Colorado Groups Prepare To Celebrate Mother Cabrini Day

(CBS4) - Colorado will celebrate Mother Cabrini Day on Oct. 5. It replaces Columbus Day after a bill passed in the last legislative session.

The bill called for the day to be celebrated on the first Monday in October. Columbus Day will be the second Monday in October.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was a missionary from Italy and founded numerous orphanages and schools around the world before coming to Colorado.

She then ministered to less fortunate Italian immigrants in Denver and established a school, convent and orphanage as well as a summer camp for orphaned girls in Golden.

State Sen. Chris Hansen sponsored the bill last spring. He told CBS4 at the time, "There were many years of stakeholder engagement, lots of conversation with the Italian American community, the Native American tribes around the state around the region on how we can move forward."