Saint's Bone Couch-Surfing in Little Village

By Ali Trachta in News on Nov 24, 2008 6:28PM

A bone from the arm of Mother Cabrini, a 19th century Italian-American nun who founded hospitals, schools and and orphanages across the country, has made a temporary home at the Shrine of Our Lady Pompeii Church in Little Village. Mother Cabrini is known in the Catholic community for her missionary work that created a whopping 67 institutions in big cities across America, including Chicago's Columbus Hospital in Lincoln Park. In fact her bone normally resides within the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini at Columbus Hospital, which is currently being converted to condos. Cabrini Green was also named in her honor. Mother Cabrini was the first American to become a saint, and was named the patron saint of immigrants.

Parts of her body apparently are scattered all over. Per the Trib: "While there are dozens of Mother Cabrini relics worldwide (her heart is in Italy), the humerus bone is Chicago's most significant." Like Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco? Oh, no...her actual cardiovascular organ is in Italy.

A couple Chicagoistos/itas piped up that they remember seeing random bones hanging out in their Catholic schools. That probably would've scared us as children (Why is that? Dinosaur bones, awesome. Human bones, terrifying.) so we're glad this one is kept away from the kids. The bone can be viewed at the church, which is located at 1224 W. Lexington.