Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayers for the Perpetual Pilgrims

May 28, 2026

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage kicked off on Sunday, May 24. Each of the perpetual pilgrims on the St. Frances Cabrini Route will be carrying with them a second-class relic of Mother Cabrini, a gift from St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York. The Shrine has committed to praying for the nine perpetual pilgrims — Cheyenne Johnson, Zach Dotson, Marcel Ferrer, Sharon Phillips, Eduardo Gutierrez, Angelina Marconi, Raymond Martinez II, Mary Carmen Zakrajsek and John Paul Flynn — until the six-week walking pilgrimage ends in Philadelphia on July 4, the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding.

Although the Shrine is not a public stop on the pilgrimage route, the perpetual pilgrims will make a private retreat here during the 3rd week of June. We are honored to welcome these young, faithful Catholics, whose dedication to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament would certainly please Mother Cabrini!

Neighbors Who Sing!

May 13, 2026

Last fall, the Washington Heights Community Choir began to rehearse at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine. This non-audition choir of 80 locals bri ngs joy, and a true neighborhood feel to the
chapel. As we’ve gotten to know them, we’ve discovered new areas of common interest and a new pool of volunteers.

The choir’s repertoire ranges from sacred music to art songs to folksongs. They present four free concerts each year. Pictured here is their spring concert held on Tuesday, May 12.

First Concert of the Season on the Lawn

May 13, 2026

Sixth, seventh and eighth graders from a public school in Harlem provided. St. Frances Cabrini Shrine’s first outdoor concert of 2026 on May 7.

The Mott Hall Symphonic Orchestra, composed of about 26 youth, played a mix of jazz, classical music, and adaptations of popular songs. The weather cooperated, and proud parents and curious
neighbors enjoyed an evening al fresco.

A Loud, Happy Celebration!

May 13, 2026

Tuba, trumpets, drums, clarinets, and mountains of flowers accompanied the faithful in a celebration in honor of St. Michael the Archangel at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York on the morning of May 8. The procession and Mass were organized by a group of men who attend the Shrine’s regular Spanish Mass.

The music began in the park down the street, prompting curious neighbors to emerge from their buildings, and children to race to the windows of the adjacent school.

The festive Mass was followed by a feast on the Shrine’s lawn of homemade tamales, pozole, and other Mexican specialties.

The Perfect Spot for a Peace Prayer

April 15, 2026

Pope Leo XIV asked the world to join him in praying a rosary for peace on Saturday, April 11. A handful of regulars at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine thought the perfect place to do that was on Mother Cabrini’s bench! Clear blue skies, sunshine, and spring temperatures made it a beautiful time of prayer.

Cabrini Cares Day Spurs Action

February 24, 2026

On Saturday, February 21 a group of about 30 people from five parishes and the surrounding neighborhood gathered at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City for the first Cabrini Cares Day. The topic was helping the homeless. Pietro Bartoli of the Community of Sant’Egidio spoke about the scope of the housing problem in New York, its causes, and how everyday people can engage those who are, in his words, “Having the worst day of their life almost every day.”

Questions flew almost as fast as practical tips and ideas. Pietro noted that the most important thing we can do is to live up to our Christian calling to look at each person as a human being. “Yours may be the only smile that person receives all day,” he said. Tips offered by other participants included:
• If you offer someone a granola bar and they refuse, don’t be offended. You wouldn’t take it personally if you offered a friend food and they said no. And you don’t know if the person has already eaten ten granola bars in the past two days.
• Set yourself a policy on how you’re going to handle requests and stick to it. That way you’re not faced with a decision (and temptation) every time you’re asked.
• If you choose to give money, do it without strings or judgment attached.

At the close of the session participants put together 100 hygiene kits and 100 warming kits. Everyone took as many kits as they thought they could hand out. The remainder were given to the Community of Sant’Egidio, which does outreach to the homeless twice a week.

The group will meet again to do role-playing on how to engage the homeless, and to create additional kits.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day Greetings from St. F.X. Cabrini Shrine, NYC

December 12, 2025

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated on December 12, honors the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill near present-day Mexico City. According to tradition, Mary offered words of compassion and solidarity, asking that a church be built so she could share God’s love with all people, especially the poor and marginalized. As a sign of her presence, she left her image miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma, a sacred relic still venerated today in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This feast has become a powerful symbol of faith, cultural identity, and hope throughout the Americas, drawing millions of pilgrims each year who come to honor “La Morenita” and to seek her intercession.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of this province of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and includes the MSC ministries located in Australia, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the United States of America.

A Hope-filled Day

December 3, 2025

What did the 140 students from St. Elizabeth School do on their Jubilee pilgrimage to St. Frances Cabrini Shrine? Created a giant chain of hope, made their confessions, blew on a yobel (the ram’s horn used to announce a jubilee), colored their own prayer cards, wrote postcards to refugee children, prayed on Mother Cabrini’s bench, took the Cabrini Pledge, attended Mass, and had FUN and grew in faith! It was a whirlwind day with many graces… and hope.

Multi-day Celebrations Mark the Feast Day at NY Shrine

November 20, 2025

What a week! St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York hosted seven Feast celebrations over four days.

On November 13th we greeted youth from four Catholic schools and in the evening held the Canonization Concert, a re-creation of the Gregorian chant and other music used at Mother Cabrini’s canonization ceremony.

Saturday included Mass in Italian (with a surprise marriage proposal afterwards!) and a Mass for the Filipino community. Sunday dawned with beautiful weather and a full chapel for the English Mass. Msgr. Roger Landry, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, celebrated. His tremendously inspiring homily can be heard here.

As the English Mass ended a busload of Ugandans arrived from Massachusetts. Warm smiles, beautiful harmonies, and huge pots of food lit up the afternoon. While they were finishing their meal in the retreat room a joyous Mass in Spanish began in the chapel, celebrated by Bishop Edmund Whalen.

All in all it was a spectacular few days.

Blessings to all!

A Serene Spot for Prayer, Once Again

November 13, 2025

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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.