ABSTRACT
Migration Studies, 1992 Mother Frances Cabrini was an important figure in the settlement of Italian immigrants in the United States. Her tireless dedication to the reduction of suffering among immigrant populations has earned her the distinguished title “Italian Immigrant of the Century.” This honor was bestowed on Mother Cabrini in 1952 by the American Committee on Italian Migration. In 1909, at the age of 38, Mother Cabrini migrated from Italy to the United States. After a few years she became an American citizen and spent the last half of her life as a missionary in the midst of one of the largest migrations in human history. In America she founded the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, a religious order devoted to helping immigrants. Soon after the death of Mother Cabrini there were many reports of miracles and cures. After an extensive investigation of her cause by the Roman Catholic curia, Pope Pius XII declared her a saint in 1946. This was an extremely important event in the history of American Catholicism because Mother Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized. Also, she was made a saint within a mere thirty years after her death.
