
The movie Cabrini tells the story of Mother Cabrini and her mission to provide for the needs of many orphans and Italian immigrants. Cabrini came out on March 8, 2024 and has received glowing reviews. It is a two and a half hour movie with a rotten tomato rating of 90% and an audience rating of 4.8 stars.
To start off, let’s get an introduction to Saint Francis Cabrini. According to The Catholic Feminist, Mother Cabrini’s story starts when she and a few of her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were sent by the Pope to minister to the poor Italians in New York. Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus state that Francis Cabrini’s work reached all areas of the world, which influenced her to open schools in Europe, Central and South America, and throughout the United States. In total, she established 67 schools, hospitals, and orphanages, and made 23 trans-Atlantic crossings. If Mother Cabrini was anything, she was determined. She did not stop working until her death on December 22, 1917 and was later canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Francis Cabrini was named Patroness of Immigrants in 1950 because of her faithfulness and unyielding service to mankind.
The Her Story classes at Mercy High went to see Cabrini for a field trip on March 12th. Her Story is a class focused on exploring the role and experiences of women in the Bible so seeing this movie was an excellent way to connect our studies to women of our time. Mrs. Vankat, the Her Story teacher, says watching this movie was beneficial to her students because it “was a beautiful connection to the content of the class and provided my students a great example of a strong woman in the church.” There were many inspirational and touching moments in this movie and there is no question about the impact it will make.
“My favorite part of the movie was when the news reporter was narrating his news story about the work of Francis Cabrini and her order. It was so inspirational to hear about their work,” said Mrs. Vankat.
As a student, watching Cabrini made me feel empowered and truly blessed to be a young woman. This film was immersive and educational, showcasing the riveting story of Mother Cabrini and her journey to help those in need. The different film aspects, such as light, soundtrack, and camera angles, really helped the film be something I couldn’t look away from. Saint Francis Cabrini’s tenacity is something young girls, especially young girls atMercy High, can look up to. She had her doubters and her struggles but she turned to God and placed it all in his hands, something we often forget to do. Considering Saint Francis Cabrini as a role model helps us remember that anything is possible with the guidance of God even if it seems like the world is against us.
“I would definitely recommend this movie to others. I know my students were surprised at how much they enjoyed this movie, and I think they all found it inspirational,” said Mrs. Vankat.