIS-NYC carries on the spirit of Mother Cabrini’s approach. “The Sisters often talk about Mother Cabrini having a sense of urgency about her, a ‘scrappy’ way of being,” Nimmo said. “If there was a need, Mother Cabrini was going to find a way to meet it. She would get things done. We try to take that approach, as well.” Nimmo said that CIS-NYC is always rising to the challenge of new developments facing immigrant communities in New York City. The biggest challenge for them lately has been finding a way to meet the needs of the thousands of migrants who have been bused to the city from Texas.

“We have helped at least 120 families from the buses so far,” said Nimmo. “It’s difficult because they are arriving with nothing – no contacts, no cell phones even, few job prospects, and often, no pathway to legal residency. We are having to be creative in how we help them and demonstrate support and solidarity.”

“The last few years have been really difficult, what with the pandemic and political changes,” Nimmo continued. “Now we have these migrant families arriving on buses from the border. Creating a supportive space for them amid these challenges is sometimes the most we can do. But we do all we can; we look for any source of support that we can provide, as we imagine that Mother Cabrini would have done.”

To read the complete article, please click here

 

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