A screening of the movie ‘Cabrini’ by Alejandro Monteverde was held on Saturday, February 25 at 4.00 pm in the Lecture Hall of the Pontifical Lateran University. The General Superior Sr. Maria Eliane Azevedo Da Silva and the General Council participated with sisters and lay people of the Institute coming from Rancate, Milan, Codogno, Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, from via Anagni, via Sicilia and the Curia in Rome.
The actress Cristiana Dall’Anna, main character performing Mother Cabrini, was also in the hall. Several Cardinals, bishops, priests and religious took part in the event, as well as various Congregations, including the Scalabrinians with the General Superior Sr. Neusa De Fatima Mariano.
In addition to the Catholic journalists of Vatican News and Sir, several friends of our Congregation were also present, including Dr. Lucetta Scaraffia and many others.
Introducing the movie, Monsignor Rino Fisichella. Here is an excerpt from his opening speech:
“Mother Cabrini lived a large part of her mission in Codogno, where I was born and lived. Today, she is still an attractive figure, she has charm. On March 23, 1889, when she was 39, she greeted Pope Leo XIII in Rome who told her: “Not to the East, Cabrini, but to the West!”. On that date, Mother Cabrini embarked on her first journey, the first of many. She was a woman who accomplished all this because she was pushed by a great intuition, that is to bring the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to everyone. She had embraced St. Paul’s motto, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”. Mother Cabrini still amazes us today, also because she is continuing to find people who are interested in her story. Thanks to Mother Maria Barbagallo and Dr. Gilda Bello, who has been next to the producer for this project for 10 years. I greet Mother M. Elaine and wish her to continue the missionary spirit of Mother Cabrini. Mother Cabrini was a great evangelizer. To get to know Mother Cabrini, we have to read about her travels. Unfortunately, we have nothing about the first one but we do have her correspondence with the sisters who were around the world. Her strength? She did not heed the advice of the Archbishop of New York. The stubbornness of this woman, fruit of her Holiness, meant that in four months she returned to Codogno, but after establishing an orphanage and a first school in New York. Within a few months, she had changed the life of that Diocese. Her mission was that the love of the Sacred Heart could be known everywhere.”
Mr. Eustace Wolfington, benefactor of the movie, was honored to give voice to a Saint such as Mother Cabrini with this movie and thanked the audience for taking part in this special event.
I had the pleasure of working on this film as an extra portraying an Italian immigrant
It was a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to work on this film as an extra in my hometown of Buffalo, NY to honor my Italian immigrant grandparents who came from the Lombardy region of Italy and settled here.
I also had the pleasure of working on this movie in Buffalo, NY in the summer of 2021 and met so many wonderful people! We were all very intrigued by her story and what mother cabrini endured and how much she accomplished. Looming forward to seeing this movie!
Working as an Italian Immigrant in this movie was an experience that all is will cherish. It was an honor.
I was lucky enough to work as an extra. I met many great people on set.
When I was an extra on the movie, I had the pleasure to observe Cristiana Dell’Anna’s acting.
In one scene, she acted opposite one young lady (apparently a sister herself). This young lady was so overwhelmed by Christiana’s depiction of Cabrini that she was chocked with emotion and they needed to do a couple takes to get the scene done. She seemed to embody the spirit of Cabrini.
Dell’Anna is certainly a stellar actor.
I had so much fun being an “orphan” I met so many friends who became family! I would do it all over again and again- what an experience-Angelo Eckert
I had the best summer being an ‘orphan’ for this movie! Memories that will be with me forever! My family can’t wait to see the movie. -Charles Procopio
I also worked as an extra. Very interesting experience. She was a remarkable woman. I knew some about her. But nothing other she came from Italy to minister to the thousands of Italian immigrants at the request of the pope and did charitable work. But that hardly touched on her achievement. Being a part of telling her story was a privilege, a blessing, and a pleasure. We need more of her ideals on todays southern border.
I had the extraordinary opportunity to work as an extra on this film.That experience is etched in my memory as one of the most exhilarating exciting experiences I’ve had. The cast and crew were exceptional, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this film.