Student Leaders Return Inspired from Inaugural Leadership Summit

Ten student leaders from Cabrini High School and three school chaperones recently returned from the inaugural Cabrini high School Leadership Summit at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado, where they experienced an unforgettable week of prayer, leadership formation, service, and fellowship at one of the most significant places in the Cabrinian world.

Representing both Student Council and Campus Ministry, the students traveled to the Shrine founded on land purchased by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in 1912. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Shrine continues to welcome thousands of pilgrims each year who come seeking renewal, healing, and a deeper encounter with Christ through the enduring legacy of the first American citizen to be canonized a saint.

Throughout the summit, the students explored the heart of the Cabrinian charism through presentations, discussions, and moments of prayer centered on compassionate leadership, missionary discipleship, and service rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They reflected on what it means to answer the call to lead with courage, humility, and unwavering faith, while also planning the upcoming year for Student Council and Campus Ministry with renewed purpose and enthusiasm.


The students also participated in service-learning projects, hiked Mother Cabrini's mountain, climbed the Stairway of Prayer to the Mount of the Sacred Heart, and visited the site of the miraculous spring that has flowed continuously since Mother Cabrini instructed the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred heart of Jesus to dig where she trusted God would provide water. Along the way, they witnessed hundreds of pilgrims making the same journey up the mountain, offering a powerful reminder that Mother Cabrini's mission continues to touch lives around the world more than a century after her ministry began.

For students who already live the Cabrinian mission every day at Cabrini High School in New Orleans, seeing the worldwide reach of Mother Cabrini's legacy firsthand was transformative.

"Our students didn't travel to Colorado to discover the Cabrinian mission—they already live it every day at Cabrini High School," said Campus Minister Nicole Jouandot. "What made this experience extraordinary for the girls was seeing firsthand just how vast Mother Cabrini's legacy truly is. Watching a parking lot filled with pilgrims from across the country making the climb to the Mount of the Sacred Heart helped our students realize they are part of something much bigger than themselves.”


“Their hearts were opened even further to faith-filled leadership, and they returned with a renewed passion to serve our school community,” Jouandot continued. “They spent the week inspired by the same missionary zeal, bold faith, and courageous leadership that enabled Mother Cabrini to accomplish what so many believed was impossible."

The summit also strengthened the bonds among the students themselves. Through shared prayer, meaningful conversations, service, laughter, and unforgettable experiences on Mother Cabrini's mountain, they deepened friendships rooted in faith while embracing their shared responsibility as leaders of the Cabrini community. As they return to New Orleans, and inspired by Mother Cabrini's conviction that "The world is too small," these student leaders now carry forward her mission with hearts firmly rooted in Christ and a determination to make a difference wherever God calls them to serve.

The Leadership Summit is one component of Cabrini High School's growing commitment to developing faith-filled leaders at every stage of a student's journey. The initiative began this summer with the inaugural Cabrini Leadership Academy for rising seventh-grade girls and will continue throughout the 2026-2027 school year with a monthly leadership speaker series for all Cabrini students. Together, these programs create a comprehensive leadership formation experience rooted in the values and charism of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.