In 1889, an Italian Catholic nun named Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini went to visit Pope Leo XIII to ask for permission to go to China as a missionary.
“Not to the East, but to the West,” he replied. Pope Leo wanted her to go to the United States to serve the Italian immigrants there, who were struggling with poverty and persecution. Accepting his invitation, Mother Cabrini took six of her sisters to New York City almost immediately. The bishop in New York wasn’t expecting them so soon, and suggested they return to Italy. Mother Cabrini refused; the pope had sent them, after all. They spent their first night in a dingy tenement in an Italian ghetto.
It didn’t take the sisters long to get started. The opened an orphanage in 1890, which is still in operation as a youth treatment center today. They followed that up with a free school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where the poorest Italian immigrants lived. Mother Cabrini ended up founding 65 more organizations throughout the United States, South America and Europe, all dedicated to serving the poor, sick, abandoned or uneducated.
Canonized in 1946, the first U.S. citizen to become a saint, Mother Cabrini’s feast day was this week: Nov. 13. Because of her work with marginalized, immigrant communities, she is the patron saint of immigrants.
There is no better time, then, to announce an exciting project about to begin that is meant to carry on Mother Cabrini’s legacy.
On Monday, Nov. 18, a small group of pilgrims will embark on a nine-day, 130-mile pilgrimage through South and Central Jersey to advocate for just, comprehensive immigration reform. They will stay at partner churches and meet with congressional staff members.
But mostly, they will walk.
Our Catholic tradition of pilgrimage dates back to the church’s earliest years, when disciples would undertake long, physically challenging journeys meant to honor God, and sometimes to request a particular blessing.
The pilgrims departing on Monday will use their journey as a way to pray for our leaders, entrusted with the care of all. They will pray for immigrants here in our country, those with documentation and those without it. They will pray for our church, and that we might always be people of welcoming and healing, as Mother Cabrini was.
There are plenty of ways you can get involved in the effort:
– Join the pilgrims for a leg of the journey, or provide behind-the-scenes support. Email me michael.laskey@camdendiocese.org to learn more about getting involved.
– Fill out a prayer pledge form online. Include a prayer greeting, which will be delivered to the pilgrims as they travel. You can do this at http://camdenlifejustice.wordpress.com
– Come to Mass on Monday, Nov. 18, to help bless the pilgrims. The Mass will be at 12:05 p.m. at Camden’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (642 Market Street). The group will depart on their journey after Mass.
– As this year’s legislative session approaches its end, it’s essential to keep up the momentum and do all we can to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality.
Call your congressman in the House of Representatives and urge him to pass immigration reform. Here is contact information and a basic script you can use:
Congressman Rob Andrews: 856-546-5100
Congressman Frank LoBiondo: 609-625-5008
Congressman Jon Runyan: 856-780-6436
Script: “Hi, my name is n., and I’m from (name of parish and city). I’m calling to urge the congressman to support comprehensive, compassionate immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants here in the country. It should also include strong provisions to preserve family unity. Please let the congressman know that Catholics across his district are calling for compassionate reform. “
It’s that easy to make your voice heard.
Don’t let these chances to put your faith into action pass by. Honor the legacy of Mother Frances Cabrini today.
Mike Jordan Laskey is director of Life and Justice Ministries, Diocese of Camden.
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