Mother Cabrini Shrine

Have you seen the movie 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶? If not, you need to watch this inspirational movie. We watched it last week (March 12, 2024) and learned so much about Mother Cabrini. Her story is a piece of history we did not know about.

Mother Cabrini dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, immigrants and those less fortunate. In her 67 years of life, she established 67 institutions (hospitals, schools, and orphanages) across America and abroad. She became the first American saint.

Did you know that Colorado has a 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲. It’s FREE to visit!

If you’re ever in the Denver area, you’ll have to plan a visit. The shrine is in Golden, Colorado.

Mother Cabrini loved the mountains of Colorado. In 1902, she discovered a property on the east slope of Lookout Mountain owned by the town of Golden. She purchased this property as a summer camp for her girls at the Queen of Heaven Orphanage.

After Mother Cabrini became a saint in 1946, this land was dedicated as a shrine to honor St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Patron Saint of Immigrants.

What you’ll see:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 – In 1912, a spring was located which has never stopped running. Paper-cup dispensers allow visitors to sample the cold, clean-tasting liquid; a plaque at the spring explains how Mother Cabrini “. . . endowed with lofty gifts, struck with a staff this rock from which flowed a fountain of water in the year of our Lord 1912.”

𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 – Learn more about the life of Mother Cabrini – This museum opened in 2014 so that the life and missionary work of Saint Cabrini could be shared.

𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 – The gift shop is filled with religious merchandise and mementos. You can purchase candles here to be lit in the Grotto Chapel.

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼 – the grotto is a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France. The Mother Cabrini altar is located here as well as a candle vending machine.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 – On her last visit to Colorado in 1912, Mother Cabrini gathered white stones and arranged them on the mountain in the shape of a Heart surmounted by a small stone cross. She then dedicated the hill to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since 1963, these stones have been protected by clear Plexiglas. It has become a tradition to toss coins onto the cover’s surface.

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗹 – The chapel was completed in June of 1970. Mass is offered daily here.

𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 – Each flagstone in this garden represents a bead of the Rosary.

𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗲 – In 1954, a 22-foot statue of Jesus carved by an Italian artist, was erected above the Heart of Stones on top of the mountain. The statue is a well known landmark in Golden, Colorado. The 11-foot-tall base contains a glassed-in shrine to Mother Cabrini. Surrounding the statue are sandstone boulders inset with metal sculptures illustrating the Ten Commandments.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 – These beautiful stained glass windows are just off of the main chapel. These twelve windows depict Mother Cabrini’s life. The windows originally came from a school in California that was formerly sponsored by the missionary sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 – 373 steps leading up to the top of the Mount. The stairway follows the path Mother Cabrini took. You can see stone mosaics along the way depicting Christ’s suffering. In 1955, the Knights of Columbus placed terra cotta benches along the stairway.

𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 – At the center of this garden is a statue of Mother Cabrini guiding two young orphans. The property here was originally purchased as a summer home for the girls at the Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver.

𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 – From this area there is a spectacular view of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue.

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 – This area overlooks the grotto.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 – The Stone House was built in 1914 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This summer residence for the orphans was built of native rock gathered and loaded into a donkey-drawn cart by the girls themselves. Now a retreat and meeting facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Stone House, which was co-designed by Mother Cabrini, is located on a level piece of land overlooking the city of Denver. This site was chosen after Mother Cabrini sent the sisters to find a cane she had dropped, adding, “Where you find it, make a sign with stones because that is where the house is to be built.”

Things to Note:

20189 Cabrini Blvd., Golden, CO (15 miles west of downtown Denver)

Open daily (weather permitting)

Shrine (grounds) hours
7 am – 4:30 pm

Gift Shop
9 am – 5 pm

Retreat facilities
Daily mass

Colorado also celebrates Cabrini Day.

Cabrini Day is observed in Colorado annually on the 1st Monday in October (Oct. 7 in 2024). It’s also the first paid state holiday in the nation that recognizes a woman. Follow this link to see how you can celebrate Cabrini Day.

For more information about the Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado, visit www.mothercabrinishrine.org.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead

*Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for taking these pictures and videos. They live only 15 minutes from the Mother Cabrini Shrine. I was in Denver for a funeral right before the Cabrini movie came out on March 8, 2024. I did not learn about the movie till I returned to Virginia on March 6. Wish I had known as I would have personally visited this site. I definitely will whenever I’m back in the area.

**If you are near an EVO Theater, movies are $5 on Tuesdays. Purchase in-person to save the convenience fee.