Cabrini Health History
In January 1948, ten members of an Italian religious congregation arrived in Melbourne to assume ownership of a small private hospital in Malvern. St. Benedict, as it was then known, was started by the Sisters of Mercy in 1920.
Responding to the missionary enthusiasm of their Founder, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus undertook an arduous journey from Italy to Australia to take charge of this Mission.
The Sisters were, in the main, Italian with very little English between them and few resources. There were many setbacks in the early years problems with language, customs, food and a general mistrust by people of the foreign ways of these new Sisters.
We owe much to the perseverance and hard work of these pioneers, as they worked to overcome difficulties. With boundless faith in God and a surety of purpose, they laid the foundation for the complex health care services offered by Cabrini Health today.
Today there are fewer Sisters, but with strong leadership from the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a deep sense of commitment from their lay collaborators, there has been a renewed sense of purpose.
The Sisters were founded to meet the needs of God people, to bring hope and comfort to them. We try to be faithful to the vision of Mother Cabrini by caring for our patients, residents and their families to the best of our ability. That vision includes being an ethical and just employer; striving to create a community amongst our employees based on Christian values and by serving the marginalised in our community both in Australia and overseas. We remain conscious of our shared responsibilities as members of the world-wide Cabrinian family.
