St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Feast Day: November 13
A remarkable woman from humble origins, Frances was one of thirteen children. At age eighteen she wished to become a nun, but her poor health prevented her from following her dream. Instead, she helped her parents as best she could until they passed away, and then worked with her siblings on a farm. When a priest offered her a teaching position at a girls’ school she quickly accepted it, staying for six years. With urging from her bishop she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, which focused on helping impoverished children in both schools and hospitals. She soon built up a reputation for her compassion and devotion, catching the attention of Pope Leo XIII, who asked her to go to the United States in 1889 to aid the Italian immigrant community. She embraced the proposal and began founding schools, orphanages, and hospitals to help immigrants. Frances had a remarkable administrative ability and her caring knew no bounds. When she passed away in 1917, her order had established houses in several countries.