MOTHER CABRINI 

AND ST. JOHN NEUMANN 

PATRON SAINTS OF  TRAVELERS 

INTRODUCTION

Today is the feast of St. Mother Cabrini.” So the title of my homily is, “Mother Cabrini and St. John Neumann, Patron Saints for Travelers.”

Up until February 14, 1969, Catholics prayed to and relied on St. Christopher for help - guidance - protection when travelling.

Pope Paul VI in a motu proprio - entitled, "Approval of the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the New General Roman Calendar" (AGN) - said that we’ve looked at a lot of saints and some early Christian saints - and there are a lot of legends etc. involved.  One was St. Christopher and St. Valentine and remember St. Philomena, etc. etc. etc.

Because they were not officially canonized, like modern saints, some of these saints were dropped from the church year calendar.  Well, it upset lots of folks when some saints were left off the official Roman Calendar of Saints. Upset happens with church  changes.  This does not mean there wasn’t a St. Christopher along with the stories about him.  We’re all called to be like Christopher - the Christ bearer.  The legend is that he carried Christ across a river where he served ferrying people.  He was a giant of a man - but when carrying Christ, Christ got heavier and heavier.  Yet he made it.

The Pope’s statement meant we are trying to be more exact in all this.

I never talked to folks who had the first name of Christopher. It’s a great name - to be a Christ bearer - to bring Christ to others - and to be a Christopher to fellow travelers.

In reality, they still sell lots of St. Christopher medals and I always bless them.

I’ve thought - that the church was a bit clumsy here - because legends are part of our lives. We have them about George Washington and Abe Lincoln and so many others.

The history of saints  - hagiography - is loaded with stories that need to be checked out - but if they all were - then uh oh!

A MOMENT

I had a wedding here in this parish years and years ago.  The couple had a 4 year old kid and they wanted their marriage blessed in church. They wanted the sacrament.

In the sanctuary we set up his chair, her chair, and a chair in the middle for their son.

During the wedding itself, the kid stood up, and walked out of the sanctuary and down to where his grandparents were.

A seat was empty.  You know the old saying, “Nature hates a vacuum.”

Well, this little girl, seeing the empty seat, walks up and sits between the bride and groom.  She was not connected to them.

I loved the moment.

ST. MOTHER CABRINI AND JOHN NEUMANN

When traveling keep praying to St. Christopher - to  the whoever it was that these stories arose.  But  if you want two new saints to pray to when traveling - and fill up Christopher’s place, pick Mother Cabrini and John Neumann.

Read Mother Cabrini’s life. When she was in Italy as a young lady she was sickly - yet she traveled all over the place. She wanted to go to China as a missionary. Someone suggested America. She crossed the Atlantic 25 times.  She set up 67 places in her lifetime. She was in New York, LA, Denver, New Orleans,  Scranton, Philly, as well as South America, etc. etc. etc.

She traveled.

St. John Neumann was also a traveler - dying on the street in Philly on his way to or from the Post Office.  He traveled all over upper NY State near Buffalo, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland.

CONCLUSION

So there are two saints to pray to when beginning trips across the Atlantic, to Italy, South America, east coast, west coast, gulf coast, or to the post office.