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Relic reawakens spirit of Mother Cabrini's mission

By Tania Mann

STAFF WRITER

On the 90th anniversary of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s death, Dec. 22, the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii held a Mass to end a tour of the relic of her arm bone. For the past six months, this remnant of America’s first saint has been brought to many churches, reaching each of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s vicariates.

“It has been an opportunity to share the gift that Mother Cabrini is to us, to deepen our consciousness of her spirituality,” said Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart Joan McGlinchey, the archdiocese’s vicar for religious and also a member of the congregation’s general consulate in Rome.

“There is a lot of myth in Chicago about her, but her spirituality is less known; these six months helped us deepen our understanding.”

In his homily at the Mass, Cardinal George provided insight into that deep spirituality, outlining the gifts with which Cabrini was blessed. These included her gift for working with the needy and her intimate connection to the Sacred Heart of Christ.

Her mission was in helping immigrants, and today she is their patron saint. It was through those who were most destitute that Cabrini was pointed towards God, Cardinal George explained.

“She could find herself with him in their presence,” he said. “When we are with the hungry, the homeless, the naked, we become what Mother Cabrini was — a light. She gives us the courage to become saints and leads us along the pathway of sanctity.”

And that is what the tour of her relic was about — becoming aware of how Mother Cabrini’s example can lead us in our faith lives today.

Physical and spiritual journey

“In this year of celebration, we walk with her not only where she walked physically but also we walk with her spiritually, so as to join her in the communion of saints,” said Cardinal George.

Gilda Valentino of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii certainly found that to be the case, as she volunteered to help bring the relic to several parishes.

“I didn’t know much about what a true pilgrimage is,” said Valentino. “It really is a way to grow your faith. When you put yourself in that physical and spiritual place, things just happen.”

Ultimately, this physical and spiritual journey should find its destination in salvation, with the help of saints like Cabrini, Cardinal George said.

“Saints are saints because they walk with God; they lead us and accompany us to God,” he said. “She was always with a soul rooted in the presence of God, and so she invites us to talk with God.”

On her pilgrimage, Valentino felt a strong sense of Cabrini’s intervention.

“I know that she is in the process of communicating something to me about where I fit in,” said Valentino. “I just know that she’s chosen me. I’m honored.”

Sainthood and family

Valentino’s connection to Mother Cabrini is tied to the ancestors whom she also sees as saints.

“I believe in honoring the saints, especially this saint — my great-grandma cooked for her.” Valentino explained. “We need to honor our own saints in our own lives, too. Whether or not their sainthood is acknowledged is unimportant — it’s our struggle. We honor our ancestors who came over on the boat for what they’ve done for us and for the people who come after. I’m honoring my grandma in this.”

So many of the American saints who are mothers to us now have the same message of outreach to the downtrodden, rooted in a strongly Christological theology, as McGlinchey explained.

“A wonderful thing I've discovered during my ministry here in Chicago is that all these founding mothers — all of them — they all said the same thing,” said McGlinchey. “They all came to work with immigrants and were Christocentric.”

Mother Cabrini’s ministry was centered on her hospital for immigrants in Chicago and she very clearly had an “intense love for the sacred heart of Jesus, the person of Christ,” as McGlinchey said.

It is this ministry that has most impacted many of the parishes her relic visited. This became clear during one of the memorable experiences of the tour for Valentino.

“It was evident that this man had been working all day,” said Valentino. “He asked me, ‘What is this all about?’”

She responded by telling of the devotion to her and of her work with immigrants.

“Tears welled up in his eyes, the whole thing just came together for him,” Valentino recounted. “It was obvious this woman was touching him in this moment. That mirrored my experience. ... Somehow she is at work in my life — she is alive.”