Our Story

On June 28, 1972, Archbishop James Casey assigned Father George Weibel to the task of studying the feasibility of establishing a parish in the Columbine area southwest of Littleton, Colorado.  The first Sunday Masses were celebrated in Columbine Hills Elementary School in September 1972 with 862 worshipers.

On December 26, 1973, Archbishop Casey appointed Fr. Weibel as pastor and formally established the parish in the growing Columbine area.  The parish was named after the state flower.  The Latin derivation Columbine also means of the Dove or spirit of the dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The new parishioners named the church Columbine Catholic Parish.

On June 30, 1974, the cornerstone was laid for the church and the first Masses were celebrated.  Archbishop Casey dedicated the new church on September 21, 1974 designating St. Frances Xavier Cabrini as patroness of the parish.

In September of 1977, a large addition to the original building was completed, including a multipurpose area, a nursery, religious education offices, youth ministry offices and classrooms.  By 1979, the parish had grown to 1200 families. A rectory was completed two years later to accommodate several priests and assistants and to increase office space.

In June of 1985, after 13 years with the parish, Fr. Weibel was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver.

In September of 1984, Father Roger Mollison was installed as the second pastor. In 1987, after a sermon by Fr. Mollison on the abuse of children, a couple offered their home as a safe house for children.  The home was named St. Joseph Home for Abused Children.  Parishioner volunteers ran the home and a parish physician agreed to be the pro bono publico donor for the home.  The home was opened to all abused children in Jefferson County.

A Perpetual Adoration Chapel was completed in 1986 and has been a cornerstone of our parish. On September 6, 1988, Fr. Mollison received permission from the Archbishop to rename the parish in honor of St. Frances Cabrini, its patroness.  The name change became effective on November 13th of that same year.   In addition to the Adoration Chapel, a Prayer Garden with sandstone Altar was built.  Stone benches were placed in the garden for reflection and prayer.  Stations of the Cross are scattered among the flowerbeds and the entire area is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. The Prayer Garden was blessed by Archbishop J. Francis Stafford on October 4, 1988.

By 1988, the parish had grown to almost 1500 families and plans to build a new worship space were begun.  In 1989, Father Mollison was reassigned and Father Richard Ling became the third pastor of the church. The dream to build a new church continued.  In January of 1993, Father Ling was assigned to Notre Dame Parish and Father Darrell Schaeffer took over on temporary assignment.

Father Ken Leone was named as the fourth pastor in July of 1993. Under the leadership of Father Leone, a final fundraising plan was achieved and the dream of building a new church became a reality.  The ceremonial groundbreaking was celebrated on July 7, 1996, the 50th anniversary of Mother Cabrinis canonization.  Archbishop Charles Chaput dedicated the new church on February 8, 1998. Landwas purchased directly across the street from the church with anticipated future use.

On July 31, 2005, Father Sean McGrath was installed as the fifth pastor of St. Frances Cabrini parish. 

In 2004, parishioners, under the leadership of the Knights of Columbus Council 9349, began a campaign under the title: Project Moses.  This campaign resulted in the dedication of a large monument created from ivory colored Sinai marble inscribing the Ten Commandments and The Beatitudes.  The monument was placed on the west side of the church facing the mountains. This endeavor was blessed by Fr. Sean and dedicated to the parish on August 20, 2006.

In 2007, a decision was made to install the remaining section of pipes for the organ and to commission bronze statues of the Blessed Mother and Mother Cabrini to commemorate the 10th Anniversary, February 8, 2008, of the dedication of the new church.   In May 2008, the Antiphonal division of the pipe organ was completed.

On March 6, 2009, three flag poles were installed at the north entrance of the church. The Papal Flag flies to the right, the Colorado State Flag to the left and the Flag of the United States in the middle.  The United States Flag is dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces.

In July of 2017, Fr. John Paul Leyba was installed as the sixth Pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish.

In April of 2025 The Heartbeat Project was completed.

The Spirit of Cabrini

Every Catholic Parish has its own charisms and strengths, and at Cabrini, we have a deep love for the mission of evangelization through community. We are constantly striving to imitate our Patroness’s words, “I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him.”

Therefore, our desire is that every person who steps foot into our parish knows that they have found a home in the Church. The love of Jesus Christ is not exclusive, but rather transformative. Our hope is that Christ’s love for His Children is communicated through the community and sacraments at Cabrini. Our Parish is centered on communing around the Source so that after we are restored by His strength, we may go out and spread the Good News to our surrounding community. We would love nothing more than for you to join our parish and our mission. No one who has lived their life for Christ has ever regretted it.