As a child, the young Italian wanted to be a missionary in China. Due of her poor health, she was not accepted to two of the convents where she had applied. Francis began to teach a class and later helped a priest open an orphanage. Later, the bishop encouraged Francis to found her own congregation of missionary nuns. Soon it grew. Even though Francis still wanted to go to China, Pope Leo XIII sent her to American to work with the Italian immigrants. The sisters left for New York, and in the beginning had many difficulties. The archbishop had also recommended that they leave. But Francis maintained that the pope himself sent her. They continued on and opened schools, hospitals and orphanages. She died in Chicago in 1917. They say when a door closes, a window is opened.

What difficulties have you had on your path? How do you overcome them? How do you open other windows?