Angel Studios
Cabrini is an uplifting and challenging film that depicts the early struggles of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini to aid Italian immigrants in the slums of New York City. Despite her own health challenges and grim prognosis, Cabrini is determined to serve the Lord by upholding the dignity of the children of Five Points — a particularly dangerous neighborhood.
The film sheds light on the grit and determination that is needed when our Christian responsibility requires us to swim upstream. Cabrini herself is complexly depicted with not only admirable strength and resilience, but also gentleness and deep human empathy.
Below are several stand-out themes from the film:
Human Choice and Free Will
One theme that weaves throughout the film is the beauty of human choice, properly understood. When Cabrini is first inviting children to her newly prepared orphanage, she doesn’t coerce them into coming, but rather, honors their dignity by offering them the choice.
At the heart of all her humanitarian efforts is not merely freeing the people from their external limitations, of which there are many, but more predominantly from the offenses against their dignity as children of God.
How does the understanding of choice and responsibility differ between Cabrini and the political and Church officials she encounters?
Imagery of Water
Early in Cabrini’s life, she faced a near-death drowning experience that left her lungs compromised for the remainder of her life. The film artistically returns to this early experience to illustrate the challenge and struggle of Cabrini’s call. So too, the call of all Christians at baptism leaves us forever changed and invites us to share the light of Christ with those around us.
Water appears several other times in the film in a creative manner which calls the viewer to ponder the total dependence of human life on water despite its danger and uncertainty.
Water is often taken for granted in our daily life – how can we cultivate a deeper appreciation for the basic necessities we are blessed with?
The Feminine Genius
Cabrini is fittingly making its debut in theaters on National Women’s Day. The example of St. Cabrini is an inspiring reminder that our God-given sex is not a limitation, but rather, is directly related to our individual calling to bring God’s love into the world.
The film touches on the idea that what Cabrini is trying to accomplish would be somehow easier if she had been a man. While there is no doubt that at that particular time in history, Cabrini encountered certain obstacles a man might not have encountered, the viewer is reminded that God’s Divine Plan for each person’s life is not always convenient or politically correct.
Cabrini is repeatedly rejected with the phrase “stay where you belong.” Nevertheless, she continues to push the limit and challenge the social norms to advance social justice. The film embraces the central Christian tenet that our identity is first and foremost found in being a beloved child of God, regardless of sex, ethnicity, or class. The circumstances of our lives are never arbitrary or accidental, but rather unique means of sanctification which allow us to cooperate with God’s grace and share his love with the world.
Are there facets of our life that we feel are barriers to accomplishing what God is asking of us? How does St. Cabrini’s example encourage you to reconsider those challenges and step forward in faith?
