On an ordinary Wednesday evening, the Misión Compartida and Partners in Mission groups of the Basilica Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help walked the streets of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for an experience unlike any that they had together before. Their destination: a showing of the biographical film “Cabrini,” which chronicles the life and mission of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen named saint and foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For some, this was a first-time opportunity into the world of cinema.
What began as a simple movie night soon evolved into a profound experience of shared faith and community bonding. As the film unfolded, depicting Mother Cabrini’s tireless efforts to serve immigrants and the marginalized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, parallels began to emerge between her life and that of our St. Alphonsus Liguori. Mother Cabrini, like St. Alphonsus, shared a deep commitment to missions to those on the peripheries of society, understanding the profound call to serve God by embracing the challenges and sacrifices inherent in their missions. Interestingly, Father Francis Clement Kelley, reflecting on Mother Cabrini’s legacy during her Requiem Mass in Chicago, likened Cabrini to St. Alphonsus and great founders of other religious orders during his homily. Fr. Kelly noted, “Like her predecessors among the founders of religious orders, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini was a pioneer, already canonized in the hearts of her spiritual daughters.”
The film highlighted how Mother Cabrini purchased land in West Park, New York in 1889, where she chose to be buried. This location became a large orphanage as well as the burial ground for the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and also made them a neighbor to our Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New York. Patrick Hayes, Ph.D., the Archivist for the Baltimore Province of the Redemptorists, notes, “At her death in Chicago in December 1917, she was eulogized by Fr. Francis Clement Kelley, founder the Catholic Extension Society. But it was a Redemptorist priest, Father Francis Fischer, C.Ss.R. who actually celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial at West Park, NY, where the sisters had a community. Her body was later disinterred and placed in her shrine in Manhattan. Unfortunately, Father Fischer’s homily does not survive... He died in 1945.” Many of our Redemptorists had the privilege of collaborating with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at West Park, presiding at Masses and conducting retreat days and various programs.
Watching “Cabrini” together was more than just an introduction to the life of a saint. Conversations flowed freely afterward, weaving together personal insights and collective admiration for Mother Cabrini’s unwavering faith and humanitarian spirit. For those who were unfamiliar with her story, the film provided an understanding of the profound implications of selfless service and the boundless love of God. As the Brooklyn Misión Compartida and Partners in Mission groups returned home that evening, they carried with them not only the memory of a compelling film, but also a renewed sense of purpose in their own journeys of faith and commitment to mission.
Ultimately, the motivation for mission lies in emulating the example set by saints like Mother Cabrini and St. Alphonsus Liguori. Their lives teach us that to serve God at the peripheries requires courage, compassion, and a willingness to embrace the crosses that come with such service. As the Brooklyn Misión Compartida and Partners in Mission groups continue to grow and integrate, their experience with “Cabrini” will be a reminder that faith in action can transcend generations and has the power to transform communities, echoing Mother Carbrini’s belief that, “One small gesture of love can change everything.”