Birthday celebration honors lnfante's full life

continued from pg. 1 er learning. In 1967 she was transferred to do other work for the community. She directed Cabrini-on-the-Hudson Retreat House, West Park, N.Y. Sister Infante returned to Cabrini in 1984 and became curator of the Cabriniana Room. There she translated over a thousand of St. Frances Cabrini's letters from Italian to English. She also published an English edition of a book of Cabrini's letters.

Sister Infante, born Anna Lawrence, was adopted and came from a wealthy family in New York City. She attended Catholic schools in Brooklyn. She entered the convent on July 21, 1915 and was accepted by Mother Frances Cabrini, now Saint Frances Cabrini.

The times were turbulent as World War I was being fought. Sister Infante had to persuade her father to allow her to enter. She reasoned that he would always know where she was as young men her age were being drafted to fight on the front lines. He agreed and gave her his blessing.

Sister Infante received a pharmacy degree and a license from New York's Fordham University in 1922. She continued her education, earning a bachelor's degree from Fordham and a master's degree from Columbia University, both in education.

From the late 1920s until 1957, Sister Infante taught in various schools in New York, eventually becoming a principal.

When Sister Infante first met Dellacarpini she told him that Mother Cabrini really loved priests. She told him that she loved him as well. "She's been a tremendous addition to this community," Dellacarpini said. Sister Infante uses her time to pray and read, but she also enjoys the company of good friends. Dellacarpini and Sister Infante were talking in the chapel when she noticed the statue of the Sacred Heart. Nonchalantly, she turned and said, "well we know we're in good company."

Clockwise from bottom right: Sister Infante salutes the crowd of well wishers with one of the cookies she received as a gift; Sister Infante can only imagine the size of the wine bottle inside that box being held by Fr. John De/lacarpini, chaplain of the nursing home; Sister Infante received numerous birthday-floral arrangements. This particular one measured two and a half feet tall, half of Sister lnfante's height; Sister lnfante's expression of surprise is priceless as the Cabrini Nursing Home staff brings out her birthday cake with Miller Lite beer candles.

The order of Cabrini sisters wanted to open a college in the Philadelphia area in 1957. Archbishop John Cardinal O'Hara saw no need for another Catholic college. Determined to succeed, she visited all of the area college presidents and asked them if they objected to a new college. She returned to the cardinal and showed him her findings. Cabrini College was founded and Sister Infante was president.

For 10 years she nurtured the young college into a well-known and respected institution of high-

It's good company that keeps the 104-year-old nun going. Though she uses a wheel chair to get to and from distant places, she prefers to walk most of the time. Good company is not hard to find with so many sisters admiring her accomplishments. "It's been a blessing beyond words knowing Ursula for which I thank God," Sister Julia Toto said. Toto, a member of the order and of the Saint Donato convent, Overbrook, visits often with Sister Infante.

The college will honor Sister Infante on Feb. 27. There will be a reading of the proclamation instituting Founder's Day followed by a reception in the mansion.