If P.T. Barnum was the father of publicity, then Cabrini was the mother of public relations

In honor of Women’s History Month, I was all set to write about the Nonino women of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy – the female lineage behind the global Grappa brand, and in particular, Silvia Milocco Nonino, Italy’s first master distiller. It’s a great story, but it will have to wait until another time.

That’s because I was inspired to change direction.

Italian actress Christiana Dell’Anna stars as Francesca Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants, in the feature film “Cabrini.” | ANGEL STUDIOS

During a post-Christmas dinner with my friend, writer/producer/director Monique Impagliazzo, visiting from Los Angeles, we covered as much territory as any two South Philly girls could squeeze into a two-hour visit (while managing to eat). At one point, we chatted about the possible subject of my next book: a nuance about the Italian-American experience I recently learned and am intrigued to pursue. Monique made a quick mental connection between my premise and the timeframe of the 2024 movie “Cabrini.” She emphatically encouraged me to watch it, and a few weeks later I did.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit after 13 years of Catholic schooling (counting kindergarten), I knew very little about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, aka Mother Cabrini, before seeing the movie. But I will tell you now, and I’m just going to say out loud, she was a badass! Don’t take my word for it; watch the movie. I’m told it is quite accurate. It’s also a great story about American history.

Aside from being canonized as the first American saint, Mother Cabrini was a gutsy, focused, resolute trailblazer, wise beyond her years, bilingual, resourceful, and diligent. She arrived in the U.S. in 1877 and I’d argue she was the very first woman in the field of public relations (not to mention geoscientist and real estate developer).

Cabrini may not have anticipated the dystopic predicament of the early Italian immigrants that welcomed her upon arrival in New York. In the late 1800s, Italian Americans were considered a step below the lowest rung of society’s ladder and living in squalor.

Another of her unanticipated challenges, conversely, was the embargos imparted by her reigning American boss, Archbishop Corrigan, who forbade Cabrini from soliciting philanthropic organizations or individuals for funds, lobbying politicos, or generating any public communication that could assist the Italians.

So, what would any public relations gal worth her salt do? Come up with a hook to bait the press into covering the story!

Remember, Cabrini was an Italian immigrant herself, a woman, and a nun. To put things in perspective, woman were not allowed to vote in this county until 1918. They weren’t permitted to wear slacks in public until 1923, or smoke cigarettes until 1929.

Yet, in 1889, this diminutive, determined, dark-eyed immigrant missionary made her way into the office of a reporter at the New York Sun and shepherded him to New York’s Five Points neighborhood where she knew he would witness the undeniable horror of children living in deplorable conditions. How could he not cover the story?

The article he wrote describing Cabrini’s mission and the Italian-American plight was a game changer. For all of us actually. And for my money, as a journalism/PR undergrad and career marketer, it was brilliant.

It would be unjust to attempt to summarize this woman’s incredibly improbable life in a 900-word (plus or minus) article, so I won’t. But there are a few standouts I feel compelled to share for those of you who don’t know her story.

I had the delight of speaking with Sister Christine Marie Baltas, MSC, of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Wayne, Pa. The order was founded by Cabrini. Sister Christine attended Mother Cabrini High School in West Park, N.Y., and later became the Dean of Students at Cabrini University, among the many academic positions she’s held. Today, Baltas is a Ministry Associate and an authority on Cabrini.

I asked Sister about the historical accuracy of the scene where Cabrini finds a water source on the otherwise barren and abandoned West Park property she purchased from the Jesuits to establish an orphanage. “It’s true,” Baltas said. “When I was a young novice, an elderly sister who knew Cabrini told me that story.” Baltas said the movie is largely correct, noting that some creative license was taken for the purpose of storytelling. (I happened to know a thing or two about that.)

“In her younger life in Italy, Cabrini was the daughter of a farmer,” Baltas continued, “and so she understood the land and how to identify water sources.” Later in 1902, using a cane, Cabrini applied those same dowsing skills in Golden, Colo., on a property she purchased for impoverished children of Italian immigrant miners and railroad workers. “The spring has never stopped running … and has never frozen,” Baltas said.

Currently, the location is home to the Mother Cabrini Shrine, a sanctuary of peace, tranquility, and spirituality for visitors from around the world.

But since this is supposed to be a column about spirits of a different sort, you may be asking, Natalie, what does Mother Cabrini have to do with wine? Well, I will tell you.

We all know the turning-water-into-wine box had already been checked. So, what would you say if I told you Cabrini turned vinegar back into wine?

According to CatholicExchange.com, this “miracle” occurred during Cabrini’s time in West Park when one of the sisters discovered their supply of wine had gone sour. Mother Cabrini instructed the nun to dry rice and add it to the sour wine. Though confused, she did as she was told. “A week later, the wine was back to being perfectly consumable,” the article concluded.

So, there you have it: Mother Cabrini knew her wine. She sure knew a lot about a lot. She was a renaissance woman totally worthy of being celebrated during Women’s History Month, even in a little column about wine.

Natalie Pantaleo is a marketing communications consultant, brand strategist and consummate storyteller based in the Greater Philadelphia metro area. In addition to being a published features writer, Natalie is the author of “Lying Down with Dogs,” a novella globally released by The Awakened Press in September 2022.