In July of 1946, a native of Boston named Francesca Bertolami traveled to Rome to be present at the canonization of her namesake, Mother Francesca Cabrini. While there she wrote three letters to friends back in the U.S. describing her experience. Today, to honor the day when Mother Cabrini was…
Rough Sailing for Mother Cabrini By Frida Merino Avalos Harsh weather on Mother Cabrini’s 1899 voyage from New York to Le Havre made for nights of unrest and uncertainty. On the second night intense fog set in, which Mother described as, “darkness so thick that it can almost be touched.”…
We will celebrate Mother Cabrini’s 175th birthday on three dates in July. Please join us at Mass, for birthday cake, and for our special events. 6:30-8:30 pm Community Action & Advocacy Day Join Cabrini Immigrant Services of New York to learn the facts about what is happening with immigration today….
Saving Mother Cabrini’s Bench In April we wrote about the history of Mother Cabrini’s prayer bench, which is memorialized in the mosaic at the Shrine. The effort to restore the bench so that you can use it as St. Cabrini did is now underway. On a drizzly morning in April…
A Feverish Decision In December of 1887, Mother Cabrini arrived in Rome with a high fever. The Missionary Sisters, alarmed by her physical decline, called in Doctor Morini. He predicted that Mother Cabrini only had about two years left to live. Mother Cabrini herself knew her time was probably limited….
Join us for an evening singing simple chant, with spaces for quiet meditation. Gregorian Meditation provides the opportunity to sing with others in a peace-filled time of meditation, prayer, or reflection. No experience needed: you will be taught everything you need to know. All voices and faiths welcome. Need more…
As part of the Jubilee of Hope, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine has invited the remarkable Immaculée Ilibagiza to speak on May 7, 2025, on the topic of Hope and Forgiveness. Immaculée’s story is tremendously inspiring. During the Rwandan genocide of 1994, her father – to protect his only daughter from…
The mosaic at the Shrine includes an unusual park bench with gargoyle armrests. It is memorialized on the wall because Mother Cabrini used to sit upon this bench to pray when she visited northern Manhattan. Where did this unique item some from? We don’t know with certainty but have what…
Mother Cabrini had just returned from her first trip to New York in 1899 when a huge fire broke out at the convent in Codogno, Italy. It began in a shed where, Mother Cabrini reported, “I had just finished storing a large quantity of wood.” She may have been the…