The St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan is planning a two-day birthday remembrance in honor of Mother Cabrini, patroness of immigrants.

On Friday, July 12, at 8:30 p.m. there will be a screening of the 2024 movie “Cabrini” on the shrine’s lawn. Participants are welcome to bring a blanket for seating and their own refreshments. The screening is free, donations are welcome. Presented in conjunction with Inwood Art Works. (In case of rain, the movie will be shown on Saturday, July 13, at the same time).

On Saturday, July 13, the day will begin at 10 a.m. with a talk by actress Eugenia Forteza, who plays Sister Umilia in “Cabrini.”

 At 11 a.m., Mass will be celebrated in English by Father Michael Bruno, dean of seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers. After Mass, a first-class relic of St. Frances Cabrini will be available for veneration. At 12:45 p.m., Julia Attaway, the shrine’s director, will present REEL and REAL, a talk about “what’s fact and what’s Hollywood in the movie.”

At 3 p.m., Mass will be celebrated in Spanish by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Josu Iriondo of the Archdiocese of New York. After Mass, a first-class relic of St. Frances Cabrini will be available for veneration. Barbecue will be available for purchase throughout the day. The shrine is located at 701 Fort Washington Ave.

Mother Cabrini’s resilience

“The new ‘Cabrini’ movie is a great way to begin to understand Mother Cabrini’s character. We’re showing it on our lawn because we want our neighbors, regardless of their faith background, to meet their famous neighbor,” Attaway told The Good Newsroom. “It’s a good movie that prompts good questions: How did Mother Cabrini become so resilient? Why didn’t she suffer from compassion burnout? What kept her going?”

Attaway added that it wouldn’t be a true celebration “without the Eucharist. Mother Cabrini had tremendous devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She found her strength and nourishment in prayer, daily communion, and frequent Holy Hours. As exciting as the rest of our celebratory weekend may be, for Mother Cabrini the highlight of every day was the Mass; that will be our highlight, too.”

Mother Cabrini was born Maria Francesca Cabrini 174 years ago – July 15, 1850, in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano (Lombardy region), Italy. She arrived in New York City from Italy in 1889, with the purpose of helping struggling Italians who had arrived in New York during the second great wave of immigration.

Mother Cabrini established schools, orphanages and medical facilities in New York and other U.S. cities. She died Dec. 22, 1917, in Chicago at age 67. Her feast day is November 13. It was on that day in 1938 that she was beatified by Pope Pius XI. She was canonized July 7, 1946, by Pope Pius XII.

The National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is in Chicago. The Mother Cabrini Shrine is in Golden, Colorado. The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus order, founded in 1880 by Mother Cabrini, is still active in ministering to migrants and refugees around the world, In New York, they operate Cabrini Immigrant Services at two locations, one of which is at the shrine, where they facilitate free legal consultations about immigration issues. Cabrini Immigrant Services in New York celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.