MISSIONARY SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. - Religious institute founded by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini on Nov. 14, 1880, at Codogno with the approval of the bishop of Lodi, Msgr. Gelmini. Its beginnings were an elementary school with an attached boarding school, and in separate quarters about fifteen orphan girls were taken in. On Aug. 12 of the following year the same bishop approved the Constitutions.
In 1882 a house was founded at Grumello, in 1884 at Milan, and in 1887 at Rome. On March 12, 1888, the Holy See recognized the new Institute and issued the decree of praise. In 1889 Msgr. Corrigan, archbishop of New York, invited Cabrini to go to America to open in his metropolis a school and an orphanage for the children of Italian emigrants. To Cabrini, who aspired to the missions in the East, Leo XIII pointed out the way of the West as the field of her activity; thus she crossed the Ocean and at West Park opened the first house. This crossing was followed by many others in subsequent years, both for North and for South America, where numerous houses were founded. Thus arose in Italy, in America and elsewhere schools, nurseries, orphanages, hospitals, kindergartens, Sunday recreation centers, where the sisters lavish their charitable work. In July 1907 the Institute and the Constitutions, updated by the foundress, were definitively approved. Steeped in the spirit of Cabrini, the M. of the S. H. devote particular care to the children of Italian emigrants, following in this the example of their foundress, rightly called the Saint of emigrants.
At present the Institute consists of 3000 religious with 84 houses, of which 7 are in Argentina, 1 in Australia, 5 in Brazil, 4 in China, 2 in France, 3 in England, 25 in Italy, 2 in Nicaragua, 2 in Spain and 35 in the United States.
Bibliography3 works
Silverio Mattei