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National Catholic Reporter features NY Shrine

In a neighborhood at the northern tip of Manhattan known for its bodegas, Latin music and vibrant street life, people come to pray directly to Mother Cabrini, the Patron Saint of Immigrants.

At the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine, the saint, enclosed in glass, is dressed in her habit, her pallid face in peaceful repose. Tourists and worshipers trickle in regularly, and a small faith community has grown since the shrine opened in 1959.

In New York City, nearly 40% of residents are foreign born, with more than 400,000 undocumented.

Julia Attaway, the shrine director, said that in these times Cabrini’s spirit calls for prayer and championing the cause of immigrants.

Pilgrims visit the shrine with all sorts of views on the current immigration debates. They include the undocumented praying for a break or a green card. Some are skeptical that today’s immigrants share a respect for the law that their ancestors held.

Attaway wants shrine visitors to experience a sense of the shared humanity and common spiritual bond Catholics share with all migrants.

The shrine offers hope to immigrants, Attaway said.

“These are people who have lost everything. We can’t let them lose their faith,” Attaway said. ~ submitted by Julia Attaway, Executive Director, St. F. X. Cabrini Shrine, NYC

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People pray during Eucharistic adoration in the chapel of St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in the Upper Manhattan section of New York City is seen March 3, 2024. Mother Cabrini’s remains are encased in a glass casket embedded in the chapel’s altar. (OSV News photo/G

Una Noche de Esperanza

An overflow crowd packed St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City on March 7 for the first in a series of “Nights of Hope.”

Each of these evenings is designed to make going on a Jubilee pilgrimage easy: we offer confession, prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions, Mass, and Adoration. The events alternate between being in English and Spanish. A night for young adults and a family day are also being planned.

Bishop Edmund Whalen celebrated the opening event in Spanish. With six priests on hand, hundreds of confessions were heard and a chapel full of people remained for the full hour of Adoration. It was truly an inspiring evening filled with hope.

Exciting News from the St. F.X. Cabrini Shrine

St. Frances Cabrini Shrine is honored to be named a sacred pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee of Hope by the Archdiocese of New York. The bishop of each diocese is permitted to designate local pilgrimage sites so that the faithful who are unable to travel to Rome during the Jubilee can still receive a plenary indulgence by going on pilgrimage locally. ~ submitted by Julia Attaway, Executive Director, St. F.X. Cabrini Shrine, NYC

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Fifty-six adults from the Archdiocese of New York gathered with family, friends, and their sponsors to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine on the evening of December 4. What joy! Bishop Edmund Whalen presided.

New Immigrants Celebrate Mother Cabrini’s Feast


On Friday, November 8, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Upper Manhattan welcomed approximately 150 newly-arrived immigrants for a special Mass to introduce them to Mother Cabrini, Patroness of Immigrants. Bishop Edmund Whalen, who has visited the Shrine since he was as a young boy, gladly celebrated.

The joy and hope in the chapel was palpable. After the Mass, a spread of empanadas and pupusas provided ample opportunity for community and conversation. One comment overheard between a visitor and his priest (translated from Spanish), “We don’t have a statue of Mother Cabrini in our church! We need to get one!”

The reply: “Absolutely!”

Perpetual Pilgrims Share Their Experiences

Last May, the St. Frances X. Cabrini Shrine was the launch point for the Manhattan leg of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The chapel was packed to overflowing with the faithful who took to the streets with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

On Tuesday three of the “perpetual pilgrims” returned to the Shrine to discuss their experiences during nearly three months on the road with the Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Roger Landry, Zoe Dongas, and Marina Fratelli each spoke with compelling faith about what it was like.

Marina was a new convert to Catholicism and began the pilgrimage just days after graduating from law school. For her, participating meant giving up the two months she had available to study for the bar exam. Zoe Dongas had to quit her job to become a pilgrim, because her employer would not allow her that much time off. Neither young woman regretted her decision in the slightest.

Fr. Landry spoke of the intensity of walking with the Blessed Sacrament mere inches from his face for six or eight hours a day. The end result: he can no longer live with just one holy hour a day.

The witness of these three pilgrims who traveled with Jesus in heat waves and in rain, in prisons and on boats, was exhilarating. It left us all inspired to step out boldly in faith to bring the Gospel to the world.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine in NYC Holds Mass for Peace in the Holy Land

NY Shrine Holds
Mass for Peace in the Holy Land

On Friday, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine held a Mass for Peace in the Holy Land, followed by a panel discussion of what it is like for Catholics living there and how we can help. The evening closed with a beautiful Holy Hour.

. Kareem Smith, head of intercultural affairs for the Archdiocese of New York, moderated the panel. Salem Farmand, a young Palestinian Catholic, spoke of his family’s experiences living in the Holy Land. Mother Mary Doliente, Superior of the Servant Sisters of the Lord and Our Lady of Matará in East Harlem, talked about the Servidoras’ mission in Gaza. There were many inspiring stories of deep faith and hope.

The Holy Hour featured live music and many candles. It was peaceful. It was prayerful. It was healing.
Jesus, pour out your love and peace on the people of the Holy Land.

 

Mass for Peace in the Holy Land

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.

Helping Neighbors Help Others

For two days this week the retreat room at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York is a happy mess, as neighbors bring in their gently-used clothing, toys, and housewares. Tomorrow we will take all the donations down to the Armory, where they will become part of the merchandise at the Uptown Wagon FreeStore.

The FreeStore is an event that is entirely run by volunteers. The concept is “give what you can, take what you need.” There is no charge for anything. Many of the ‘shoppers’ are new immigrants or people on minimal incomes. The layout is carefully set up to look like an actual store, where customers are treated with respect.

This is the third time the Shrine has acted as a drop-off point for donations for the FreeStore. Making it easy for our neighbors to give to others is, we think, part of being a good neighbor ourselves.

1260 Upper Gulph Road, Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 484-581-7163   Fax: 484-581-7164
info@mothercabrini.org