Following an unforgettable week of prayer, service, leadership formation, and fellowship, ten Cabrini High School New Orleans student leaders recently returned from the inaugural Cabrini High School Leadership Summit at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado
. Representing Student Council and Campus Ministry, the students journeyed to one of the most sacred places in the Cabrinian world, where they immersed themselves in presentations, discussions, and service-learning experiences centered on compassionate leadership, missionary discipleship, and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Leadership workshops challenged the students to reflect on questions such as What Is the Cabrinian Charism?, What Does It Mean to Be Called to Lead Like Mother Cabrini? and How Can We Lead with Courage, Compassion, and Faith as the Apostles Did? Inspired by these discussions, the students also prayerfully planned the upcoming year for Student Council and Campus Ministry with renewed enthusiasm and a deeper sense of purpose of what their roles as student leaders mean to school’s success.
The summit extended far beyond the classroom. Students hiked Mother Cabrini’s mountain, climbed the Stairway of Prayer to the Mount of the Sacred Heart, and visited the miraculous spring that has flowed since Mother Cabrini instructed the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to dig where she trusted God would provide water. Along the way, they witnessed hundreds of pilgrims from across the country making the same climb in search of hope, healing, and renewal. For students who already live the Cabrinian mission each day in New Orleans, seeing the worldwide reach of Mother Cabrini’s legacy firsthand was profoundly moving. The experience helped them recognize that they are part of a global family carrying forward the same mission begun by Mother Cabrini more than a century ago.
Throughout the week, shared prayer, meaningful conversations, service, laughter, and moments of quiet reflection strengthened not only the students’ faith but also the bonds they share as leaders. The experience opened their hearts even further to faith-filled leadership and inspired them with the same missionary zeal, boldness, and unwavering courage that fueled Mother Cabrini’s remarkable work. They returned with a forward-focused commitment to serve their classmates with humility, joy, and Christ-centered leadership throughout the coming school year.
The Leadership Summit is one component of Cabrini High School’s expanding commitment to leadership formation. The initiative began this summer with the inaugural Cabrini Leadership Academy for rising seventh-grade girls and will continue throughout the 2026-2027 school year with a monthly leadership speaker series for all Cabrini students. Inspired by Mother Cabrini’s conviction that “The world is too small,” these experiences are forming a new generation of Cabrinian women who understand that true leadership begins with faith and finds its purpose in serving othersImages:
We also put together several reels highlighting each day’s activities. Links to social media:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DXwn4qnXD
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BwU97ZvUu/
Thus, it was here, at the Mother Cabrini Shrine, nestled in Golden, at the foothills of the Rockies, that Cabrini University alums embarked upon a pilgrimage. It was the first time that such a trip had been organized by the CAVS Alumni Association, and we were delighted that ten alums – spanning many years of graduation – embarked on travels to Colorado to walk in the footsteps of Mother Cabrini.
Mother Cabrini Shrine was filled with joy as we celebrated the 80th anniversary of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s canonization. We were especially delighted to welcome members of the Cabrini University alumni community, who spent the weekend on pilgrimage, retracing Mother Cabrini’s footsteps and deepening the bond we share in her mission.
On Tuesday morning, we joyfully began our weeklong celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the canonization of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini with a beautiful Mass celebrated alongside the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our staff, volunteers, and members of the Mother Cabrini Shrine community.
Following Sister Theresa’s renewal, Cabrini staff and volunteers affirmed our commitment to carry on our shared mission, celebrate Mother Cabrini’s life as our inspiration, and bring God’s love to the world by providing exceptional care for our patients, the community and each other.
The celebration began in partnership with the Archdiocese of Denver as Catholics joined others across the nation in the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The day included Adoration, confessions, a bilingual Liturgy of the Word, the Consecration Prayer, a procession, and benediction.
d to the beauty of the celebration.
A huge tent was already set up on the lawn for the Cabrini Immigrant Services fundraiser scheduled for the next day, so we ate fresh-grilled hot dogs and hamburgers beneath it. Then God did something utterly magnificent: He sent a rainstorm. It was tremendous, stupendous, and utterly irresistible. The 25+ children squealed with glee and, almost as one, darted out onto the grass to dance in the rain. They ran in circles. They raced in and out of the tent, shouted to each other, held their mouths open to the sky to drink in the gift. It was joy, pure joy.
In the mid-afternoon of Tuesday 14 April, a call came to me from Cabrini Malvern Reception. A lady named Elizabeth was asking to see me.
Ciao from Italy! This April, members of the Mother Cabrini Shrine Colorado community participated in a pilgrimage across Italy, following in the footsteps of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and visiting places central to her life and mission.
They spent time in Rome visiting with MSC General Superior Sr. Eliane Azevedo da Silva and Councilors Srs. Patricia Godoy and Gilda Mendoza Argueta as well as visiting Sant’ Angelo Lodigiano, birthplace of Mother Cabrini and Codogno, where Mother founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The gentle, Montessori-style devotion included stories at each station, kid-appropriate questions, a prayer, and an activity or hands-on item. When Jesus fell the first time, each child received a BandAid.
The 2025 Mother Cabrini Shrine From the Heart Gala filled us with deep gratitude. Because of the generosity shared that evening, the Shrine can now move forward with restoring the chapel’s cherished triangular stained-glass windows—crafted in France in the 1960s and treasured by all who pray in this sacred space. This support ensures their beauty and integrity for generations to come.
Mission Moment Video