Our Namesake

OUR PATRON SAINT: Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint and the founder of orphanages, day-care centers, clinics and hospitals around the world.

On the 50th anniversary of her canonization, The National Women's Hall of Fame inducted 11 women, including St. Frances Cabrini. The National Women's Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 in Seneca Falls, New York, where the first Women's Rights Convention was held in 1848.

Mother Frances Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. She was blessed with great faith, fortitude and a desire to be a missionary. However, because of her poor health, no community of religious would accept her. So, in 1880, with the spirit of faith and determination, Frances Cabrini founded her own community, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Upon hearing of the plight of Italian immigrants in America, she and six companions came to New York in 1889. Despite tremendous hardships, Cabrini's spirit and desire for action infused her companions with confidence and nurtured their faith in God. She demanded simplicity, piety and obedience from them and, at the same time, provided them with the love of a mother.

Over the years, her dedication enabled her to establish orphanages, hospitals and schools from New York to Chicago to Denver to Seattle. It was in Seattle that she "let her love for America blossom and she quietly visited city hall and announced her desire to become an American citizen."

Mother Frances Cabrini traveled thousands of miles around the world. In less than 30 years she established 65 houses of the Missionary Sisters, crossed the ocean thirty times and visited eight countries. She worked at an amazing pace. In 1917, she came down with malaria and died at the age of 67.

Her total trust in God and the belief that He worked through her made Mother Cabrini an exceptional woman. The motto she chose for her community of sisters was, "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." (Phil.4:13) Because of her great faith and dedication to serving others, the Church proclaimed her a saint in 1946. She was the first United States citizen to be canonized a saint. We celebrate the life and spirit of our school's patron on November 13.

Note: Our school's name is often misspelled, with an "i" instead of an "e". Our school patron is a woman and the female form of our name is correctly spelled with and "e".

Other Schools with this namesake

For more information on this saint, visit the following web sites: