A pilgrimage inspires reflection on Mother Cabrini’s legacy of faith and compassion
Echoes of Mother Cabrini: Saint of immigrants, the poor, and the underserved
Monday, November 9, 2026
*Dolores Hanley McDiarmid
Did you know that the art of imagination is important for our spiritual development? It is essential to helping us understand the spiritual meaning of things, perceive the transcendent, and, most importantly, transform our behavior.
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C.S. Lewis tells us that the imagination is the organ of meaning. It helps us experience religious stories emotionally and mentally rather than just memorizing facts. If this is true, there is cause for concern that imagination is increasingly underused because of advances in technology and artificial intelligence.
Today, you are invited to make use of your imagination to learn about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, better known as Mother Cabrini. She left Italy, arriving in New York on March 31, 1889. She became the first United States citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church. She was a woman determined to fight against the discrimination, poverty, language barriers and harsh labor conditions faced by Italian immigrants who moved to the United States.
As you continue reading, you will have an opportunity to (1) imagine yourself on a mini-pilgrimage to the Shrine of Mother Cabrini in Golden, Colorado; (2) imagine how we can imitate Mother Cabrini’s virtues in our own lives; and (3) imagine the heart of a young orphan girl in the 1960s who gives up her only cherished possession, a relic of a saint, to thank a new friend and her Italian family for the gift of their love.
A pilgrimage to Mother Cabrini’s shrine
Before we begin our mini-pilgrimage to the Shrine of Mother Cabrini, here is a little background about its history. It is said that in 1910, Mother Cabrini purchased the Lookout Mountain property to serve as a farm and summer camp for the orphaned girls from the Queen of Heaven Orphanage that she founded in Denver. Over time, this camp developed into a sacred shrine, pilgrimage site and retreat center dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Now that we have some background knowledge of the shrine, we are ready to set off on our mini-pilgrimage. It is winter in Golden, Colorado, and you will need to bundle up. The heavy snowfall and winds will not deter us from driving to the shrine, even if we cannot see far ahead of us. We are not sure what to expect when we arrive, but we anticipate something special.
We have arrived at the welcome center, where we are directed to the 373 steps leading up to the 33-foot-high white marble statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This statue holds special significance because of Mother Cabrini’s deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As we step out of the car, we are exposed to the bitter cold wind and snow blowing against our faces. We look around and see nothing but a curtain of white snow surrounding us. Amazingly, we locate the steps, completely covered in beautiful, fresh, fluffy white snow, except for two sets of footprints. These footprints provide us with the only visible path to climb the 373 steps leading to our destination, the 33-foot white marble statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
At the top, everything is blanketed in snow, and we are alone. There is no one else with us. Whoever left the footprints is nowhere to be seen. Tilting our heads back and looking up at this breathtaking statue reminds us of just how small we are compared to the greatness of our Lord. Jesus, who often seems hidden from us, is the only thing visible from where we stand.
The howling wind and heavy snowfall are reducing our visibility. It is time to return to our car. There are additional areas to visit at this shrine, but they are currently obscured by the heavy snowfall. We look forward to returning to the shrine when it is not snowing.
I imagine that Mother Cabrini guided us to this monument today, reminding us of her strong devotion to Jesus. All that she accomplished was possible because she remained close to Jesus. Jesus was her driving force!
A life dedicated to those in need
Her accomplishments are impressive when we consider her frail health. However, her physical limitations did not prevent her from establishing several institutions that have helped the underserved. She founded 67 institutions, including hospitals, schools and orphanages. She was also known for descending into the dark and cold silver and coal mines to bring food, love and prayer to exploited Italian miners. In 1880, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious congregation that continues its mission today.
Mother Cabrini was able to see the hidden Jesus in the people she served, particularly the underserved immigrants who arrived in the United States from Italy. Her motto was “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
It is no surprise that Pope Leo has called Mother Cabrini a tireless defender of immigrants and the poor. She not only served people in New York and Colorado; her charitable works also extended to Europe, Central America and South America.
This holy woman recognized that it was God working through her in all that she accomplished. She said, “Work in me, oh adorable Heart of Jesus, because you know how incapable I am doing perfectly everything that you want of me.”
A friendship that reflects Mother Cabrini’s spirit
We continue to use our imagination as we learn about a young girl living in a Catholic orphanage in New York state during the 1960s. She has no family but has a passion for basketball and opportunities to interact and compete with girls on teams from local schools. It is here that we once again discover a connection to Mother Cabrini’s care for orphans.
One day, this young orphan meets Michele, a girl playing on the opposing basketball team. That encounter opens the door to a special friendship.
Michele and her Italian family invite the girl from the orphanage to spend a weekend with them. Michele, 13, and her sister, Patty, gather several bags of clothes for their new friend to take back to the orphanage. There are enough clothes for several girls. It is clearly the kind of generous gesture Mother Cabrini would have made in a similar situation.
The young orphan girl is deeply touched by the kindness, generosity and love shown by Michele and her family during the weekend visit. Can you imagine how surprised Michele is when the girl presents her with her only cherished possession, a medal containing a relic of Mother Cabrini? Surely, this is a gift of gratitude, offered with love and generosity, reflecting the spirit of Mother Cabrini.
As Michele reflects on those early days in her life and the relic of Mother Cabrini, she realizes that the experience was about much more than receiving a relic. It was a story of two girls who shared a passion for basketball, an unexpected friendship and a lifelong connection to Mother Cabrini.
An example of faith, compassion and generosity
On Nov. 13, we celebrate the feast day of Mother Cabrini, a holy woman filled with determination, compassion, generosity and profound faith in God. Imagine what we could accomplish in our lifetimes if we imitated Mother Cabrini’s virtues.
Dear Mother Cabrini, help us grow closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and imitate your virtues so that we, too, can say, “My God…if I could only extend my arms to embrace the world as a gift to you…Show me the way and I will do everything with your help!”
(Michele Danza is the secretary at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale.)
