Today, Nov. 13, is World Kindness Day! It is also the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, our first US citizen to be canonized. What was she canonized for? Her kindness of course!
In 1880 Mother Cabrini’s bishop requested that she found the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in service of hospitals and the poor children. Then in 1889 she left her homeland of Italy with 6 other sisters and settled in New You working with immigrants.
In 1902 she moved to Denver, Colorado and settled in Golden. By the time of her death in 1917, she founded 67 institutions worldwide including schools, orphanages and hospitals.
There is a beautiful shrine in Golden that is well worth the trip. There is a magnificent 22 foot tall (33 foot with base) statue of Jesus dedicated to His Sacred Heart. 373 steps were placed up the side of the mountain to reach the statue. It is said St. Cabrini loved being here “I am happy to have a mission in the Rocky Mountains where I always desired to go, May God be praised!” – Mother Cabrini.
The two miracles that secured her sainthood include restored vision to a child who was blind and the healing of a nun that was terminally ill.
She was made patroness of immigrants in 1950.
In memory of this great saint, let’s go out and do something kind today!
Just behind the Mystical Veil 