MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE

Currently in Golden CO (Low 55 Storms Late High 74) 

Driving to the Mother Cabrini Shrine near Golden Colorado the first thing you notice is this large statue on the hill.

Buffalo Bill was not the only famous person to become enthralled with the views as you ascend Lookout Mountain. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, aka Mother Cabrini, visited the area in 1902. She purchased some land and a summer camp was first built there. What followed was a chapel, Stone House for retreats and other buildings. On her last visit in 1912 she and her fellow nuns climbed the mountain and at the top she built a heart with white stones. The stones are there to this day, under glass now to protect them.

The view from the top.

Here is the new Chapel and Gift Shop in the distance from the top.

Mother Cabrini dedicated the site to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1954 this statue was placed there and a 373 step staircase was constructed. Here is the stairs at the bottom.

Here is the statue of the Sacred Heart.

We inquired at the gift shop and got a key to drive to the top since Jo felt she could not make the 373 step journey at that altitude no matter how many benches they had along the way. Here is gate that they gave us a key for.

The gate is to be locked because there are cattle on site, here is the road and cattle.

Here are the steps from the top back to the bottom.

The first chapel built on the site was demolished in 1959 and replaced with this one.

We then visited the new chapel that is larger. There was a wedding there the afternoon we visited, luckily we got in to take photos before they closed it.

The Museum has displays of her clothes and table and chair and bed she used while her. 

A great film was playing in the museum narrated by Brooke Shields. Shrines are places of meditation and reflection, here is the garden.

There was a meditation walk area

That had benches to sit and meditate.

This was a great find, again very close to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds where we have been for the last few days. What is more amazing is Mother Cabrini herself. She made at least 26 crossings of the Atlantic and founded schools, hospitals, religious orders throughout Europe and North and South America. The credits of the film lists all those and it is incredible. Originally from Italy before her death she became a US citizen and is the first citizen to be canonized as a Saint.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo