Introduction: An Invitation to Sacred Encounter
In every age, God raises up saints who remind the world of His nearness and mercy. For Chicago and countless pilgrims worldwide, that saint is Frances Xavier Cabrini—a woman whose courage, faith, and compassion transcended barriers of culture, poverty, and fear.
Nestled in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park, the National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is much more than a beautiful chapel or a historic landmark. It is a living invitation—a place where the memory and mission of Mother Cabrini are not only preserved but awakened in every soul who enters. Here, every visitor is welcomed to encounter God’s love, be renewed in prayer, and join a legacy of mercy that continues to shape the city and the world.
Timeline of the National Shrine
- 1905 – Mother Cabrini founds Columbus Hospital in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, establishing her ministry and living on the site that would one day house the Shrine.
- 1917 – Mother Cabrini dies in her private room at Columbus Hospital, which is lovingly preserved by the Missionary Sisters.
- 1946 – Cabrini is canonized as the first American citizen Saint, prompting new recognition of her legacy in Chicago.
- 1955 – The Shrine chapel is established within Columbus Hospital, honoring Mother Cabrini’s life and providing a dedicated worship space for patients, staff, and pilgrims.
- 1950s-1990s – The Shrine becomes a sacred destination for prayer, pilgrimage, and weekly Mass, with the Missionary Sisters maintaining Cabrini’s room and welcoming thousands of visitors.
- 2002 – Columbus Hospital closes, and the Shrine temporarily closes its doors; Cabrini’s preserved room and artifacts are carefully safeguarded.
- 2002–2012 – The Shrine undergoes an extensive restoration, designed to preserve its spiritual and artistic heritage and reimagine the space for the next generation.
- Fall 2012 – The National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is rededicated and reopens in its restored home, becoming a center of worship, pilgrimage, and community outreach in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
- 2012–present – The Shrine thrives as a vital spiritual center, offering Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, tours, community programs, and continued stewardship of Cabrini’s room, relic, and legacy.
- 2017 – The Shrine celebrates the 100th anniversary of Mother Cabrini’s death, hosting local and international pilgrims for special liturgies, events, and acts of service.
The Origin: Built on the Holiness of a Saint
Mother Cabrini in Chicago
Mother Cabrini’s life was a testimony to radical faith in action. Born in poverty in rural Italy, she spent her early years longing to join the missions—a dream made improbable by both her frail health and the limitations placed on women of her time. Undeterred, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and, at the direct request of Pope Leo XIII, courageously crossed the ocean to minister to Italian immigrants in America.
Chicago quickly became a central stage for her mission. Here, Mother Cabrini established Assumption School—the city’s first Italian Catholic parish school—ensuring that immigrant children received both education and spiritual formation. In 1905, recognizing the dire need for medical care in Chicago’s growing immigrant community, she founded Columbus Hospital in Lincoln Park. The hospital would become not only a center of healing but also Mother Cabrini’s own home and the place of her holy death in 1917.
The Founding of the Shrine
Desiring to honor this remarkable legacy, the Archdiocese of Chicago established the Shrine within Columbus Hospital in 1955—transforming its chapel into both a house of worship and a monument to the enduring influence of Cabrini. Unlike many shrines housed in distant lands, this sacred space sits directly where a saint lived, prayed, and transformed her beloved city with the Gospel.
Mother Cabrini’s simple, preserved room—meticulously maintained on-site—became a spiritual magnet for the sick, the suffering, and those seeking her intercession. Across generations, pilgrims have come to pray at her bedside, feeling a mysterious closeness to her humanity and her abiding presence.
A Shrine Renewed: Restoration and Rededication
Loss, Rebirth, and Restoration
The twentieth century brought change: in 2002, Columbus Hospital closed its doors, and for a decade the Shrine was shuttered, its future uncertain. Yet, as it so often happened in Mother Cabrini’s own life, hope was reborn from adversity. With the passionate support of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and a diverse community of donors, the Shrine underwent a painstaking restoration—each marble, mosaic, and stained glass window lovingly renewed.
In Fall 2012, the Shrine was rededicated, not just as a relic of the past, but as a National Shrine recognized by the U.S. Catholic bishops for its exceptional religious, historical, and cultural significance. Its doors reopened, offering a place of renewal for a new century.
The Heart of the Shrine: Art, Sacrament, and Pilgrimage
Step beyond the threshold and you enter a tapestry of faith and beauty. At the center stands the black onyx and marble papal altar containing Mother Cabrini’s relic, the humerus of a saint who lifted up the broken and carried the burdens of the needy. Surrounding it, four radiant side altars honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Holy Spirit—inviting believers to deeper devotion.
Soaring frescoes trace the essential moments of Cabrini’s journey: her call, her travels, her victories of faith. Florentine stained glass windows shimmer with scenes not only from her life but from the mysteries of salvation—the Joyful, Glorious, and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the sacraments, and even the very miracles that led to her canonization.
The Shrine’s rare Tamburini Pipe Organ, one of few in the U.S., fills this space with sacred music, echoing the praise of countless pilgrims who have come and gone. The tapestry is completed outdoors in the meditation garden—a peaceful haven blooming with flowers, overlooked by a statue of the Sacred Heart once gracing Columbus Hospital’s own entrance. Here, the noise of the city gives way to the whisper of God’s peace.
In every detail—from Cabrini’s preserved room to the inviting garden—the Shrine seeks not to glorify past achievement, but to bring the hearts of today’s visitors into living contact with Christ and the transforming power of His saints.
A Mission That Welcomes Every Pilgrim
More than a museum or a monument, the Shrine is a sanctuary where all are welcome, and every person is invited into prayer, worship, and discovery.
– Daily and weekly Masses are celebrated at the altar where a saint worshipped and adored.
– Eucharistic Adoration and sacramental celebrations draw the faithful into deeper union with Christ.
– Pilgrims and visitors from every nation light candles, bring intentions, and seek Mother Cabrini’s heavenly intercession for healing, guidance, and strength.
Sacred art and architecture create a sense of reverence and beauty open to anyone—Catholic, seeker, or neighbor. School groups, parish communities, tourists, and the simply curious are all offered a genuine welcome, and tours are available for anyone wanting to learn the story of Cabrini’s courage, ingenuity, and holiness firsthand.
Cabrini’s Mission—Alive in Every Generation
What makes the Shrine so enduring, so urgent, is not only its beautiful relics or stunning artistry, but the living witness it offers for our own times. Mother Cabrini’s heart burned to see the dignity of every person recognized, to shelter orphans, heal the sick, and advocate for immigrants and outsiders. Her mission is still carried forward by the Missionary Sisters and by all who pass through these doors—called to put faith into action in a world that is still searching for meaning and mercy.
The Shrine is also a place of reconciliation and outreach: food drives, immigrant resource support, prayer campaigns, and community service—each shaped by the conviction that love for God must be lived in concrete, creative acts for others.
Your Invitation: Take Your Place in the Story
In a rapidly changing, restless age, the National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini remains a wellspring of hope and an open door for all. Whether you seek healing, direction, or simply a moment of rest in beauty, you are invited—not just to look back at what God has done, but to be renewed for the journey ahead.
Every visitor has a place in this unfolding pilgrimage. As you enter, pray, or pause in the garden, know that you walk holy ground—where the weary have found rest, the lost have found purpose, and the faithful have discovered how God continues to speak new courage into each generation.
We invite you to let Mother Cabrini’s story inspire your own, and to join her living mission of prayer, service, and heroic love here in the heart of Chicago—and wherever your journey leads next.
Arrange a visit, join us for Mass, or simply step inside. This sacred story waits for you.