About Mother Cabrini · Golden, Colorado
Mother Cabrini Shrine is a Catholic shrine in Golden, Colorado, on the east slope of Lookout Mountain in the foothills west of Denver, dedicated to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The 100,000-plus-visitor property began as a 1910 summer camp for the girls of Denver's Queen of Heaven Orphanage, became a pilgrimage site at Cabrini's 1938 beatification, and was officially established as a shrine in 1946 when she was canonized. Today the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus oversee a year-round retreat, pilgrimage, and prayer destination featuring a 373-step Stairway of the Sacred Heart, a 22-foot Sacred Heart statue, a Lourdes-style grotto over Cabrini's spring, the National Register-listed Stone House, the 1970 Sacred Heart Chapel, a museum, and a gift shop — all free and open to the public seven days a week.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- The Shrine is not a functioning parish and does not have a full-time resident priest; Mass is offered by visiting priests. Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap. — National Chaplain of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) — offers Mass at the Shrine and has chaired the Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver (the Shrine is a self-supporting 501(c)(3) under the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and receives no funding from the Archdiocese)
Why belong here
Mother Cabrini Shrine is a working pilgrimage site and retreat center where visitors of any background can climb the same 373 steps Mother Cabrini walked in 1912, pray at the Lourdes-style grotto over her miraculous spring, and venerate her relics and personal artifacts in the on-site museum. It is one of the few places in the United States designated as a Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage site with a plenary indulgence attached, and it offers daily Mass in English plus a weekly Spanish Mass, year-round individual and group retreats with overnight accommodations, and a full liturgical calendar including Holy Week, the Sacred Heart feast, and the November 13 Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. With no entrance fee, free parking, and a Calvary-style Stations-of-the-Cross stairway that has welcomed more than 100,000 pilgrims a year for generations, it functions less like a parish and more like a beloved mountain sanctuary of the Sacred Heart in the Archdiocese of Denver.
Mass times at Mother Cabrini
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (English)
- Saturdays immediately after the 8:00 a.m. Mass (English or Spanish)
History of Mother Cabrini Shrine
The Shrine's story begins with Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini's 1902 journey through the Colorado mining districts and her discovery of a waterless property on Lookout Mountain. She purchased it in 1909–1910 as a summer camp for the girls of the Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver, returned in 1912 to draw the spring forth from the rock, lay out the Heart of Stones, and sketch the Stone House with builder Thomas Eckrom. The property became a formal pilgrimage site at her 1938 beatification, was officially established as a shrine when she was canonized in 1946, and grew with the 1954 Sacred Heart statue and 373-step Stairway of Prayer, the 1959 sandstone grotto, the 1970 Sacred Heart Chapel, the 2014 Cabrini Museum, and Colorado's first paid state holiday honoring a woman — Cabrini Day — in 2020.
- 1902: Mother Cabrini first visits the Lookout Mountain property while ministering to Italian mining families
- 1909–1910: Property purchased as a summer camp for Queen of Heaven Orphanage
- 1912: Mother Cabrini's last visit; the spring is uncovered, the Heart of Stones is laid, and the Stone House is planned
- 1914: Stone House completed (NRHP #99001666, listed January 14, 2000)
- 1929: First Lourdes-style grotto built over the spring
- 1938: Cabrini beatified; site becomes a Catholic pilgrimage destination
- 1946: Cabrini canonized July 7; the property is officially established as a shrine (feast day November 13)
- 1954: 22-foot Sacred Heart of Jesus statue erected; 373-step Stairway of Prayer completed in 67 days
- 1955: Knights of Columbus install terra-cotta benches along the stairway
- 1959: Present sandstone Grotto of Lourdes replaces the 1929 replica
- 1967: Queen of Heaven Orphanage closes; Stone House becomes a year-round retreat facility
- 1970: Three-story Williamsburg-brick convent and Sacred Heart Chapel completed in June
- 2014: Cabrini Museum opens in the restored 1890s 'pump house'
- 2020: Colorado passes Frances Xavier Cabrini House Bill 20-1031, establishing Cabrini Day the first Monday of October
- 2025: Shrine designated a holy site for the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Hope
The Stone House (1914)
Designed by Mother Cabrini and builder Thomas Eckrom in 1912 and constructed by the orphan girls themselves, the three-story Stone House is the Shrine's original building and its historic core. Built of native rock hauled in a donkey-drawn cart from a nearby quarry, it housed a ground-floor chapel, Sisters' quarters, a living room, and stair halls, with open dormitory space on the second and third floors. After the orphanage closed in 1967 it served as a temporary convent and then a year-round retreat facility. The Colorado Historical Society has granted more than $138,000 for restoration of the roof, windows, electrical system, and woodwork, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #99001666) as the 'Queen of Heaven Orphanage Summer Camp'
- Three stories of native stone masonry
- Cabrini selected the site by 'losing' her cane and sending the sisters to mark with stones wherever they found it
- Girls hauled stones in a donkey-drawn cart from a nearby quarry each evening
The Spring and the Grotto
In September 1912, after the sisters told Mother Cabrini they were 'dying of thirst,' she pointed to a rock and told them, 'Lift that rock over there and start to dig. You will find water fresh enough to drink and clean enough to wash.' A spring broke forth and has never stopped running; it is now housed in an 8,000-gallon tank that still serves the Shrine. In 1929 a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes was built over the spring, replaced in 1959 by the present sandstone grotto, where pilgrims pray at a Mother Cabrini altar in candlelight and present their petitions, believing through faith that their prayers are answered.
- Spring uncovered 1912, still flowing
- Water held in an 8,000-gallon tank
- First Lourdes-style grotto built 1929
- Present sandstone grotto built 1959
- Mother Cabrini altar and vigil candles available for pilgrims
The Sacred Heart Statue, Stairway of Prayer & Heart of Stones
On September 11, 1954, work began on a 373-step stairway leading to the top of the Mount of the Sacred Heart, completed in just 67 days. The stairway follows the path Mother Cabrini, the sisters, and the orphanage children walked in 1912, doubling as a Way of the Cross: each station is depicted in Italian-made stone mosaic, and the mysteries of the rosary continue the journey to the top. In 1955 the Knights of Columbus placed terra-cotta benches along the path. At the summit, a 22-foot statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, designed by Maurice Loriaux and carved by an Italian artist, stands on an 11-foot base above the glass-cased Heart of Stones — the original 1912 arrangement of white stones laid by Cabrini and the girls in the shape of a Heart surmounted by a Cross, with a crown of thorns on the highest promontory.
- 373 steps placed in 67 days beginning September 11, 1954
- 14 Italian-made stone-mosaic Stations of the Cross
- Mysteries of the Rosary along the path
- Terra-cotta benches installed by the Knights of Columbus in 1955
- 22-foot Sacred Heart statue (1954) on 11-foot base, designed by Maurice Loriaux
- Heart of Stones preserved under a glass case at the summit
- Large crucifix at the entrance to the stairway
- Dirt service road to the top open Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting
Sacred Heart Chapel, Convent & Main Building (1970)
A three-story structure built of Williamsburg brick and completed in June 1970, the main building houses the Sacred Heart Chapel, meeting rooms, the gift shop with a museum of Mother Cabrini's artifacts and clothing, residences for the resident Missionary Sisters, and overnight accommodations for retreatants and pilgrims. The chapel's statues and stained-glass windows were relocated from the former Villa Cabrini Academy in Burbank, California, a Missionary Sisters' school. Mass is offered daily here, and the chapel is open to the public seven days a week.
- Three-story Williamsburg-brick structure completed June 1970
- Statues and stained glass from Villa Cabrini Academy, Burbank, California
- Daily Mass and open to the public seven days a week
- Meeting rooms, gift shop, Sisters' housing, and overnight pilgrim accommodations
Cabrini Museum
Opened in the summer of 2014, the Cabrini Museum is housed in the 'pump house' — one of the original 1890s buildings on the property when Mother Cabrini first saw it in 1902. The museum features a replica of Mother Cabrini's bedroom, a timeline of her life, and many of her personal artifacts and items of clothing.
- Opened summer 2014
- Located in the restored 1890s 'pump house' in Cabrini Garden
- Replica of Mother Cabrini's bedroom
- Life timeline and personal artifacts
Grounds, Gardens & Meditation
Beyond the chapel, grotto, and stairway, the Shrine's grounds include the Cabrini Garden, a Rosary Garden, a peaceful Meditation Walk, and the Cabrini Museum. A dirt service road offers weather-permitting vehicle access to the top of the mountain from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Shrine is a dog-friendly (leashed) site and is free and open to the public seven days a week.
- Cabrini Garden
- Rosary Garden
- Meditation Walk for personal prayer and reflection
- Dirt service road to summit (Memorial Day–Labor Day, weather permitting)
- Dog-friendly (leashed) grounds
- Free admission
Retreats & Hospitality
Mother Cabrini Shrine offers year-round individual and group retreats with overnight accommodations in the convent and Stone House. Retreatants can request reservations through the Retreat Coordinator and walk the Stations of the Cross, pray at the grotto and the spring, attend daily Mass, and enjoy the Cabrini Garden, Rosary Garden, and Meditation Walk. The Shrine also hosts conferences, concerts, and speaker events — recent and upcoming have included Sarah Hart & Steve Angrisano in concert and an evening with Father Greg Boyle, SJ, founder of Homeboy Industries.
- Group and individual retreats year-round
- Overnight accommodations in the convent and Stone House
- Request a Reservation via the Retreat Coordinator
- Conferences, concerts, and speaker events (e.g., Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ; Sarah Hart & Steve Angrisano)
Shrine Events & Feast Days
In March 2020 the Colorado Legislature passed Frances Xavier Cabrini House Bill 20-1031, establishing Cabrini Day as a paid state holiday on the first Monday in October — the first such U.S. holiday honoring a woman. The Shrine celebrates the Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini on November 13 (her birthday is July 15 and she was canonized July 7, 1946), the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (19 days after Pentecost), Holy Week and Easter (with Morning Prayer and Confessions, the Seven Last Words, the Liturgy of the Passion, the Easter Vigil, and trilingual Easter Masses), and the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 designation with the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.
- Cabrini Day — first Monday in October (Colorado state holiday, est. 2020)
- Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — November 13
- Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — 19 days after Pentecost
- Holy Week and Easter Triduum with special Morning Prayer, Confessions, Seven Last Words, Liturgy of the Passion, and Easter Vigil
- Canonization & Birthday Celebration Sunday with Masses at 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m. (Spanish)
- Sarah Hart & Steve Angrisano concert; Father Greg Boyle, SJ, evening
Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign
Chaired by Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap., the Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign is funding the renovation and expansion of the Shrine's chapel, conference facilities, an elevator, and additional restrooms. As of the campaign's most recent public reporting, the gift shop and conference room renovation and expansion were complete, and approximately $3.6 million of the $4.5 million goal had been raised from donors and friends of the Shrine. The Shrine operates as a self-supporting 501(c)(3) and receives no funding from the Archdiocese of Denver.
- Chaired by Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap.
- Funds chapel renovation/expansion, conference facilities, elevator, and restrooms
- $3.6M of $4.5M raised (most recent public reporting)
- Shrine is self-supporting 501(c)(3); no Archdiocese of Denver funding
Meet the Staff
The Shrine is administered by a small lay staff working alongside the resident Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. JoAnn Seaman, the long-time Development Director (since 1989), now serves as Executive Director; Amber Hunter oversees the Gift Shop; Angela Mulheran is the Retreat Coordinator. Mass and the sacraments are celebrated by visiting priests, including Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap., who is also the National Chaplain of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).
- JoAnn Seaman — Executive Director (Development Director 1989–2023)
- Amber Hunter — Gift Shop
- Angela Mulheran — Retreat Coordinator
- Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap. — celebrant and Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign chair
- Resident Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Visitor Information
The Shrine is open every day, weather permitting, 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and admission is free. From Denver, take I-70 West to Exit 259; from the mountains, take I-70 East to Exit 256, then continue east on US-40 and follow the signs to Cabrini Boulevard. A dirt service road to the summit is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting, with the key available at the Gift Shop or front reception desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Leashed dogs are welcome. For weather-related closures and Mass schedule changes, text CABRINI to 84576.
- Free admission, open 7 days a week, weather permitting, 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- I-70 Exit 259 (from Denver) or Exit 256 (from the mountains); east on US-40
- 20189 Cabrini Blvd, Golden, CO 80401
- Phone: (303) 526-0758
- Dirt service road to top: Memorial Day–Labor Day, weather permitting
- Leashed dogs welcome
- Text CABRINI to 84576 for weather closures and Mass schedule changes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C.1902–1917 (property founder; visits 1902, 1909–1910, 1912)
Italian-born foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart; discovered the Lookout Mountain property in 1902, purchased it in 1909–1910, sketched the Stone House with builder Thomas Eckrom in 1912, discovered the spring, and arranged the Heart of Stones on her last visit. Died 1917 in Chicago.
- Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus1917–present (resident custodians)
Cabrini's own order took stewardship of the property after her death; they were resident at the Stone House from 1967 until the 1970 convent was completed, and continue to oversee the Shrine today.
- Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap.present
Franciscan Capuchin; National Chaplain of FOCUS; celebrates Mass at the Shrine and serves as chair of the Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign for chapel and facility renewal.
- JoAnn Seaman1989–present
Long-time Development Director (1989–Aug 2023) and current Executive Director; public face of the Shrine's administration and fundraising.
