Key facts
- Pope Leo honored Mother Frances Cabrini, the first American saint, as a model for Christians.
- The Pope visited Cabrini's birthplace in northern Italy during a day trip.
- He urged young people to learn from Cabrini's life and service to migrants.
- Cabrini, the patron saint of migrants, cared for Italian immigrants in the U.S. and globally.
- Cabrini died in 1917 as a naturalized U.S. citizen and was canonized in 1946.
Pope Leo on Saturday exalted Mother Frances Cabrini, the first American saint, as a model for Christians to care for migrants. During a day trip to northern Italy, Leo visited Cabrini's birthplace in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, near Milan, where he prayed before her tomb and presided over an evening prayer service.
Leo, who has previously clashed with the Trump administration over its migrant policies, urged young people to learn from Cabrini’s life and service. He highlighted her faith-inspired work assisting migrants who left everything behind to seek better lives.