On July 7, 1946, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini made ecclesiastical history by becoming the very first naturalized American citizen to be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII presided over the ceremony, honoring her life of tireless service establishing schools, orphanages, and hospitals across the United States.
Cabrini was notoriously terrified of water her entire life after nearly drowning in a river during her childhood in Italy. Despite this paralyzing phobia, her missionary work required her to bravely cross the Atlantic Ocean a staggering 28 times by ship to establish her charitable network across North and South America.
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