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Maria Francesca Cabrini was born to a pious family in Lombardy in the year of Our Lord 1850. Poor health prevented her from pursuing a vocation for several years, during which time she did her best to serve the poor and teach, while enduring the deaths of her parents and several siblings. At the request of a bishop, Maria Francesca began running an orphanage, and finally took her vows in 1877, adding Xavier to her middle name in honor of the patron saint of missionaries. Three years later, when the orphanage closed, the same bishop guided Francesca to found the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, of which she was the first superior. Though she dreamed of going to China, Mother Cabrini was encouraged, first by Bishop St. John Baptist Scalabrini and then by Pope Leo XIII, to minister to Italian immigrants in the United States. Mother Cabrini and several sisters went to New York in 1889, and despite many challenges she spent the following decades traveling almost constantly across the continent and back and forth to Italy, founding orphanages, homes, schools, and recruiting more missionaries. This patroness of immigrants died of malaria in the year of Our Lord 1917, and soon became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
ST. DIDACUS, confessor, of the Order of Minorites, whose birthday [into heaven] occurred on the twelfth of this month.
At Ravenna, the birthday [into heaven] of the holy martyrs Valentine, Solutor and Victor, who suffered under the emperor Diocletian.
At Aix, in Province, St. Matrius, a most renowned martyr.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the martyrdom of the Saints Antoninus, Zebina, Germanus and Ennatha, virgin. Ennatha was scourged under Galerius Maximian, and burned alive, while the others, for boldly reproaching the governor Firmilian for his idolatry in sacrificing to the gods, were beheaded.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Arcadius, Paschasius, Probus and Eutychian, Spaniards, who refused absolutely to yield to the Arian perfidy, during the persecution of the Vandals. Accordingly they were proscribed by the Arian king Genseric, driven into exile, and finally, after being subjected to fearful tortures, were put to death in various manners. Then was also made manifest the constancy of the small boy Paulillus, brother of the Saints Paschasius and Eutychian. As he could not be seduced from the Catholic faith, he was a long time beaten with rods, and condemned to a base servitude.
At Rome, pope St. Nicholas, distinguished for the apostolic spirit.
At Tours, St. Brice, bishop, disciple of the blessed bishop Martin.
At Toledo, St. Eugenius, bishop.
At Clermont, in Auvergne, St. Quinctian, bishop.
At Cremona, St. Homobonus, confessor, renowned for miracles. He was ranked among the saints by Innocent III.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.