Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Thanksgiving with an International Flair!

The Knitting Group at Cabrini Immigrant Services – Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF), held a special Thanksgiving luncheon. The group wanted to celebrate all the blessings that they had and continue to receive.

The meal started with a special prayer given by one of the clients. In addition to thanking God for the gifts of faith, friendship and family, she also thanked God for the gift of CIS-DF and the staff. A Thanksgiving meal followed the prayer. Special recipes were prepared with a flavor from the different countries. Everyone was so proud to bring in dishes from Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.

Lorraine Campanelli, the Director, told the members of the Knitting Group that they too are a blessing to CIS-DF. She told them of the good that they do for so many people through their special projects. It was a blessing that we could all be together, celebrate and be thankful.

So Much for Which to be Thankful

During this time of giving thanks, Cabrini Immigrant Services -Dobbs Ferry, NY (CIS-DF), is thrilled to announce that we have a new US citizen. Dara Mersi Martinez passed her US Citizenship exam! She came to the United States in 2011 from Guatemala. Dara is filled with gratitude for all the help she received from her tutors at CIS-DF.

A special thank you to Peter Ricca, one of her tutors, who helped Dara learn the many questions needed to pass the test. Congratulations Dara!

10th Annual NYC Chili Bowl!

Last weekend, the 10th Annual NYC Chili Bowl brought neighbors together for an afternoon of good food and community. All proceeds from the event supported the CIS-NYC Food Pantry, helping us continue to provide fresh, healthy food to families across Upper Manhattan.

We’re so grateful to everyone who made the event possible and to all who came out to support our work. Community efforts like this help ensure that our pantry can keep serving our neighbors during a time of rising food costs and reduced federal assistance.

Teens Helping Teens

Following the STARS program, several of our high school students came to CIS-DF to participate in a Giving Back Program. The students made 100 bags filled with toiletries and other items which will be given to teenagers whose families frequent The Pantry, which is located in Verplanck, NY. The Pantry provides groceries for residents in the Town of Cortlandt.

One student created the list of items for the bags. In addition to deodorant, lip balm, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc., the teenagers will also be receiving socks, scrunchies, stress balls, lollipops, wristbands and keychains with inspirational sayings. We are sure that that these packets will brighten the holidays for these teenagers. A special thank you to our CIS-DF teenagers for taking time on their Veterans Day off from school to help others.

Integrity Always!

Cabrini Immigrant Services – Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF) held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) Program for students in Grades 3-5 on November 11th. In addition to being Veterans Day, it was also National Young Readers Day. Dr. Wendy Mages, a trained storyteller, told the story, The Empty Pot, by Demi. A great discussion took place following the story. The students spoke about the importance of having good character. Words such as honesty, compassion, responsibility, etc. were suggested as the ways in which we should act towards one another.

After the discussion, the students created “A Tree of Integrity.” On the trunk, branches and leaves of the tree, the words that were used during the discussion were written on painted leaves. The tree, which hangs in our classroom, is a reminder to always be people with integrity.
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CIS-NYC Trying Its Very Best to Serve Those in Need

An estimated 2.9 million New Yorkers, including 1 million children, did not receive their food benefits on November 1st. While partial SNAP payments have been ordered to resume, it’s still unclear when families will get their full benefits. In the meantime, community food pantries, like ours, across the city are trying filling the gap and feed our communities.

At Cabrini Immigrant Services-NYC (CIS-NYC), our pantry already serves around 400 families every Saturday morning, and we expect that number to grow in the weeks ahead. To meet this need, we’ve extended our distribution hours from 7–9AM to 7–10AM.

This week, our pantry was highlighted in a NYT article about how faith-based and community programs are stepping up to meet this moment, often stretching limited resources to continue serving families. ~ submitted by Amelia Scdoris, Justice for Immigrants Coordinator

You can read the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/nyregion/church-pantries-food-aid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yU8.SFKW.c50lgOcL8tjM&smid=url-share

Día de los Muertos

As November approaches, we begin to think about our deceased family, friends and loved ones in a special way. On October 29th, some of the clients from Cabrini Immigrant Services, (CIS) Dobbs Ferry, NY, shared their celebration of Día de los Muertos, (the Day of the Dead), with the residents at St. Cabrini Nursing Home.

A beautiful altar was created with love and reverence in the lobby of the nursing home. Each element had great significance. In Mexico and Latin America, it is customary to build an altar to remember the dead. Our CIS clients are from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and Venezuela. Many of our clients cannot go to their countries to celebrate with their own families therefore they are appreciative to celebrate with the ‘Cabrini Family.’

Our clients prayed and spoke in Spanish and English about what Día de los Muertos means to them. Two beautiful songs were performed. One song, La Llorona, is about a mother who is crying for her children who drowned. The other, Remember Me, from the movie Coco, reminds us that if even if a person is no longer with us, they are always in our hearts.

A CIS client carrying the Book of the Dead led a procession with luminaria bags lighting the way. People shared the meaning of the items gracing the altar. It was an emotional time of remembering deceased family and friends by writing their names on cards and placing them on the altar to be remembered in our prayers.

A special thank you to Bonnie Burke, CEO/Nursing Home Administrator at St. Cabrini Nursing Home and Fr. Ron Galt, Vice President for Mission Integration and Pastoral Care, for inviting us to celebrate such a meaningful time at the nursing home. ~submitted by: Lorraine Campanelli, Director, CIS-DF

 

 

A Fitting Tribute for a Departed Friend

We are deeply saddened over the loss of our friend, Brigid K. Sullivan. It has been two months since she passed, and to honor her life and care, we have dedicated our community room at CIS-NYC in her name: the Brigid K. Sullivan Community Room.
For thirteen years, Brigid gave her time, energy, and heart to our community. Now, this space will carry on her work, and we will continue to pour love into our community as she always did.

This week, we gathered to remember her. We shared a blessing and read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes: “He has made everything beautiful in its time… I know that nothing is better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”

Brigid’s generosity and spirit will always be part of this space and part of all of us who had the privilege to know her.

Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home

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From October 1 to 3, Villanova University, through the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, and the Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home project, held three days of conferences and working groups at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome, with the aim of “shaping the first drafts of action plans that will guide our collective response to migration in higher education and beyond.”

The invitation came from attorney Michele Pistone of Villanova University, which enabled Javier Ramirez Baron, Executive Director, Sister Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC, and Sister Yolanda Flores, MSC of Cabrini Immigrant Services – New York City (CIS_NYC) to participate, along with our Superior General, Sister Eliane Azevedo da Silva, MSC; General Councilor Sister Patricia Godoy, MSC, Sister Joseane Cabral, MSC and Sister Tatiana Avdokushina, MSC.

An integral part of the program was an audience with Pope Leo XIV, who encouraged us to strive to seek new ideas and forms of service “by placing the dignity of each person at the center of any solution.” When we encounter difficulties, he said, we should not fall into the trap of “globalization of indifference,” but rather nurture a “culture of reconciliation.” The Pope, recognizing that this work is not easy, encouraged us to formulate action plans without forgetting that “it is also important to remember that migrants and refugees can be privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and trust in God.”

During the conference, Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz created a sculpture of Frances X. Cabrini, incorporating figures of migrants considered—in his own words – “angels unawares.” His work reflects what we can offer through our service, hope, and support for each person we serve. This piece of art was blessed on the last day by Fr. Joseph Farrell, OSA, the Prior General of the Augustinian Friars, in the presence of all the participants.

On the 4th and 5th, we actively participated in the Jubilee of Migrants and the Mission.

On the 6th, a group of MSCs, along with a lay person, Javier Ramirez, held a meeting to evaluate our participation in the jubilee and share our different types of services related to migration. This was an opportunity to present to the General Council a proposal to organize a small committee of sisters and lay people (two to three people) to help us find resources, creative ways, and support for the work we do on behalf of migrants and refugees. It can be a small drop into a huge ocean of needs, but a helpful drop maybe needed to complete the ocean.

Feeling Thankful and Blessed

Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF), held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) for Kids Program for students in Grades Kindergarten-. The STARS program has helped our students by increasing their attention span, improving their imagination and creative thinking as well as building confidence in their verbal and artistic expression.

Dr. Wendy Mages, a trained storyteller, told the story, Thankful, by Eileen Spinelli. After listening to the story, the students discussed all that they were thankful for. What a wonderful reminder to know how blessed we all are! The students worked on two art projects. Everyone wrote on a piece of construction paper what they were thankful for. The papers were then linked together to create a ‘I Am Thankful For…” chain. The students were then given jars which they filled with words of thankfulness. Some of the words chosen were Mom, Dad, grandparents, sisters and brothers, school, friends, books, and so many other things. The students can add more papers to their jars as they discover new things they are thankful for.

The students were so happy to receive a copy of the book, Thankful. They were going to read the story at home and ask their family to share what they are thankful for.
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