CNA Staff, Mar 7, 2024 / 06:00 am
A new movie telling the true story of Francesca Cabrini — also known as St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — will be released by Angel Studios on International Women’s Day, March 8.
Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, who also directed last summer’s blockbuster “Sound of Freedom,” “Cabrini” takes place in 1889 when hostility toward Italian immigrants ran high in New York.
As an Italian immigrant, Cabrini was greeted by not only hostility but also crime, disease, and dangerous living conditions — especially for orphaned children. She and her religious sisters — the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — set out on the dangerous mission to provide housing and education for society’s most vulnerable.
Cristiana Dell’Anna, an Italian actress, portrays Cabrini in the film. She spoke with CNA about her experience portraying the Catholic saint and what she hopes viewers will take away from the saint’s story.