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.

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.”

A columbarium is a sacred place. Communities have had places for burial near places of worship for centuries. A cemetery located on the same property as a place of worship is not uncommon in older cities or rural communities. Crypts, cemeteries, or a columbarium provided the living regular reminders of those who had gone before them.

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.