Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Bringing Christ's love to the world
Hundreds of students and pilgrims made their way to the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Upper Manhattan on Wednesday for Mass to mark the feast day of a saint who changed New York.
To view a video from the GoodNewsroom please click here
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The ongoing war in the Holy Land and its surrounding region has brought immense suffering to people worldwide, including many members of the Catholic Church. What is happening, and how is the Church impacted? We invite you to join us for a Mass for Peace in the Holy Land—and a special time of prayer, discussion, and worship. This gathering will create a space to support Catholics from the countries affected, as well as space for those who grieve and pray on behalf of the region.
The night will feature guest speakers Salem Farmand, a Palestinian Catholic and Campaign Manager for the Archdiocese of New York, and Mother Jesus Doliente, SSVM, whose community serves the sole Catholic parish in Gaza. Both will share insights into the challenges faced by the Church in the Holy Land from a Catholic, personal, and community perspective. The evening will conclude with Adoration with prayerful music led by Catholic musician artist Brianne Nealon.
Many laughs, cheers, and tears, were shared as Missionary Sisters and friends joined Cabrini Mission Foundation for a private screening of the Cabrini movie on Thursday, March 7th at the Union Square Regal Theatre in New York City.
Attendees enjoyed artisanal pizza and salads provided by La Lanterna di Vittorio as everyone shared their anticipation for the movie. With fresh popcorn in-hand, viewers got to witness the story of Mother Cabrini on the silver screen. A sneak peak of Andrea and Virginia Boccelli’s new song, “Dare to Be” was shown at the end of the movie.
As the curtains closed on the evening’s festivities, attendees left with hearts full of inspiration and gratitude, eager to share the transformative experience of the Cabrini movie with others. With the movie now released to the public, the opportunity to follow in her footsteps awaits all who are moved.
We are grateful to everyone who volunteered, donated, and made the night a special event.
The Cabrini movie is out now! Click the link here to find theatres and movie times near you: https://www.angel.com/movies/cabrini
On December 17th, 2022, we celebrated Christmas with the families of both old and new clients. It was a new experience for all of our staff, since we have been in a new facility since May 2022. We had 60 families and 111 children. In order to provide better attention and have more space, we divided the group in two and the result was excellent. We could see the families engaging and expressing their connection to our organization.
We organized different activities: face painting, arts and crafts, games, food, and of course, the presence of Santa! The children received toys and jackets, and some of the older children were given gift cards.
Our staff got very involved in the preparation and coordination of the event. We also had the help of some of our Angel Fund Scholarship students. Every year committed volunteers like Luzmila Limongi de Pizarro, Brigid Sullivan, and Brigid’s team of friends help us ensure the event is a success. As she has for many years, Brigid provided lunch for all of our attendees.
At the end of the day, a sense of joy and accomplishment accompanied all of us. We experienced so many smiling faces, expressions of joy and gratitude.
After months of deliberation, we have decided to relocate our office to another part of the city to continue the mission of bringing God’s love to vulnerable communities. On May 2nd, our office will officially open at the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Washington Heights (701 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10040). Our Food Pantry will also be located nearby at the Church of the Good Shepherd (608 Isham Street, New York, NY 10034). We will be forever grateful to the Lower East Side/Chinatown community for welcoming us and allowing us to be of service. We will not forget the gestures, both big and small, that made us feel welcomed and at home in this neighborhood.
We are looking forward to continuing our work, strengthening existing relationships, and building new relationships in our new neighborhood. All of our programs will continue to operate and serve clients from all over New York City, as they have for many years. This new, larger space will provide more opportunities for growth for our organization, and the possibility of exciting new projects as we continue to expand.
Thank you for supporting us through many transitions, moments of growth, and challenges over the past two decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us more than ever the importance of community, and we are grateful to have you as part of ours.
Should you have any questions about our move or need additional support, please feel free to reach out to us! Thank you again for your support through this transition.
On February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation, Sr. Ayantu Abera Bishaka and Sr. Tigist Hailemariam Loha, both from Ethiopia, made their first profession of vows in a ceremony at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in New York City.
The following account is a reflection on the ceremony by Evarlyne Ndunge Ndeti, an MSC candidate.
I do believe in meaningful words that are made deeply from the heart as a promise. These vows were something that I witnessed as Sister Ayantu and Sister 
were offering their lives and service completely to God for His greater Glory.
The significance of religious life is embodied in the profession of vows taken before God and all those who gathered for the ceremony.
Sister Diane Dalle Molle, MSC, Superior of the Holy Spirit Region, and Sister Genet Henok, MSC served as the official witnesses of the recitation and signing of the vows. In declaring their intentions, Sister Ayantu and Sister Tigist answered their call and responded, “HERE I AM”.
Everyone present and virtually watched the two newly professed sisters make their temporary vows to God. The two radiant young women vowed that they would live out their words and continue spreading the Love of Jesus to the entire world. They were full of joy, hope and enthusiasm.
I could not stop rejoicing and thanking God for the opportunity of attending this special occasion, albeit virtually, joining many MSCs.
While listening and watching their ceremony, I gave my silent word and prayer to God and asked Him to continue blessing and protecting them.
May God Bless You, Always.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo marked Columbus Day by unveiling a statue of the Italian-American saint known as Mother Cabrini in lower Manhattan. Sr. Diane Olmstead, MSC and Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC assisted the governor in the unveiling.
The dedication of the statue on Monday comes a year after Cuomo announced that the state would commission a monument to the Roman Catholic nun who was canonized in 1946.
Cuomo attended the unveiling at a spot by the Hudson River with a view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo marked Columbus Day by unveiling a statue of the Italian-American saint known as Mother Cabrini in lower Manhattan.
The dedication of the statue on Monday comes a year after Cuomo announced that the state would commission a monument to the Roman Catholic nun who was canonized in 1946. That decision came after a commission led by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, omitted Mother Cabrini from a list of women who would be honored with statues, angering some Catholics.
“This year we unveil a magnificent monument to our Italian American legacy and that monument will stand for all time,” Cuomo told the Columbus Citizens Foundation in a video address Saturday.
Cuomo attended the unveiling at a spot by the Hudson River with a view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, as well as a “view of Mother Cabrini’s home borough of Brooklyn,” saying that the sculptors did a “wonderful” job.
“Today the lesson of Mother Cabrini is even more vital because of the difficulties we are facing,” Cuomo said at the unveiling. “We all know these are challenging times, but as we also know in the book of life it is not what one does when the sun is shining that tests…but it is what one does in the fury of the storm.”
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in 1850 in what is now the Lombardy region of Italy. She immigrated to the United States in 1889 and went on to found more than 60 schools, hospitals and orphanages. She died in 1917.
“Mother Cabrini only had two assets, but they were powerful assets,” Cuomo said. “She had her culture and she had her faith.”
Cuomo referenced Cabrini’s hard work and service to others at a time when there was rampant discrimination against Italians throughout the country.
“In this complex world, may this statue serve to remind us of the principals that made us great as a country and as a people and the principals that keep us special on this globe: the values of Mother Cabrini, compassion, acceptance, community, freedom, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love,” Cuomo said Monday.
The sculpture depicts Cabrini with two children — a boy and girl — sailing on a paper boat. The girl is a reflection of Cabrini when she was young. She is holding a book in one hand, which symbolizes her commitment to education, while her other hand holds firmly onto the boat, signifying her steadfastness in the face of adversities. The boy depicted holds onto his luggage to face what the future will bring and holds on the other hand a wind instrument invented in Italy, which represents the culture immigrants have brought to America.
“Our goal was to create a statue that would represent the perseverance spirit of an extraordinary woman in realizing her childhood dream, the dream of helping people in need around the world,” said artist Jill Biagi, who alongside Giancarlo Biagi, sculpted the newly unveiled statue.
To view the unveiling and dedication ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxk3fBXpwxg&feature=youtu.be
To view further coverage on AM-NY: https://www.amny.com/news/mother-cabrini-statue-unveiled-in-battery-park-city-after-a-year-long-snub/
To read coverage in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/arts/design/mother-cabrini-statue-unveiling.html
To read coverage in Catholic New York: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/mother-cabrini-gets-a-new-statue-in-new-york-city-26311
~by Katie Honan, WALL STREET JOURNAL
Across New York City, there are nearly 150 statues that honor men and just five dedicated to women.
A citywide initiative plans to shift the ratio and will start with a statue of Shirley Chisholm, the first black congresswoman in the U.S., who represented New York’s 12 congressional district which at the time was centered in Brooklyn.
The statue honoring Ms. Chisholm who ran for president in 1972, is the first selected through a city-led initiative called She Built NYC, which was created to commission a public monument or piece of art that honors women’s history.
In June, the city asked New Yorkers to submit nominations of inspirational and influential women. They received 326 eligible nominations representing a diverse list of women, from celebrities to schoolteachers to suffragettes.
The woman who received the most nominations through She Built NYC was St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, known as Mother Cabrini, who founded the Missionary Sisters and was a supporter of Italian immigrants. Author and activist Jane Jacobs came in second, and Ms. Chisholm came in third. [Read more…]
St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City rang with the voices of friends, volunteers and Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who gathered to celebrate the end of Mother Cabrini’s Centennial year. On December 16, sisters from Cabrini missions in Argentina, Central America, Australia, and all over the Eastern United States gathered in Cabrini Shrine Chapel, greeting each other with open arms, wide smiles and many stories of their ministry around the world.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan officiated at the Mass in both English and Spanish. During the Mass, Cardinal Dolan said of Mother Cabrini, “We love her. We need her. We thank God for her… She herself became an immigrant, in search of the immigrant.”
The centennial theme song from Argentina, “¡Y Emprendemos un Viaje!” and the Cabrini Shrine song, “Go Where I Send You” were loudly sung by the happy congregation.
The immigrant community that joined with the sisters for the mass was encouraged and uplifted by their continued commitment to the work that Mother Cabrini began among us so long ago.
It was a glorious day.
Here is a link to the story in Catholic New York:
http://www.cny.org/stories/centenary-mass-cites-mother-cabrinis-care-for-immigrants,16604
The sidewalk at the corner of East 19th Street and 3rd Avenue was packed with people in a jovial mood well before 11:00 am on October 20th. A covered sign had been conspicuously placed below the one indicating 19th Street with a long rope coming from its corner wrapping around the pole. After months of hard work, this section of street in New York City would be dedicated to Mother Cabrini.
The people gathered were indicative of the Cabrini reach over the last 100 years. In addition to Sisters the guests included a group of retired Cabrini nurses and staff, police officers in uniform, and representatives from a number of NYC institutions including the Archdiocese of New York and Sacred Hearts-Saint Stephen’s Parish in Brooklyn. All of these had experienced Cabrini in some way and were now present to celebrate this momentous occasion.
A brief program led by Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC started at 11:00 am. Speakers of note included Father Arthur Golino, formerly of Epiphany Parish, who blessed the sign, Sr. Catherine Garry, MSC who gave a stirring reflection on the life of Mother Cabrini, and Kathleen Kelly from Community Board 6 who wrote the resolution requesting the City Council honor our foundress in this way. The keynote comments were provided by Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, who highlighted the continuing work being done by the Missionary Sisters in support of immigrant communities. Finally, all Sisters in attendance were invited to participate in the removal of the sign cover. “Mother Cabrini Way” was revealed to a resounding countdown from 10 and cheers from the over 100 people present.
The celebration continued during a reception at Cabrini Senior Apartments, where people could take photographs with the duplicate sign. The community room and outdoor patio was filled with laughter and happy chatting. This coming together as one showed a true Cabrini spirit, which doubtless caused Mother to smile upon the occasion.
To view a Smilebox presentation on the dedication:
http://play.smilebox.com/SpreadMoreHappy/4e4455334f4455344d445a384d5441304d7a6b7a4e5445770d0a?title=Mother%20Cabrini%20Way&image=4e4455334f4455344d445a384d5441304d7a6b7a4e5445770d0a.jpg
