St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants. Cabrini went to seek approval of the pope to establish missions in China. Instead, he suggested to her that she go to the United States to help the Italian immigrants who were flooding to that nation in that era, mostly in great poverty. “Not to the East, but to the West” was his advice. New York seemed to be filled with chaos and poverty, and into this new world stepped Mother Frances Cabrini and her sister companions. Cabrini organized catechism and education classes for the immigrants and provided for the needs of the many orphans. She established schools and orphanages despite tremendous odds.