Frances Xavier Cabrini first came to Denver in the early 1900’s. It is only in Colorado that she is affectionately known as “Mother Cabrini” for her compassion and care of children in our city. Her life and legacy are honored at the Mother Cabrini Shrine, located on the land outside Golden she purchased to establish the Queen of Heaven Orphanage. It is in this place she purchased that pilgrims are invited to follow in the footsteps of Mother Cabrini.

A jazz club is a sacred place. The roots of jazz music are imbued with the reason why these soulful and stirring music rooms matter. Jazz has been called an American institution. It was birthed in Black communities as a musical language of expression and freedom. Jazz clubs were places where musical artistry could flourish even when the dominant society denied dignity and opportunity. That history still hums in every jazz club.

A history museum is a sacred place. It is a place that holds both the joyful and painful, ordinary and extraordinary stories of the past. It is a place to learn from different perspectives and grow through collective memory.

The tomb of Julia Greeley holds the bodily remains of the only person in Colorado who has an open case within the Roman Catholic Church for sainthood. It is not the tomb of a bishop or priest, clergy or civic leader, but a woman whose life reflected the selfless and sacrificial love of Jesus. 

Fr. Samuel Morehead is the former Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where Julia’s tomb is located. He describes Julia as “a strong woman of faith fueled by her love of Jesus and Jesus’ love for her.”

On the corner of 25th and Washington sits a humble yet historic structure: Denver Fire Station No. 3. It may appear only a neighborhood firehouse, but this building holds stories of service and sorrow, of race and redemption, of faith lived out amidst the flames.

Union Station is not only a train station serving as the historical hub of transportation, but a place that is at the heart of the city. The train station symbolizes both the historical roots and future hopes of the Mile High City. Union Station serves over 30,000 each day in transit but is the outcome of the tireless vision of one woman.

There are over 20,000 titles on the shelves of The Hermitage. Colle describes the unique value of the bookstore as, “A place for people interact with 20,000 different minds and perspectives from different places and times.” It is not only the books that makeup the used bookstore, but the names and stories of those who previously owned the books are often shared.

Find a cemetery near you. Take a slow walk through it. Read the names and dates. Be reminded of the brevity and beauty of your own life. The cemetery is a sacred place.

The library is a place to read, rest, learn, and grow. Within the library you learn more about yourself and your world. It is a place of wisdom and wonder. The public library is a sacred place.