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“We have so many things going on and to have to shut everything down was really heartbreaking,” said JoAnn Seaman, the Shrine’s director of development.

JoAnn Seaman has been working as Mother Cabrini Shrine’s development director for 31 years. Photo: Leif Townsend

For the past 31 years, Seaman has been fundraising and handling public relations, a job she took immediately after graduating from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Rallying support for the shrine has been a passion of Seaman’s ever since, with her favorite event of the year being Mother Cabrini’s yearly gala that she started nineteen years ago.  

Every Easter people flock to the shrine to pray and reflect away from the noise of Colorado’s cities. They climb the 373 steps to its mountain peak, passing by stations that tell the story of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. This year, however, the stairs were empty as quarantined worshippers watched other Easter Sunday services through TV screens. Poor WiFi reception on the mountain prevented the shrine from live streaming Easter service for its regular attendees. 

With so much focus on staying productive and handling life, opportunities for both quiet reflection and community have fallen by the wayside for many people. Seaman sees the shrine as an antidote. 

“The shrine is a place for people to come and pray and find God or find answers that they’re looking for in their life, and I think now more than ever during these unsettled times, people need that and they need a place like the shrine to be able to come.”

The Grotto Chapel is a place where worshippers pray and light candles in memory of dearly departed. Photo: Leif Townsend

Since Mother Cabrini Shrine reopened in early May, the staff have worked hard to ensure the space is a safe place for people to retreat. There are signs throughout the property requesting visitors respect all safety guidelines, and church gatherings admit fewer people so that everyone is socially distanced. But ensuring the safety of their guests when visiting one of the shrine’s most important features, its holy spring, presented a challenge. 

The spring dates to Mother Cabrini’s purchase of the property. “They told her there was no water. And she said to the sisters and the girls with her at the time: turn that rock and you will find water,” Seaman said. “And it has been flowing ever since. Many people believe through their faith that the water has special healing qualities.”

The Grotto Chapel is a place where worshippers pray and light candles in memory of dearly departed. Photo: Leif Townsend

But still, some of the shrine’s familiar faces have had to stay away. Many high-risk and elderly visitors are still unable to come, and some volunteers have remained at home. Mother Cabrini is independent from the Archdiocese of Denver, and relies on its own fundraising, gift shop sales, and donations. Seaman described the financial situation this year as “dismal.”

Despite these concerns, she remains optimistic. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in my time here, but it’s really been positive. While other churches or other organizations may have seen a downturn, that’s not the case here, and we feel very fortunate.”

Seaman has more to look forward to next month. In March, Colorado governor Jared Polis signed a bill replacing Columbus Day with Cabrini Day, making Mother Cabrini the first woman to be recognized with a paid holiday in the US. “We’re excited about it because we get to share her story. It’s about her and her work and her legacy.”

A statue of Mother Cabrini in prayer sits above one of the shrine’s many meditation gardens. Photo: Leif Townsend