Students participated in their spring service learning day last week with a morning of direct service for Denver neighbors facing homelessness and an afternoon of quiet reflection at the Mother Cabrini Shrine. 

Students met with representatives from The Gathering Place, Denver’s only daytime drop-in center serving women and children experiencing homelessness and instability. Students then moved to hands-on service rotations: assembling snack packs with pre-packaged foods, creating confidence kits with hygiene and beauty items, and writing notes of encouragement. These small, tangible acts remind those who receive them that they are seen and valued. 

In the afternoon, students traveled to the Mother Cabrini Shrine, where the focus shifted from outward service to inward reflection. Rotating through the Rosary Garden, Cabrini Chapel, museum, and the Path of the Holy Spirit meditation walk, students had quiet time to journal, pray, and consider the legacy of Mother Cabrini herself. She was a woman who built a life of profound impact through her care for immigrants, the sick, and the forgotten. The day culminated in the traditional climb to the top of the shrine, where students paused to reflect on the questions that guided them throughout the day: How does engagement and participation build community? How does community shape who we are? How do we want to be remembered?