Cabrini: Champion of Compassion and Advocacy
Recently, I was moved to go and see the film Cabrini. Directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, this film was based on the life and legacy of the patron saint of the United States. The story itself is rooted in the trials and the challenges that Mother Frances Cabrini faced when she came to New York. Initially, she was a nun living in Lombardy who fell ill during her childhood. The impacts of that sickness would continue to follow her and drive her towards living a life that she would want to be proud of. Ultimately, it would inspire her to push onward in her quest to bring the Gospel to the people.
Mother Cabrini (played by Christina Dell'Anna) dares to challenge the authority of the Church and demands to speak to the Pope directly when her request to lead a mission in China was denied. The Pope heeds her and relents, but instead of sending her to China, he tells her to go West... to the United States. Cabrini and the nuns under her aren't sure what to expect when they arrive in New York City. Little do they know just how terrible the living conditions are for the recent Italian migrants. In the late 19th century, thousands of Italian immigrants are harbored away from the rest of society. This is in a time when Italians are highly frowned upon. People think they bring disease and vermin, that they are unintelligent because they don't speak English, and they are also labeled as "Brown-skinned."
Sound familiar?
I will be the first to admit that I was initially hesitant about seeing the film. Full disclosure, I have a stringent relationship with the Church as a whole-- not just Catholicism. My worldview has shifted throughout the course of my life. As a whole though I appreciate the beauty within the Christian tradition and admire all the different ways to celebrate it. However, as a gay man and a person of conscience, I have grown more disenchanted with the Church as an institution.
Though I was hesitant, I went after learning about the intentions of the film-- to tell the story not only of a nun but of a woman who literally changed the lives of thousands of refugees and migrants-- made me reconsider my hesitation.
It was also my Mom's desire to go see this film that gave me the motivation.
For the record, my Mom and I... we do not agree on everything. There are some days where she and I talk to each other and we will both ask how we are related. However, life recently has been teaching us humility and how we can extend grace to all, especially those who disagree with us. Coincidentally, this was a theme that ran throughout the film itself. Inspired by the love and example of Christ, Cabrini extends grace to those that society has thrown away.
Without my Mom, I would not be alive, nor would I be where I am now. She resides in our rural hometown in Pennsylvania still and she is waiting for the film to reach a theater or platform where she can see it personally. However, I went ahead and watched it here in Washington D.C. Throughout my viewing I noticed themes of faith, community, and resilience entering the forefront. Though Cabrini and the Sisters under her charge braved perils that put their lives at risk--- they set out with a mission to bring the love of Christ to the masses. Their work was especially concerned about the lives of Italian children...those who were orphaned or whose parents for various reasons were unable to care for them. Cabrini stepped up as a champion for the Italians living in New York. She even sought out allies across different ethnic and religious groups as well. Her concern for the well-being of all New York's immigrant communities included Irish, Italian, Polish, and Jewish immigrants and their American-born children.
What resulted was one of the greatest upheavals in New York City history. The Mayor of New York, and the Anglo-Saxon White Protestants living there, soon found themselves being politically challenged by these waves of migrants. Cabrini made it clear, that the majority of Italians in New York were having children and one day those children were going to be old enough to vote. The push for recognitions as equal citizens brought the migrants and their American descendants advances such as better hospitals and job opportunities. Cabrini's "Empire of Hope" would eventually become one of the largest charitable organizations founded by a woman within the Church. Even after her death, Cabrini's name is still known for her dedication to the poor and the marginalized.
The themes of the film followed me home. Along the way, I came across a man who was homeless. Though I myself had no spare change to offer...I remembered the lesson I took away from Cabrini. While I was unable to give change that day, I spared him kindness. I asked how his day was going and wished him well. It brightened my evening too when the man complimented my shoes.
Kindness does not need a dollar to be extended. Words are oftentimes what we need. Sometimes, it also comes back full-circle.
That night, I told my Mom about the film. Without spoiling it, I shared the themes about immigration, faith, community, and advocacy. This was definitely a conversation in the past that my Mom and I did not (and sometimes still don't) agree on. But especially this past year...we have both been going through trials that have humbled and taught us to extend grace and empathy to one another. It made conversing about the difficult topics easier.
My Mom asked me about the film and my thoughts on it. For the first time, I felt as though she was willing to hear my perspective. The trials that Italians faced were not easy. It is a legacy that I am still wrestling with myself...because as I am learning more about my family history I am finding that there are roots...including Italian...that were harbored away from my family. Much of this is rooted in the same stigma that was carried against Italians even back then. Today, Italians in the United States are celebrated for their contributions to American and global cuisine. This was a far cry from what was many years ago.
During our conversation, I made sure to reiterate how throughout history, Italians were vilified for being "poor" but also "Brown." Their status as immigrants left them vulnerable to xenophobia and nativist ideology. Many of them also lacked the ability to speak English. I chose to focus on the topic and how it related to us, our family, and our nation. Also, I reiterated how American history consistently marginalized those it considered "Brown" and incapable of speaking English. However, I also shared how those identifiers have shifted and changed over time. While Italians and their American descendants were living in squalor in New York City, across the country they struggled to build a life for themselves. Many Italians were actually threatened, attacked, and killed by the Ku Klux Klan in the South and wherever significant waves of Italians built their new lives, largely due to their association with the Catholic church and for being considered "Brown" at that time period.
My Mom listened as I spoke. There was no interrupting, besides the occasional question so she could further her understanding. My Mom also did not protest. Instead, she heard me out and I could tell that she was seeing things from a different perspective. It may be one that she may not agree fully with...but it is one that she is coming to better understand and appreciate.
What I found most important of all though was that in the process of conversing about the themes of the film I was also making sense of them myself. Looking at the legacy of Italians in the United States differently helped me realize that even in my own family history...some of us were not welcome with open arms. In fact, they were shamed and vilified by those already here. Many even shed their names and adopted ones that more closely resembled the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Nordic sounds. They also hid their true selves from their children...so that they would not bear the mark of disdain. Regardless of what background they came from, these people from the Southern Mediterranean braved perils to get to this country. The trials they endured were not easy.
Unfortunately, many of these same migrants would also go on to vilify the other groups that came after them. But there were those who-- even when there was pressure to do so-- remained aware of their own family's struggle and even had it in themselves to be empathetic to those coming next.
Several key moments show Cabrini using her determination to subvert not only the stigmatization of her heritage but also of her gender. This woman dared to question the Archbishop, the Mayor, and even the Pope. Her love for the poor...and her own understanding that she was not separate but a part of them...challenged her to go above and beyond. Rooted in her faith in God but also in her own abilities...Cabrini's efforts brought better living conditions for New York's Italian populace but for other immigrant communities too.
This is in a time where across the United States and New York City especially, new waves of migrants have made their ways to her bustling streets. The people do not speak English, many are poor, and many (though certainly not all) are considered Brown. These identifiers are charged with tension. There is backlash at their presence. They are living amongst the margins of society.
Not all of us have to be Mother Frances Cabrini to make a difference. Our simple acts of kindness will not change the social structure nor resolve systemic issues. It is important to participate in electoral processes and other avenues we have available to make these changes. Our kindness though goes a long way. In the process of honoring the dignity of our neighbors we also liberate ourselves. The causes for freedom, justice, and truth do not fall solely on the shoulders of one person or group. They are movements that require efforts on all fronts...whether that is at home, abroad, on the national level, or even in our communities.
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