Recently while reading Mother Cabrini’s letters we came across a passage dated December 23, 1902: “In Denver the house is located at a height of 5,000 feet… I am sending you a photograph which was taken on the day of the inauguration. You will find me in it too, since…
The Shrine has been hosting many groups of teenagers from inner-city parishes this summer. It’s a joy to have them here, since these are kids Mother Cabrini would have loved to embrace. I often set the stage for talking about Mother Cabrini by pointing out that she was no stranger…
Sister Gabriella Linati, age 24, was a novice when she was selected as one of the six Sisters to accompany Mother Cabrini to the U.S. in 1889. Her notes are our main source of what the first voyage across the Atlantic was like. March 26, 1889 After lunch a…
Poverty in New York, 1889 Sometimes it’s hard to grasp how incredibly difficult life was for the Italian immigrants Mother Cabrini came to serve. In 1889 orphans slept in the streets. Decrepit tenements teemed with families and vermin. Parents worked 12-hour days in dangerous jobs. There were few workplace safety…
One of the delightful items in the Shrine’s museum is a pair of Mother Cabrini’s well-worn shoes. They are identical; there is not a left shoe and a right, because cobblers charged more for that kind of customization. Eventually, with enough wearing, the shoe would conform to the proper foot….
From Mother Cabrini: Italian Immigrant of the Century by Mary Louise Sullivan, MSC Frances Cabrini approached the twilight of her life of loving service and dedication persistent in her missionary efforts. In 1915 she set out for Seattle, where she had to face many difficulties in her efforts to establish…