A sort of amusing tale about a relic..

[Princess Turandot]

I worked for awhile for an organization sponsered by the order founded by St. Frances Cabrini. The Sisters have a school near the northern end of Manhattan; some of the ones who teach live in a convent on the school's grounds. Mother Cabrini (or at least most of her) is entombed in a glass alter in the chapel at the school.

The neighborhood where the school is has had its ups and downs crime-wise, and the school/church was broken into a few times during the late 80's, so the Sisters installed a burglar system with video cameras.

Some time after the alarm system was put in, a representative from the Vatican came to NYC to inspect the condition of the 'major relic', as her remains are referred to. Her body had been removed from the altar and was on a table in an adjoining room where the expert was examining it. That night, a group of thieves broke into the chapel, grabbing whatever looked valuable. They either didn't know where they were going or were looking for more things to steal when they worked their way into the room where Mother Cabrini's body was.

The alarm alerted the Sisters and the police, and they had film of the crooks' actions while in the chapel. When the police arrived and the Sisters joined them, they went into the room where the body was and found everything the crooks had grabbed strewn about that room. I think they also had them on film exiting the chapel at world record speed. The major relic may have cured them of their life of crime.

The Sister who told me this story, who had the time was the head of their American congregation found this quite hilarious.

Interestingly, when Frances Cabrini died, the Vatican asked that her heart be removed and sent to the Vatican, I think because they knew she was on the short path to canonization. Saint or not, she was a rather remarkable woman who accomplished a great deal in providing healthcare and education to the poor, despite endless barriers (and no help) from the male Church hierarchy. She had in fact been sent to America to begin with because she was pestering the Vatican too much with ideas of programs she wanted to start. At one point while in Chicago, she discovered that contractors who were building a health dispensary for the Sisters were ripping them off. She promptly canned them, and she and the rest of the Sisters finished the building themselves.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. That's a good one! I visited a site about the "incorruptibles"

recently. Someone posted the link (which I didn't save) in the Lounge. It's an interesting site, run by Catholics, with the pages on the incorruptibles only a portion of the site. They show photos of the incorruptible bodies of the now-sainted Mother Cabrini, St. Therese, St. John Bosco, St. Clare, others I don't recall.

I think I read there that Mother Cabrini's head is in Europe, Italy I assume. After reading your post, I wonder if they meant her heart? Interesting stories there about the saints, too. A search for "incorruptibles" will probably turn up the site if anyone's interested.

Interesting that all our American saints, as far as I know, are female: Mother Cabrini, Elizabeth Anne Seton, Katherine Drexel, Kateri Tekawitha. All very strong women, too, who did a lot in their lives, nothing like some of the European females who were sainted due to their piety and/or martyrdom rather than major achievements like building schools, hospitals, orphanages, establishing orders, etc. Not to diss the Europeans or downplay the importance of piety and martyrdom, just commenting on an obvious difference. Our American saints should be heroes to progressives considering their work to help house, feed, educate, and provide medical care to minorities and indigent people in the U.S.

[Princess Turandot]

2. Mother Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants..

she really was a remarkable woman, establishing hospitals. schools & health clinics around the US and even down in South America. She made numerous cross country trips by railroad, and of course by boat to South America.

Her order sort of got on the 'problem' list when John Cardinal O'Connor was around, because he wanted them to turn over their NYC hospital to the Archdiocese of NY. They have a special attachment to that one, since it was the first founded by her. I think what the American 'boss' sister said to me was that they were not about to be pushed around, not even by a Cardinal, 'not we daughters of Mother Cabrini'. Fortunately, the current cardinal understands how financially draining hospitals are in NYC and he is more than happy to let them do their own thing.

The 'head' story might be true. I do know that the heart story is true.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. I didn't know that. I admire all those tough women religious

who accomplished so much. Rose Hawthorne (Mother Mary Alphonsa, O.P.) is another American one, and her sainthood cause is in process. I need to do a thread about her sometime. Mother Angelica, who founded EWTN, is one of that "breed" living today.

When people say women have no power in Catholicism, they just don't have a clue!