Memorializing a Mother

For Mother’s Day we were inspired by the Mother Cabrini statue at Battery Park City in Manhattan. It’s a beautiful piece with a lot of interesting history behind it.

The main person in the sculpture is Francesca Saverio Cabrini, who was born in Italy in 1850. This “mother” is actually not a mother at all as she became a nun and founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through this order of nuns she dedicated her life to helping the poor, sick and orphaned. She came to the US in 1889 where she worked tirelessly to help immigrants and establish schools, hospitals, and orphanages in partnership with the Catholic Church.

As a result of her influence and protection for thousands of America’s impoverished souls, a statue was created in her honor by a local sculptor from Brooklyn and it was unveiled in 1955 at Cabrini Park. Eventually it was moved to Battery City Park in the 1990s. The statue is made of bronze and stands 13 feet tall. It depicts Mother Cabrini holding a book in one hand and a cross in the other, with three children at her feet. The children represent the orphanages that she established.

She also had a strong presence in the city of Chicago, where she established schools and hospitals. Another statue of her exists in Lincoln Park neighborhood and as well as a beautiful shrine that can still be viewed today. Even as far west as Seattle, there exists a high-rise building named in her honor. Many of these places are still available for visit or viewing by the public.

The influence of Mother Cabrini on behalf of the poor, sick and orphaned could be felt throughout the United States. In Denver, Colorado she has a beautiful shrine dedicated to her, which includes a chapel and a museum.