Juli-Anne Sarji '24
International Women’s Day, March 8, is a day every year in which the Fontbonne community comes together to help build up women's empowerment and show that we, as women, can truly do anything we put our minds to. This year, instead of having guest speakers or seminars, our administration chose to get us an early viewing of the inspirational movie Cabrini, which came out on March 8, 2024. Gathering together as a community can help us grow closer and stronger together.
The movie Cabrini, is truly a masterpiece and a vivid depiction of the life and journey of Mother Francesca Cabrini, as she fought for Italian orphans in New York to get the proper living conditions and treatment they deserved. Before going to view the movie, students were given some background information on Mother Cabrini and all the work she has done, not only for Italian immigrants, but for all of society.
Even for those who didn’t know who Mother Cabrini was, were still able to be captivated and feel so many emotions when watching the movie.
Anna Mancino ‘24, raved about Cabrini, “From my point of view, Cabrini was a great experience, but it was definitely sad and serious. I felt like it was a mix between The Godfather and Life is Beautiful, which are both great movies.”
A scene from the movie that was full of emotion and made many people tear up was when one of the Italian orphans, Enzo, dies because of a pump station accident. Also, it was especially emotional when Cabrini attended a performance by DiSalvo, an Italian opera singer, who shows his pride for his home country, Italy.
Watching the resilience and passion Cabrini showed while fighting for Italian immigrants to have better living conditions and hospitals was truly inspiring.
Ms. Jean-Louis, office manager and executive administrative assistant to the principal, who chaperoned the trip, stated how much she enjoyed the movie, “I was fortunate enough to chaperone a wonderful group of students to see a truly amazing story. It was a learning experience not only for our students but for me as well. The film highlighted her tireless efforts to help the poor, unfortunate, and abandoned immigrant children who migrated to New York City. Although she was an immigrant herself, it was amazing to find out she was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint by the Catholic Church.”
Going to see Cabrini as a whole school, especially on International Women’s Day, helped the Fontbonne community to bond together but also stir empowerment within them.