Frances Xavier Cabrini
Italian-American Catholic nun, misionary and saint (1850-1917)
Feast: 13 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Francesca Cabrini was born in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, in Lombardy, on 15 July 1850, and in 1880 founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She hoped to be a missionary in Asia, but Pope Leo XIII told her to go 'not to the East, but to the West'.
She landed in New York on 31 March 1889 with six sisters to serve the Italian immigrants there, and went on to found 67 orphanages, schools and hospitals across the United States, Latin America and Europe. She became an American citizen in 1909, died in Chicago on 22 December 1917, and was the first US citizen to be canonised. She is the patron saint of immigrants.
The miracles
Peter Smith — Columbus Hospital, USA — 1921
A newborn boy was blinded when a nurse mistakenly put a strong solution of silver nitrate in his eyes. The sisters touched a relic of Mother Cabrini to his eyes, pinned it to his clothing and prayed through the night for her intercession. Within 72 hours his corneas had healed and his sight was restored.
Sister Delfina Grazioli — Seattle, USA — 1925–1929
A religious sister was dying after four operations. She said she saw Mother Cabrini in a vision, and she recovered.
Why that counted as sanctity
The case of Peter Smith was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle, opening the way to beatification. Beatification followed on 13 November 1938 by Pius XI. The case of Sister Delfina Grazioli was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle, opening the way to canonisation. Canonisation followed on 7 July 1946 by Pius XII.
- St Frances Cabrini Shrine, New York - miracles and canonisation
- National Catholic Register - Mother Cabrini's shrines show a legacy of miracles
- Wikipedia - Frances Xavier Cabrini (life, beatification and the two miracles)
- Wikidata Q238983 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Frances Xavier Cabrini (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.