The Chicago Park District has announced that a statue of Frances Xavier Cabrini will replace the Christopher Columbus statue previously located in Arrigo Park, Little Italy. The decision follows a public selection process and is part of an agreement to resolve a lawsuit brought by Italian American groups after the removal of the Columbus statue in 2020 during widespread civil rights protests.
Cabrini, recognized as the first American saint canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, was chosen for her significant contributions to Chicago’s Italian American community. Before her death in Chicago in 1917, she founded several institutions across North and South America and played a key role in supporting Italian immigrants in Chicago. Her legacy includes establishing the city’s first Italian parish school and two hospitals.
Cabrini is also remembered as the namesake of Cabrini-Green Homes, a public housing development demolished in 2011.
There is currently no set timeline for when the new statue will be erected. However, artists can begin submitting applications for the commission starting March 1.
As part of the settlement with local Italian American organizations, the removed Columbus statue—originally installed in Arrigo Park from 1966 to 2020—has been transferred to Chicago’s Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. The group plans to display it inside a museum dedicated to Italian immigrants on Taylor Street.
Some members of Chicago’s Italian-American community have criticized moving the Columbus statue indoors and away from its prominent location within Little Italy. Historians have pointed out that indigenous populations lived in America before Columbus’s arrival and have linked his expeditions with acts of violence against native people.
In 2020, protests over racial injustice renewed debates about monuments honoring figures such as Columbus. The removal of his statues followed high-profile demonstrations and clashes between protesters and police near Grant Park, resulting in injuries on both sides. Two other Columbus statues were taken down later that year; none have been reinstated.
Last November, the Park District initiated a contest inviting residents to nominate an influential Italian-American figure for memorialization at Arrigo Park. Ten finalists were selected, with voting held among community members. Cabrini received approximately 15,000 votes—significantly more than runner-up Enrico Fermi (648 votes) or third-place Antonin Scalia (597 votes). Other nominees included Renato Dulbecco, Philip Mazzei, Maria Montessori, Florence Scala, and Amerigo Vespucci.
According to a statement from the Park District: “The selection of Cabrini for the statue met city requirements for ‘demonstrated civic impact,’ ‘historical and cultural significance,’ and ‘integrity and enduring impact.’”
