L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 4 T he legacy of Ital- ian migrants to the United States in the late 19th a n d e a r l y 2 0 t h centuries offers a timeless lesson on resilience and the power of community. Today, across the globe, we witness scenarios echoing those our ancestors lived through, and it is, perhaps, for this reason, t h a t f i g u r e s l i k e M o t h e r Cabrini are so relevant and modern. Herself an immi- g r a n t , M o t h e r F r a n c e s Xavier Cabrini dedicated h e r l i f e t o t h e s e r v i c e o f i m m i g r a n t s , b e c o m i n g a modern emblem of strength, compassion, and social jus- tice that transcends religious boundaries. Her story is a narrative of understanding, social sup- port, and the just develop- ment of society; she stood, for many migrants to the US, as a guiding light of hope. She embodied strength and r e s i l i e n c e , i n a w a y t h a t many of the most powerful p e o p l e o f t o d a y c a n o n l y dream of. And while speak- ing of Mother Cabrini, it's o n l y n a t u r a l t o t h i n k o f another titan of charity and service, Mother Theresa of Calcutta who, perhaps even inspired by her prede- cessor, took similar strides in aiding the marginalized. B o t h w o m e n , w i t h t h e i r extraordinary contributions, demonstrated an unparal- leled passion and dedication t o h u m a n i t y . T h e i r l i v e s remind us that real power lies not in authority or dom- inance but in the ability to uplift the most vulnerable in society. "The world is too small for what I intend to do," she would say. And how close a r e h e r w o r d s t o t h o s e u t t e r e d b y s o m a n y w h o came to the US – perhaps in the very same years she a l s o t r a v e l e d a c r o s s t h e ocean and made America her new home – hoping to make it big, to turn their dreams into a reality. But Francesca Cabrini's legacy is probably way bigger than what she dreamed of. She n o t o n l y b e c a m e t h e Catholic Church's patron saint of immigrants, but she also established 67 institu- tions — schools, hospitals, and orphanages — all over the world. Her activity was relentless until her death on D e c e m b e r 2 2 , 1 9 1 7 , i n Chicago, where she passed away of complications from m a l a r i a a t t h e a g e o f 6 7 while preparing Christmas candy for local children. In 1946, she was canonized by Pope Pius XII in recogni- tion of her holiness and ser- vice to humanity: she was t h e f i r s t U S c i t i z e n t o become a saint. Five months later, it was again Pius XII who wanted a statue of her p l a c e d i n o n e o f t h e f e w available niches in the cen- tral nave of St. Peter's Basil- ica in Rome, where she has been honored since as the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1950, she was named P a t r o n e s s o f I m m i - grants. Her liturgical feast falls on December 22, the day of her death. In 1999, S a i n t P o p e J o h n P a u l I I referred to her as the "Mis- sionary of the New Evange- lization." Today, her body rests in St. Cabrini Shrine Church in New York City. T o h o n o r t h e l i f e a n d remarkable legacy of Moth- e r F r a n c e s c a S a v e r i o Cabrini, the movie Cabri- ni will be screened in over 3,000 cinemas nationwide on March 8th. The feature film unveils a segment of her endeavors, highlighting h e r d e d i c a t i o n t o a i d i n g immigrants, with a particu- lar emphasis on children in New York. It especially cap- tures her challenges against t h e r e s i s t a n c e f r o m N e w York's religious leaders in 1889, a period marked by s i g n i f i c a n t a n t i - I t a l i a n i m m i g r a n t s e n t i m e n t . Cabrini, an Italian immi- grant herself, faced not just societal hostility but also crime, disease, and dire liv- i n g c o n d i t i o n s , p o s i n g t h r e a t s p r i m a r i l y t o orphaned children. Along- side her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she embarked on a daring mission to provide shelter and education to society's most vulnerable. Bringing the main char- acter to life is Italian actress C r i s t i a n a D e l l ' A n n a , globally recognized for her r o l e i n t h e T V s e r i e s G o m o r r a . P o r t r a y i n g Archbishop Corrigan is the a c c l a i m e d a c t o r D a v i d M o r s e , w h o s e d e c a d e s - spanning career is adorned with numerous awards. The r o l e o f P o p e L e o X I I I i s filled by the talented Italian actor and director Giancar- lo Giannini. Giannini is c e l e b r a t e d b o t h f o r h i s achievements in Italy, for his work as an Italian voice actor for countless Ameri- can blockbusters, and also for his appearances in the Daniel Craig James Bond series. An exciting addition to the cast is award-winning actor, writer, and producer John Lithgow, known for his roles in high-profile pro- jects like The Crown, here playing Mayor Gould. The film is directed by Alejan- dro Monteverde. As members of the media, o u r t e a m f r o m L ' I t a l o - Americano had the privi- lege of attending an exclu- Mother Cabrini, pioneering Saint and advocate for immigrants. Now a major motion picture SILVIA NITTOLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Italian actress Cristiana Dell'Anna as Mother Cabrini in the movie (Photo courtesy of Angel Studios)

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