My mother’s Italian family came to New York in the early 1900s. Stories of the work that Mother Cabrini did in New York were known by many Italians. My mother grew up with these stories and lovingly shared them with me. I learned more about the life and work of Mother Cabrini in my Catholic grammar school. She was the first United States citizen canonized by the Catholic church on July 7, 1946.

As I researched the location of different shrines throughout the United States, I was surprised to find a shrine in Golden, Colorado dedicated to the life of Mother Cabrini. Before heading to Calgary, Canada for an adventure in their National Parks, I decided to make a stop in Colorado to visit this shrine.

In 1902, at the request of a local bishop, Mother Cabrini arrived in Denver to serve poor Italian immigrants. Shortly after her arrival she established an orphanage in Denver to educate young girls. In 1912, Mother Cabrini purchased a mountain property in Golden, Colorado that served as a summer camp for the orphaned girls in Denver.

Mother Cabrini was the youngest of 13 children from a small village outside of Milan, Italy. In 1880, with seven young women, she founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her goal was to serve as a missionary in China; however, the pope sent her and her Sisters to New York to help the thousands of Italian immigrants already in the United States.

The work that Mother Cabrini and her Sisters did in New York became known worldwide. Requests to open schools came from all over the world. She traveled to Europe, Central and South America, and throughout the United States establishing schools, hospitals, and orphanages.

Below is a video of the beautiful shrine in Golden, Colorado dedicated to her life. Also below is the trailer for the 2024 movie by Angel Studios that can be viewed on Amazon Prime.

Get the popcorn ready – this is an excellent movie!

Enjoy both videos and stay tuned for another beautiful shrine found in the Canadian Rockies. God bless!