Prayer to Saint Frances Cabrini — patroness of immigrants

Italian religious, born in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano on 15 July 1850. She founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She dreamed of going to the East, but Pope Leo XIII sent her “not to the East, but to the West,” to serve the poor Italian immigrants of the Americas. Despite a fear of the sea — she had nearly drowned as a child — she crossed the Atlantic dozens of times and founded some 67 schools, orphanages and hospitals in Italy, the United States and Latin America. She died in Chicago on 22 December 1917. Canonised by Pope Pius XII on 7 July 1946, she was the first citizen of the United States to be canonised, and in 1950 was declared heavenly patroness of emigrants. Feast: 13 November (22 December in the General Roman Calendar).

O God, who through the work of Saint Frances Cabrini willed to console and sustain the emigrants who leave their land: grant, through her intercession, that all who live far from their homeland may find in you a home, and that we may learn to welcome the stranger, the poor and the helpless as we would welcome Christ himself. Give to your Church the missionary ardour and the trust in the Heart of Jesus that animated this your servant. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.