Regina Coeli Orphanage founded by Mother Cabrini initially on North Hill Street in Los Angeles.

Mother Cabrini came to California from Denver at the urgent request of Bishop Conaty in 1905 to serve a growing Italian community that was very poor and had great difficulty taking care of their children. Mother Cabrini knew she could improve conditions for these people if she made their needs known to the wealthy of the community.

To this end, Mother Cabrini acquired the Edgemont property on North Hill Street in Los Angeles, from Julia Barnum, the wife of J.W. Robinson, for a nominal price and founded the Regina Coeli Orphanage.

Additionally, because tuberculosis was very prevalent in the early 1900s, she wanted to provide care for girls with special needs and give them a clean and safe environment in which to study and hopefully avoid exposure to tuberculosis. She founded the Mother Cabrini Preventorium in Burbank. In 1933, this school would become Villa Cabrini Academy. Woodbury University has since been established on this site.

In 2004, Villa Cabrini alumnae made a decision to plan a joint celebration of the 100th year of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s arrival in California and the 125th Anniversary of her founding of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The event was entitled “A Weekend of Reminiscing and Celebration.” On Saturday, July 30, 2005, Mother Cabrini’s Jubilee Mass was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles with His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, as the presider. Mass was celebrated in the presence of over fifteen hundred people whose lives had been touched in some way by Mother Cabrini.

The 100th Anniversary Mass celebrating Mother Cabrini’s arrival in California was held on July 20, 2005 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.  His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony was the presider.

Teachers, students and graduates of the Villa from across the nation and from countries around the globe came to celebrate.

A Miracle in Progress

In June of 2006, the alumnae board met once again. It was at this meeting that our focus began to change.

In addition to planning student reunions, the board began expressing other concerns and areas of interest. We clearly recognized we had a common bond in the charism of Francesca Cabrini and we wanted to reignite and ensure the Cabrinian legacy for future generations of Californians.

We began the difficult task of writing bylaws. In 2006 we adopted those bylaws and declared the following mission statement:

The Villa Cabrini Academy Alumnae and Friends (VCAAF), formerly known as Villa Cabrini Academy Alumnae Association, established in 2000, is dedicated to ensuring that the Cabrini legacy lives on, strengthening and maintaining commitment within our extended family, and creating connections among our members as we encounter life’s challenges.

Since the declaration of our mission, we have forged a new and stronger alliance with Woodbury University. In the interest of promoting the Cabrinian legacy, Woodbury has granted VCAAF the use of on-campus space which will house a rotating exhibit of memorabilia depicting the life and accomplishments of St. Frances Cabrini in California. The exhibit will also include the history of Villa Cabrini Academy.

While there has been great effort to document the life of Mother Cabrini, relatively little has been said or written of her mission activity in California. Therefore, a special committee has been formed to collect information and artifacts for the exhibit at Woodbury University. We are reaching out to all interested groups or individuals who might be able to assist us in this endeavor. We have encouraged member support of the Woodbury University Library, the former Cabrini Chapel, and have raised thousands of dollars for Woodbury Library Improvements in the name of Villa Cabrini Academy and St. Cabrini’s legacy.

Photos: (Left) Rebecca Ymas Christians, lived in the Regina Coeli Orphanage and School from 1926 through 1927.  Rebecca is an active member of the VCAAF group; (Right) Rebecca’s class at Regina Coeli Orphanage.  Rebecca is pictured in the front row, the third from the left.

Furthermore, since our lives were forever shaped by our years at Villa Cabrini, the tradition of service and outreach to others has been instilled in us by the Missionary Sisters. In that tradition, among other works, VCAAF has adopted St. Bernard’s Elementary School in Los Angeles for the year 2007 making a financial contribution for the purchase of needed classroom supplies.

Our members also give of their time to drive the elderly and sick to doctors’ appointments and hospitals. We provide educational presentations about Mother Cabrini to children of all ages and are involved with the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. We financially support Cabrini missions in Southern Africa, Ethiopia and the Philippines both directly and through the Cabrini Mission Foundation.

The VCAAF board is truly a group of amazing women. One friend of VCAAF, Rebecca Ymas Christians, lived in the Regina Coeli Orphanage/School from the end of 1926 through 1927. Regina Coeli was moved to Burbank in 1927 and Rebecca went on to graduate in 1933. Accompanied by her daughter, this ninety two year old woman has taken an active role on our research committee and is working to provide the history of which she was part and to identify various artifacts as we find them.

St. Frances Cabrini, the first American citizen saint, walked on our California soil changing it and us forever. VCAAF with a newly discovered purpose, dedication, and great enthusiasm is working hard not only to tell that California story, but also to actively live the Cabrinian legacy.

by Natalie Cirello Bloxham ‘60
VCAAF President

The Villa Cabrini Academy Alumnae and Friends group. Front row (L-R):  Linda Grant Jones, ’67 Holly Digoras D’Abreau, ’63; Mary Kittelberger Lirhus, ’60; Gisela Von Huene Slonneger, ’63; Back row (L-R): Michalene Palamar DiMatteo, ’52, Rita Couch Kunkel, ’48; Nancy Marzo Costantino, ’49; Kathleen Mitchell, ’66; Christina Siemsen Gilman, ’51;  Roa Brand, 62. Not pictured:  Rose Marie “Sr. Regina” Palamara, ’52; Barbara Melgard Kouri, ’52; Linda Snyder Rackley, ’66; Sherrie Samuels, ’61 and Natalie Cirello Bloxham, ’60.

Read past "Faces of Cabrini" profiles...