Saint Frances Cabrini, 1850–1917

November 13

Saint Frances Cabrini lived in Italy. She wanted to go to China to teach the Chinese people about God. Pope Leo XIII asked her to go to the United States instead. Mother Frances had a choice. She decided to obey the Pope. She left Italy and went to the United States where she built schools, orphanages, and hospitals.

Discuss: Talk about a hard choice you had to make.

Saint Frances Cabrini lived in Italy. She asked the Pope if she could go to China. She wanted to teach the Chinese people about God. Pope Leo XIII told her no. But he said she could go the United States. Mother Frances had a choice. She could obey the Pope or she could try to go to China. She decided to obey. She left Italy and went to the United States where she built schools, orphanages, and hospitals. She was the first American to be canonized.

Saint Frances is the patron of immigrants and hospital administrators. She was the youngest of thirteen children. During her time in the United States, she traveled almost every year to Italy to bring back more sisters to her congregation. She did this even though she was scared of the ocean!

Activity

A Choice
Interpersonal

Explain to the child that Saint Frances Cabrini chose to do what her protector told her to do rather than what she really wanted to do. It is a lot like a child and his or her parents and the choice to obey or not.

• Have the child discuss these questions:
  • Have you ever been told to go to bed when you were not ready? Did you do it anyway?
  • Have you ever had to share something you didn’t want to share? Did you do it anyway?
  • Have you ever been told to adjust your clothes, tie your shoes, or sit down when you didn’t have time or did not want to? Did you do it anyway?
  • Have you ever been told to clean something up that you didn’t think was your job? Did you do it anyway?
  • Remind the child that if they said yes and did these things anyway, then they obeyed, just like Saint Frances Cabrini obeyed the Pope.
  • Also, remind them that obeying has its own rewards. Many times you find that your protector was right. You were tired, or needed to share, or tie your shoe so you wouldn’t fall, or clean something up now instead of later. It is like following God’s laws. He is our protector and he tells us to do things so that we will be happy and safe.