Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Bringing Christ's love to the world

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Kindred Souls

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.

To my delight and surprise, it was Elizabeth Barmann from Mother Cabrini Shrine in Denver, Colorado. Elizabeth and her husband Terry were here visiting their daughter who lives locally in Malvern. What a long way from home!

Elizabeth is the Liturgist and Music Director at the Shrine. So, I immediately rang our own Cabrini Liturgist and Cabrini Choir Director, Mission Integration Lead, Leesa Horrigan to join us for coffee. What a great connection for each of us to have on the other side of the world.

A visit to our Chapel meant that we could have a beautiful snap taken by a colleague.
And all too soon our wonderful conversation about Mother Cabrini, her spirituality and the beautiful legacy we carry in our different ministries was over.

From Colorado to Codogno Walking in Mother Cabrini’s Footsteps

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.

The pilgrimage began in Codogno, where Mother Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and continued to Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, her birthplace. The group also paused in Assisi for time set aside for prayer and reflection before arriving in Rome.

In Rome, pilgrims celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter at the Vatican and visited the statue of Mother Cabrini inside St. Peter’s Basilica. They also visited St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls, where a recently installed statue reflects her global impact.

One of the most significant moments of the pilgrimage took place when six members of the group were welcomed to the General Curia of the Missionary Sisters in Rome. They were received by the General Superior, Sr. Maria Eliane Azevedo da Silva, along with members of her council. During the visit, the group viewed portraits of the congregation’s leadership, dating back to Mother Cabrini, and spent time in prayer before her relic in the Curia chapel.

They also visited the archives, where Mother Cabrini’s writings and volumes are carefully preserved, offering a direct connection to her life and work. The visit included time at the statue “Cecchina’s Dream” and concluded with conversation and hospitality before continuing on to Casa Cabrini.

At Casa Cabrini, the broader group gathered to celebrate Mass in the chapel built by Mother Cabrini and to pray before her relic. The pilgrimage concluded at St. Mary Major Basilica, where the group gathered in prayer, carrying with them the intentions of the Shrine community.

Throughout the journey, the experience offered a deeper understanding of Mother Cabrini’s life and the continued relevance of her mission.
Photos from the pilgrimage can be found on the Mother Cabrini Shrine Facebook page. Thank you to all who followed along and for your continued prayers throughout the journey.

Mother Cabrini Shrine Pilgrims in Italy

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.

Holy Days and a Joyful Easter

Cabrini Health, Australia
Holy Thursday

Each year, [on Holy Thursday] we have a Ritual of Washing at Cabrini. It is a mark of thanksgiving for each person in our community and the service they carry out daily in the healing ministry of Jesus.

We invite everyone to come forward and allow their hands to be washed by a senior colleague and dried tenderly by another. I’m incredibly humbled and moved by it each year – as are the people who attend.

Although it’s almost 50 years old, we still use the beautiful Servant Song to frame the liturgy. ~ submitted by Margaret Stewart, Group Director, Identity and Mission, Cabrini Health

 

Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine, New York City
Good Friday

On Good Friday, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine held stations of the cross especially tailored to children.

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.

After learning about Simon of Cyrene, the kids traced their own hands to remind them they could be helpers, too.

Veronica wiped Jesus’ face, so the children got to tenderly wipe the face of a bust of Jesus.

It was an enthusiastic crowd, and a beautiful way to introduce kids to this important part of salvation history. ~ submitted by Julia Attaway, Executive Director, St. F.X. Cabrini Shrine, NYC

Mother Cabrini Shrine, Golden, Colorado
The Triduum and Easter Sunday


Holy Week and Easter was a grace-filled and joyful time at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado, as we welcomed many pilgrims, visitors, and friends to celebrate these sacred days.

Fr. John Lager, O.F.M., Cap., along with fellow Capuchins and student friars, led the liturgies throughout the Triduum. Holy Thursday began with a Seder Meal for staff and weekly volunteers, followed by the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the washing of feet. On Good Friday, many pilgrims carried crosses up the road to the Shrine, and the day included reflections on the Seven Last Words, the Liturgy of the Passion. The Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses were beautifully celebrated, with overflowing crowds.

During Lent, our Shrine community continued a long-standing outreach project tradition and prepared and delivered 200 Easter baskets to students at Annunciation Catholic School in Denver, sharing the joy of the Resurrection through this act of generosity.

Mother Cabrini Shrine – From the Heart Gala

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.

We are especially grateful to our Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, our gala committee, table sponsors, auction donors, attendees, and volunteers whose care and commitment shaped the entire evening. Their kindness created a spirit of warmth and community that touched everyone present.

 

The gathering also reminded us of the many people who carry forth the Shrine’s mission throughout the year—our volunteers, musicians, clergy, retreatants, and visitors. Through their presence and service, the Shrine remains a place of prayer, hope, and encounter with the Heart of Jesus. For all of this, we are truly thankful.

 

 

 

 

Featured Gala Videos:

Mission Moment Video
A conversation led by gala emcee Kyle Dyer, Emmy-award-winning journalist and host of “Colorado Inside Out” on PBS12, featuring collaborators who support the Shrine’s ongoing ministry. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdn5goVs2NY

“Holy Ground” Video
A reflective musical offering recorded by the musicians of Mother Cabrini Shrine, accompanied by imagery capturing the spirit and community of the Shrine. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oCRFf0K1E1E&feature=youtu.be

 

Cabrini Day 2025 in Colorado: A Joyful Celebration of Faith and Community

Over the weekend, Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado celebrated Cabrini Day 2025, a beautiful weekend honoring St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s enduring legacy of faith, service, and love. In 2020, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law Frances Xavier Cabrini Day, the first paid state holiday in the nation that honors a woman. Cabrini Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday in October.

Festivities began on Sunday with Masses at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. (Spanish), each one drawi ng even more attendees than the last. The first-ever Celebration of Nations followed, as members of the Shrine community shared food, traditions, and stories from around the world. The day concluded with Adoration at 5 p.m., featuring music, prayer, and readings from Mother Cabrini’s writings. On Monday, the celebration continued with a special Cabrini Day Mass at noon, bringing our community together in gratitude and reflection.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s mission continues to inspire hearts across generations, and her spirit was truly alive at the Shrine throughout this meaningful weekend.
~ submitted by JoAnn Seaman, Executive Director, Mother Cabrini Shrine

The Denver Catholic featured an article by guest contributor Molly Johnson in honor of Cabrini Day. Read 10 Lessons to Inspire Us This Cabrini Day here

Sacred Heart Feast Weekend at Mother Cabrini Shrine

Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado, marked the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a weekend of meaningful events centered on faith, tradition, and community.

On Friday, visitors gathered to celebrate the Feast Day with a special noon liturgy, which included the renewal of vows by our beloved Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is always inspiring to witness their recommitment and service to the church and the Shrine community.

The celebration continued on Sunday as a group of traditional, Hispanic, Matachines Dancers arrived at the Shrine, walking and dancing their way up the road in thanksgiving to Mother Cabrini for her intercession.

Later that morning, Mass was celebrated in the chapel by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, bringing together the Shrine faithful during this Jubilee Year of Hope.

Together, the two days reflected the Shrine’s ongoing role as a place of prayer, devotion, and hospitality in Colorado.

A Joyful Week at the Shrine: From Papal News to Mother’s Day Blessings

A Joyful Week at the Shrine:
From Papal News to Mother’s Day Blessings

This past week was full of meaningful moments at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado.

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On Tuesday, our local CBS affiliate visited the Shrine and interviewed Brother Jude Quinto, O.F.M., Cap., one of our Pastoral Ministers, about the election of Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope. “Here at the Shrine, things got very electric all of a sudden,” Brother Jude shared. “We were able to ring bells and broadcast the announcement over the outdoor speakers. Everybody was turning on their news. Sister Alice was turning her laptop on. All of a sudden, I was like, oh my gosh, that’s an American! That’s somebody from the United States!”

Brother Jude expressed his hopes that Pope Leo XIV will continue the work of his predecessor, Pope Francis, while bringing his own leadership style to the Church. “We hope for a stronger church, that means a church that is more unified. A church that is welcoming to people of various walks and people, all people, who can find a place in the heart of God.”

On Sunday, the Shrine welcomed an overwhelming number of people and families for our Mother’s Day Masses and brunch. Our liturgies were filled to capacity, with overflow seating needed to accommodate everyone who came to celebrate the special day. After each Mass, the community gathered in the cafeteria for a warm and welcoming brunch prepared by the Shrine’s kitchen staff. The turnout was so strong, not a crumb was left in sight!
We are so grateful to everyone who joined us to celebrate this special week!

1260 Upper Gulph Road, Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 484-581-7163   Fax: 484-581-7164
info@mothercabrini.org