US: Movie about Sister Cabrini makes a splash

By Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik

A film about a religious sister, Francesca Cabrini, who embodied sensitivity to migrants, faith, and a "never give up" attitude, has reached fourth place in the US box office.

"Muslims, atheists, and Christians saw the film, and they all say one thing: that they want to be like Cabrini," says Executive Producer Eustace Wolfington.

The film was produced by Angel Studios, a company that also made the internationally successful series The Chosen about Jesus of Nazareth.

The film is directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, who directed and co-wrote Sound of Freedom, one of the most successful movies in the US in 2023.

Cabrini opened in theaters in the U.S. on Women's Day, March 8, and will soon hit screens in Italy and many countries worldwide. Pope Francis had the opportunity to watch some scenes from the film, which tells, in a Holywood style, the story of Sister Frances Saverio Cabrini, who lived from 1850 to 1917.

Not accepted by a religious order due to her poor health, she went on to establish the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a congregation of her own.

She wanted to evangelize and serve the poorest in China. However, Pope Leo XIII directed her to serve the Italian immigrant community in the United States. "Not to the East, Cabrini, but to the West!" he said to her.

After arriving in New York in 1889, her countless difficulties did not stop her from serving migrants and the poorest of the poor. The film shows how a person in feeble health herself, with broken English, built an empire of hope, education, and healthcare, which continues to this day in the U.S. and on all continents. Over 34 years, she founded an astonishing 67 hospitals, schools, and orphanages. 

Her energy was fueled by an intense focus on serving Jesus in whatever he asked of her, and her legacy still stands today," we read on the film’s webpage. She was the first American citizen to be named a saint (in 1946) and is patron saint of immigrants. 

Sister Frances Cabrini is played by Cristiana Dell'Anna, known for her role in the Gomorra series. Giancarlo Giannini plays Leo XIII, and John Lithgow, winner of two Golden Globes, also has a role. Andrea Bocelli and his 12-year-old daughter Virginia sing a beautiful duet, with Virginia also making her acting debut.

"The movie is hitting people's hearts. And they're saying that they came to a movie, upset about the broken world, and they are walking out of here on fire with the hope that they want to do something. And this created all kinds of lifting up for so many people, especially young people," Eustace Wolfington concludes.

Pope Francis watches a scene from the film