As we anticipate the Year of Mercy which Pope Francis has declared, we reflect upon Mother Cabrini, who herself was a servant and
advocate of mercy and hope. From the beginning of her religious life, she sought to have mercy on the weak, the forgotten, the down-trodden, the destitute, the hopeless. Her charism was to have mercy on the poor and to assist them in any way possible – spiritually, materially, personally.
She followed the Italian immigrants to the United States and travelled from East to West, North and South, to bring mercy and hope to Italian immigrants, to open schools for their children, to establish parishes for them, to give them courage and hope in their new country – all of which were works of mercy.
Mother Cabrini was the first person in the United States to be declared a saint, which reflects her love and mercy for the poor and immigrant population – a legacy of hope and mercy that continue to this day.
~ Sr. Patricia Spillane, MSC
“I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”