On November 2nd, the Feast of All Souls, some of the clients from Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry, (CIS-DF) celebrated Día de los Muertos, (the Day of the Dead), with the residents at St. Cabrini Nursing Home.
Prior to the start of the prayer service, a beautiful altar, the ofrenda, was created in the lobby of the nursing home. There was such reverence and love that went into creating the altar. Each piece that was added had great meaning. There were marigolds, butterflies, fresh fruits (bananas and oranges), bread, skulls, candles, pictures of some of our deceased loved ones, colorful banners, etc. It is customary in Mexico and many of the countries in South America to build an altar in your home to remember the dead. Our CIS clients were from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela. Many of our clients are not able to go to their countries to celebrate with their families so they are so appreciative of being able to celebrate as part of the ‘Cabrini Family.’
The prayer service, which was held in the chapel, was presented in Spanish and English. Some of the clients from CIS-DF spoke about what Día de los Muertos means to them. A focus on the monarch butterfly and its connection to Dia de los Muertos was presented. As part of the service, several people held paper monarch butterflies while others held butterfly cutouts with special words in English and Spanish such as Hope/Esperanza, Love/Amor, Faith/Fe and Family/Familia. Those holding the monarch butterflies came to the front of the altar to symbolize the arrival of the butterflies. Those holding the cutouts, raised them up to represent the enduring values that connect families across generations.
The residents were then led out of the chapel to the lobby where there were luminaria bags in the hall that lit the way. One of our clients led the procession as she held the Book of the Dead. The clients spoke about the altar and the meaning of the different items.
Everyone was invited to write the names of their deceased family and friends on a card and then place it on the altar. They will 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.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is observing National Migration Week from Monday, September 21st through Sunday, September 27th. The theme of the week is, “Even just one of these children.”
On Wednesday, August 19, we had a beautiful Service of Blessing and Presentation of our new Mission Statement and Core Values at the St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Each year, the volunteers seem to look forward to this opportunity to gather together, pray together, and renew their commitment to Cabrini and to our residents. We have a wonderful group of volunteers who are so generous with their time and the positive impact they have on the lives of our residents and Cabrini at large is profound indeed.
Following Sister Theresa’s renewal, Cabrini staff and volunteers affirmed our commitment to carry on our shared mission, celebrate Mother Cabrini’s life as our inspiration, and bring God’s love to the world by providing exceptional care for our patients, the community and each other.
The celebration began in partnership with the Archdiocese of Denver as Catholics joined others across the nation in the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The day included Adoration, confessions, a bilingual Liturgy of the Word, the Consecration Prayer, a procession, and benediction.
d to the beauty of the celebration.
A huge tent was already set up on the lawn for the Cabrini Immigrant Services fundraiser scheduled for the next day, so we ate fresh-grilled hot dogs and hamburgers beneath it. Then God did something utterly magnificent: He sent a rainstorm. It was tremendous, stupendous, and utterly irresistible. The 25+ children squealed with glee and, almost as one, darted out onto the grass to dance in the rain. They ran in circles. They raced in and out of the tent, shouted to each other, held their mouths open to the sky to drink in the gift. It was joy, pure joy.
Normally, this Rite of Renewal takes place during Holy Week at the Mass of Chrism in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, but given it is almost impossible for our resident priests and brothers to get to the Cathedral, we invite the Bishop to Cabrini so that this important liturgy can be celebrated in our own Chapel.
1 residents, staff and volunteers at St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY gathered outside around our Peace Pole for a prayer service. With wars raging in various parts of the world and antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric increasing in our country, and overseas, we wanted to gather to raise our voices in prayer for a more peaceful, just, respectful and nonviolent world.
As each child entered the room, they were greeted by resident, Sr. Wilda Asfour, who provided bags in which the children collected their bounty. All of the items were coordinated by category to make the selection process easy.