The Hidden Colorado Shrine You Need to See in Golden

Exploring Golden, Colorado: A Hidden Historical Surprise

I had to head out to Golden for a quick appointment, so I decided to do some exploring. I've never spent too much time out there, but I wanted to find something a bit different to check out.

Did you know that Golden, Colorado has entire shrine and campus dedicated to the first American Catholic Saint?

Who Was St. Frances Xavier Cabrini?

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, was the first American citizen to be canonized a saint, according to the Catholic Company.

Born in Italy in 1850, Cabrini was sent to America by Pope Leo XIII.

He told her to go “not to the East, but to the West” to New York rather than to China like she initially planned. Cabrini's goal was to help the thousands of Italian immigrants that were facing hardships in the United States.

Her Work With Immigrants and Founding of Institutions...Including In Colorado

The immigrant founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, according to the Mother Cabrini Shrine website.

She ended up opening 67 institutions over the span of her life; including schools, hospitals, and orphanages across the Americas, according to reports.

Mother Cabrini’s Connection to Colorado

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Experts say that the woman loved the mountains of Colorado. In 1902, she went to the foothills located west of Denver to visit Italian workers and their families.

Discovering the Lookout Mountain Property

During this visit, she discovered property along the east slope of Lookout Mountain. Cabrini was able to turn this piece of land into a summer camp for the children at the Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver, according to the Shrine's website.

Visiting the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO Today

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Now, people from all walks of life can check out the campus. It's turned into a holy place for Catholics, and a bit of a hidden tourist destination.

In the same mountains that Mother Cabrini set up this camp for the children at the orphanage, sits a shrine to the patron saint of immigrants.

Climbing the Mount of the Sacred Heart in Golden

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I climbed to the top of the Mount of the Sacred Heart one evening. In order to get to the top, you have to travel up 373 steps on the Stairway of Prayer. It's meant to follow the path that Mother Cabrini took to the top of the mountain on one of her last visits to the site.

Once you reach the top, you'll see a twenty-two foot statute of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was built above the "Heart of Stones" that Cabrini and her fellow sisters arranged at the top of the mountain.

Even if you're not a religious person, the view from the top is absolutely breathtaking.

Have you ever been here before? Let us know what you thought of this hidden spiritual gem and send us a message on the station app.

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