How One Woman Built an “Empire of Hope’ When Everyone Said “No!”

The Faith & Resilience Podcast explores the complexity of our lives while illuminating paths towards healing and hope, examining the sacred values that anchor us to who we are and who we can be despite the turbulence, trauma, and anxiety of our contemporary lives. Episode Summary In this inspiring episode, host Ellen Corcella explores the extraordinary life of Mother Frances Cabrini, drawing from the recent film "Cabrini." Despite facing enormous opposition from church and city officials, this poor immigrant nun arrived in New York City in 1889 and built the largest charitable organization in the world. Working in the disease-ridden slums of Five Points Manhattan, she established nearly 70 hospitals, schools, and aid institutions across multiple continents in just thirty-four years. Ellen examines how Mother Cabrini's life serves as an antidote to our contemporary sense of futility, demonstrating that through faithful persistence and prophetic imagination, we can become architects of hope rather than empires of outrage. Key Lessons We Can Learn from Mother Cabrini Faith - Mother Cabrini lived with confidence in what was hoped for and assurance of what she did not see. Her actions stemmed from steadfast trust in God and love of God's people. Tenacity - Mother Cabrini did not take "no" for an answer. Imagination - Mother Cabrini possessed what theologian Walter Brueggemann described as "prophetic imagination" - the ability to see beyond current limitations to envision what can be healed, restored, or created in God's world. Call - Mother Cabrini understood what is required of people of faith - "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." Micah 6:8 Courage - Mother Cabrini did not conduct risk assessments or calculate odds of success. She was simply a determined spirit to proceed. Resources Find "Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma" by Ellen Corcella: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/walk_with_me_ellen_corcella BookBaby: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/walk-with-me2 Connect with Ellen Corcella: Website: www.ellencorcella.com Sign up for the Faith & Resilience Newsletter Visit for support resources on grief, PTSD, suicide, and loss Email: [email protected] Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ellencorcella Upcoming Events: Ellen will be offering a workshop "Resilient Faith" at the Wild Goose Festival, https://wildgoosefestival.org/convo-hall-2022, August 28-31, 2025 Use Ambassador Code A-EC for $50 off Adult Weekend Tickets