Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Welcome back to another edition of our diocesan podcast, Big City Catholics, with Bishop Robert Brennan, diocesan bishop of Brooklyn, and myself, Father Christopher Henu, the rector of the co Cathedral of St. Joseph. We begin this podcast as we begin all things in prayer. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. A prayer today we pray. Almighty and eternal Father, giver of all gifts, show us your mercy and grant. We beseech you, through the merits of your faithful servant, Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, that all who invoke her intercession may obtain what they desire according to the good pleasure of your holy will, O Lord Jesus Christ, savior of the world, mindful of your bountiful goodness and your love, Dane, we implore you through the tender devotion of Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, for your sacred heart to hear our prayers and grant our petitions. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:01:04] Speaker A: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: Well, hello, Father Henhu.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Oh, hi Bishop.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: As this podcast is released on Friday night, I'm going to the movies tonight. I think I was still in Ohio, and it was probably before COVID that I was last in the movie theater. It's been a while. I'm going to see the opening of the Cabrini movie now. I have to confess, I've seen a preview back in November at the US Bishops meeting. One evening there was a screening for the bishops to give in advance and I guess kind of to generate an excitement for the opening, which take place this Friday weekend. And so I saw it not in a movie theater kind of a setting. You're sitting on hotel conference room chairs and watching it up on the screen. But it was a chance to get a preview. And actually there was an earlier preview at the Emma's center several months back while the movie was still in progress. And in both cases, the director was there and gave us some of the background. I missed that I was already committed the day that it was done at the EMEA center. But at the OCCCB, he talked a little bit about the film and about some of the work behind it and why Cabrini was such an important figure for him. Mother Cabrini, he was so captivated by her work, not just the religious part, just as a woman in the early 20th century, the powerful impact that she had on society and powerful impact for us that connected us here in New York. So tonight I'm going to the official screening and really, really looking forward to it. One of the priests in the area that's at Sheep's head Bay in Brooklyn, I think that's the only theater. It's in Brooklyn. It's in a number of theaters in Queens. One of the priests, about a month or two back, purchased a block of tickets, and so I'll be joining them at that.
[00:02:56] Speaker A: Very exciting. And one thing about it is certainly that it's a very well made movie.
I'm of the era in my religious ed classes when I was a child, watching these movies that were put together about the saints, and they were less than Hollywood quality. This is Hollywood quality?
[00:03:14] Speaker B: Yes, Hollywood. A fine actress, an italian woman who really captures the personality of.
And, you know, you see her as a young woman. She was a young woman when we have normal images of the old sister. But the young woman who began in religious life and shortly after entering into religious life, made her way here in missionary work. So you see her strength and her youth, even.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: The story of her life is really quite impressive. I mean, this was a woman who had a desire to be a missionary. Apparently, there's a story when she was six or seven years old, she was at a location that had a river flowing through it, and she was putting little tulips on boats, little paper boats. And when asked, what are you doing? She was saying, I'm sending these missionaries out. The tulips were the missionaries. And so she always had this desire to be a missionary, so she wanted to do that work. And what a beautiful, I mean, story to start her whole life with.
[00:04:11] Speaker B: It is. And yet she had a childhood filled with much illness. She did not have strong physical health as a child and had all kinds of limitations and results. Had some trouble entering into religious life because she didn't have the constitution for it. And then on top of that, to really be a missionary. Sure. And it's interesting how times are so different. Things are so much bigger and all that, but yet she had access to the pope himself.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: Yes, Pope Leo XII right there.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: And the movie makes use of that. There is different conversations she would have been having with the pope throughout.
[00:04:45] Speaker A: The quote, apparently, of Pope Leo XI is not east, but west.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: She wanted to go east. She wanted to go through the Orient. Yeah.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: The story of wanting to be missionary is something that we could talk about. That's just in our own diocese. I mean, this is mission territory. Our diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. There's plenty of places even where we're assigned. Here in the co cathedral of St. Joseph is mission ground. The whole diocese is mission ground, really, in certain aspects of it. So you think of this Saint choosing Francis Xavier after the great jesuit missionary, and then taking that name, heading to the states, coming to New York, arriving in New York in 1889. And one of the, again, a common theme we hear Sister Marianne Lopiccolos says, stories about religious sisters. I think the Cabrinis are one of them. I know St. Francis Cabrini is one of them. They show up and there's no home for them. They weren't really warmly welcomed yet.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Well, yeah, exactly. They thought that there were arrangements and. No, but they find a way. They find their way. And there are conversations in the movie with the archbishop of New York, but the sisters decide they're getting right down to work and reaching out to the immigrant community. You see, in a sense, she wasn't being sent as a missionary to break new ground in the Orient, to announce the gospel. She was really sent as a missionary to care for the italian immigrant settling in New York and living in very bad conditions. Very, very bad conditions. As a result of these bad conditions, also, you had all kinds of people living all kinds of lives. And so she had to deal with moral issues as well, and people who were being used and abused. It was a very bad situation. There's a great line in the movie, she said, I don't know if she was talking to the mayor or the local businessman. She says, I find it hard to believe that in the greatest country in the world, there are rats living better than people.
She was a great promoter of human dignity, and it fits the mold, too, with Pope Leo the 13th, you see the different people trying to grapple with the realities of the times, with looking for people's safety and well being things. I understand quite well that you have to take some amount of caution and try to work with the communities, but also recognizing her skills, abilities, and passion and give her that opportunity to exercise it in a way that she could promote human dignity. But Pope Leo Xi was the great pope of human dignity. His groundbreaking encyclical, Rahim Navarim, the dignity of the workers, one of the foundational social encyclicals. And he empowered that missionary zeal of Mother Cabrini, even as he was cautiously watching out for her safety and the safety of others and the well being of people under her care. Coming west, Mother Cabrini began her work in New York, an area familiar to us in lower Manhattan, caring for the community there. And that comes through in the movie. But you and I know that Mother Cabrini had a presence right here in Brooklyn, one of the key spots was the founding of the school at what's now Sacred Heart, St. Stephen's. It was Sacred Heart Parish. She founded a school on Van Brunt street for the italian immigrant children, and she was a driving force with the life of that parish and still the italian community. While there aren't as many people living there in the parish of Sacred Heart, St. Stephen's, there's certainly the culture, and I've experienced it myself, walking in the good Friday procession and our lady of Sorrows procession. So there's a very strong cultural background, but a lot of it goes right back to Mother Cabrini. We take great pride that a saint walked among us and that a saint established a school in our diocese, that the impact of her work would be felt by generations, us, generations later.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: And we had it in our own diocese, too, that some of her sisters serving as well. Right. For years, not currently anymore, but there still would be a remaining few sisters in the Archdiocese of New York that would remain. In total, Mother Cabrini founded 67 institutions in New York, both orphanages, schools, and hospitals. And hospitals. Just an incredible gift to the city and to those who were in need.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: And really, when it came to hospitals, it was those who were in need of health care. It wasn't restricted to the poor. She wanted to be able to offer. It was about caring for the sick, and in a sense, to be able to care for the sick of all walks in life so that, in fact, you can care for the sick who are poor. Now. In her day, Mother Cabrini faced a lot of resistance and a lot of prejudice. We talk about the situation of the Irish in New York City. We look at Mother Cabrini and the situation and the prejudices against the Italians in the city. It's a pattern that repeats itself with the arrivals of new people. There was always a resistance. There was always a fear. And yet these communities can help to build up our city. If you look around at the beautiful churches that are ours and the institutions we had going well beyond Mother Cabrini. But just looking at what the generations of immigrant communities have built up here in Brooklyn and Queens, it's really staggering. It is.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: You think of how history. They often say history repeats itself. And the Irish were the first in the city to received a kind of a cold welcome. The archbishop at the time, Archbishop John Hughes, would have tried to help create a home for the Irish who struggled against the nationalism of the time and all of the concerns that they had.
[00:10:22] Speaker B: And the anti Catholicism.
[00:10:23] Speaker A: And certainly. And now, 40, 50 years later, 40, 50 years later, in 1889, Mother Cabrini arrives, and she finds the Italians trying to struggle to find the Italians. Interestingly, the first parish that they were able to set up shop in was Transfiguration church in downtown Manhattan, as you mentioned, Mulberry street. And the Italians were given the basement of the church. And there was Archbishop Michael Corrigan, an Irishman who wasn't really helping necessarily either. History would show this, but with Pope Leo XII's support, Mother Cabrini's fortitude, they continued to fight and to found their own churches that they would have to create and fundraise so that the Italians would have a place where they could worship.
[00:11:08] Speaker B: Now, you remember the great controversy of just a couple of years ago recognizing Mother Cabrini. She's beloved. Mother Cabrini today is beloved. Even people who don't know the fullness of her story call out her name quite often and seek her help and intercession, even for silly things sometimes things like looking for parking spot. Right.
Having things work. But people reach out. They feel a connection with Mother Cabrini, this gritty New York saint. And people can sense that closeness even today. So a few years back, when there was a campaign to place statues throughout the city honoring women who've made significant strides, I believe one of the most popular names submitted was Mother Cabrini. And that was rejected because something along the lines of, well, that's not the kind of person we were looking for. And that got quite a reaction. I was, I think, in Ohio at the time. I think it was around that time, but I remember reading it in the papers. So she was rejected, but then the state kind of jumped in. I think her statue now stands in Battery park.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:12:14] Speaker B: And that would be the civic way that she is remembered and honored for her contributions to the society here in New York. But, of course, parishes are always calling out for her intercession because of the closeness that people feel to Mother Cabrini.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Well, certainly there was a big uproar with that. It was very impressive, really, to see as a catholic person standing on the sidelines watching us fight for the recognition that is due to her name and to the work that she did in this great city. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, as you mentioned, the reasons still remain a little unclear. She, in the end, was, well, she.
[00:12:57] Speaker B: Was honored, recognized, and she's honored by this movie. And I want to encourage seeing it and supporting it, because when good films are made, we want to be able to support it. So that's why, even though I've seen it before, I want to go to the public screening so that we can support the work. And I want to be able to see it on streaming as it gets streamed. I think it'll be streamed pretty quickly, but still want to encourage, if you can get out to the movies. It's a great way to promote this kind of production, but it's done by Angel Studios. Now, that may not have so much of a meaning for everyone, but Angel Studios is the production company that put out the chosen. And since putting out the chosen, they've embarked on several projects. So when the original screenwriter, I guess the original author, the original producer, when he was shopping the film, when he was trying to get someone to back it, it was Angel Studios that picked it up. And they're kind of bold and gutsy. They're out there. Sure. And let's get these kinds of films out into the market. So their site, they have their own app, Angel Studios. I'm a great fan of the chosen. I watched the three seasons I quoted. I go back over some of the imagery. It's very powerful. And so this is a different kind of a film because it's set in a different period. But again, these are two very well done productions. It's not just that they're good stories, but they're well done productions. So I would encourage you to stream it. I would encourage you to get to the movies and to show this is what people are looking for.
[00:14:26] Speaker A: I would say, bishop, interested to hear your take on this. I mean, I was struck recently at watching the Super bowl, at the number of spiritual, religious advertisements that were placed in the midst of the Super bowl.
[00:14:41] Speaker B: Well, especially with that hollow. Yeah, isn't that great that people would take that interest in praying?
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Finally, I just mentioned, finally, of course, the story ends with or continues, but the story of Mother Cabrini, canonized in 1950 as the first american citizen, canonized a saint. And so we continue to seek her intercession.
[00:15:04] Speaker B: Indeed, we pray, asking that intercession, and we pray that we can care for people. See that spark of human dignity in every person we meet. That's really the key to the social teaching of the church, human dignity. And Mother Caprini teaches us that. Francis Xavier Caprini, you know, speaking of human dignity, one of the things that's on our minds lately is the situation in Haiti. We heard of the bombing that took place right at the home near the home of Bishop Dumav, who's been here in our diocese, who's traveled here and preached here. We're praying as he recovers from his injuries in Miami, I believe. Yes, he was airlifted, brought over for treatment, and at the same time, the terrible, terrible outgrowth of violence, the release of thousands of prisoners, the mob rule that's taking know we have a priest. One of our priests went home to bury his father. His father died. Father Luson, the pastor of holy innocence, a lady of refuge, he went home. His father had died. I spoke to him when his father died, and then he was planning to go back at the end of February for the funeral. He did that. He spent some time with family. And now the airlines aren't flying. You can't get a plane out of Haiti. And some people say, well, why can't he go to the dominican republic? I don't think it's safe to travel on the roads. I mean, we've been hearing stories about kidnappings and all of that. So we pray for him. We pray for the people of Haiti. We pray for peace. But it really is a concerning situation.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: You read most recently, as you said, the gangs that freed 4000 prisoners from the prison, they've tried to take over the national airport. It's a very, very sad situation. And we have a great group of priests here in our diocese and a.
[00:16:45] Speaker B: Great group of faithful cathedral. I was talking about this at the time in October with the jewish community here in New York. There are many people here, our neighbors, many listening to our podcast, who have family in Haiti and I'm sure are very worried about their relatives and friends. So please know that we join you in fervent prayer, asking for peaceful outcome and for the restoration of some kind of peace in the country. Father Henyu, we continue in our journey, a pilgrimage, if you will, of Lent, a spiritual time. We hear the image this week of Jesus, the Son of man, being lifted up. He asks us to lift our eyes up to him, to look to him, to find salvation, especially in troubled times. He gives us life and he gives us hope. We close with asking God's blessing upon us using one of the Lenten blessings.
[00:17:38] Speaker A: The Lord be with you and with your spirit.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: Give to your people our God resolve that is pleasing to you by conforming them to your teachings. You bestow on them every favor through Christ our Lord. Amen. And may almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
[00:17:56] Speaker A: Amen. Good to be with you again, bishop, and thank you all for joining us in another edition of our diocesan podcast, Big City Catholics. We hope that you'll continue to tune in each and every week as we continue to provide this message. May God bless you. Take care.
