Dear Members of the Cabrini Community:

Today, I am writing to share an update regarding Cabrini’s agreement with Villanova University. 

I am pleased to announce that the boards of trustees of Cabrini and Villanova Universities, along with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, have reached a final agreement that will allow the mission and legacy of Cabrini University to live on.

As I shared in June, a central aspect of our initial outreach to Villanova was honoring the work of the Missionary Sisters by continuing to foster what Mother Cabrini advocated and the foundation of our mission—an “Education of the Heart.” This became an imperative of our agreement with Villanova, and I am pleased to share that while Villanova will assume ownership of the Cabrini campus at the conclusion of Cabrini’s 2023-24 academic year, Villanova will retain the Cabrini name for the campus and preserve Cabrini’s overarching legacy and mission, as well as several of our impactful initiatives in immigration, service, and women’s leadership. Some of these initiatives include: the creation of an institute/center on immigration, which will unite aspects of both Cabrini’s and Villanova’s existing immigration and advocacy work; opportunities to leverage Cabrini’s strong accredited education programs; incorporating the work of Cabrini’s Wolfington Center into existing Villanova programs; establishing a “Cabrini Scholars” scholarship program in alignment with Cabrini’s program that currently exists with Cabrini High School in New Orleans, LA; and hosting an annual event focused on women’s leadership, honoring Mother Cabrini. More details can be found here in this website. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my overwhelming gratitude to the members of the Cabrini community who have been working tirelessly to ensure that the mission and legacy of Cabrini University and Mother Cabrini endure after the 2023/24 academic year concludes. This has been a very difficult time for the Cabrini community, but I am heartened by the fortitude and passion of everyone who has been involved in this process. 

As I have said previously, the Cabrini University impact does not end when our doors close, but the Cabrini legacy lives on at Villanova through the work you have done, the service you have given and the relationships you have built. We are confident that our agreement with Villanova will preserve the Cabrini legacy and our work to educate both minds and hearts will be carried forth.

Finally, with an agreement in place, our focus is on fulfilling our commitment to the students during this final year and celebrating more than six decades of providing a Cabrini education. Let us continue to move forward with confidence and courage in support of one another. Grounded in our values and working together, we will create the final year that Cabrini deserves.

Sincerely,

Helen Drinan 
President
Cabrini University