On March 8, 2024, Angel Studios will release "Cabrini," a film about the life and mission of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first canonized saint from the United States. As a Catholic sister, she immigrated from Italy and founded almost 70 institutions worldwide. These facilities included orphanages, hospitals, and schools for the poor, abandoned, and marginalized.
"Cabrini" tells a powerful, action-packed story about this incredible religious sister who heroically fought for human dignity for countless lives. Her mission continues today throughout the world.
Here's Angel Studios' synopsis of "Cabrini":
"From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of 'Sound of Freedom,' comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen."
"Cabrini" film director Alejandro Monteverde sat down with ChurchPOP English editor Jacqueline Burkepile for an exclusive interview about the film.
Watch the full interview below:
The Catholic film director discussed his role in the biopic's creation, why he took the project, Saint Cabrini's supernatural intercession on set, and the impact he hopes the film will make.
Monteverde said he "didn't know anything about her" and considered himself "a guest" when he took on the project. He did not write the script and had no idea how to make an entertaining movie about a Catholic nun.
"My first instinct was 'I'm not gonna make a movie about a nun'...and when I started reading the script, I saw her life and how powerful her life was," Monteverde said.
"I also saw this was a movie about a woman who happens to be a nun, that happens to be the first American saint, that it was an immigrant that came here with nothing and revolutionized life for the Italian immigrants," he continued. "It's the ultimate underdog Story."
"When I finished reading the script," he continued, "It left me inspired to continue to fight for good."
Monteverde also revealed he developed a devotion to Saint Cabrini while filming. He now wears a relic of her habit.
Showing ChurchPOP his relic, he said he "admires what she was able to accomplish."
"She was a 'make it happen' woman. She went into a country, and within two or three months, she built an orphanage or a hospital then moved to another country," he explained.
"She built an empire as big as the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts at that time. It was a worldwide empire and was one of the biggest empires the world had ever known at that time."
The film director also explained he believes Saint Cabrini's intercession helped in the movie's making. For example, he said, "The sun was in the perfect place" when filming.
"I felt it was a collaboration with Cabrini. There were some beautiful shots – I call them 'Divine Accidents' – maybe at Cabrini's hand that happened on the film," he said.
When asked if he thought Cabrini was a "hero," Monteverde explained that she never let her habit stop her from fulfilling her mission.
"It was not about her religion. It was about the common good of others. She fought for social justice and she fought for things that bring the community together. Her habit did not get in the way and that's what I love about her story," he said.
"This film in many ways celebrates the power of the woman's voice," he continued.
"She lived in a time where women were not even allowed to vote and she was able to open these institutions."
As for what Monteverde hopes his audience takes from the film, his primary goals are entertainment and inspiration.
"I want the audience first of all to enjoy the magic of Cinema...if they can leave inspired to face any of their own giants in their lives. We all have our own battles."
"When I watch the movie it inspires me to go back and fight my battles. She had many battles, especially with her health," he continued.
"This is a kind of movie that...leaves you in a state of reflection to face your battles with courage. There's a line in the film that I love. She says, "It takes courage to believe. It takes courage to fight and to become who you are meant to be.'"