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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Escapes -> Cathedral
 SANCTUARIES IN THE CITY:
History and Mystery Abound at Denver's Catholic Cathedral
By Colleen Smith
Since the construction of Solomon’s Temple, begun in 966 B.C., the
expression of Judeo-Christian faith has found form in the building of exquisite
houses of prayer. There’s something to be said for high church, especially
when you are feeling low.
Step through the doors to Denver’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
and your soul can’t help but soar. You need not be Catholic to be inspired by
the French Gothic architecture, one of the best examples in the region. The
cathedral is filled with awe-inspiring art, spiritual mystery and history almost
as colorful as the stained glass windows.
Buffalo Bill Cody was baptized in the cathedral. The Unsinkable Molly Brown
was a parishioner. Saint Mother Frances Cabrini worshipped within the stone and
glass walls. And in 1993, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in the cathedral.
 Located at the corner of Colfax and Logan, just across from Denver’s state
capitol, the cathedral is an often-overlooked gem of the Queen City. An integral
element of the downtown skyline, its 210 feet tall stone spires have pierced the
skyline since the building’s dedication in 1912.
Outside, the cathedral is spectacular unto itself with acanthus stone work, a
green ceramic tile roof and newly installed sculpted brass doors commemorating
Pope John Paul II’s visit. The cathedral exterior impresses.
But the interior inspires. To enter Denver’s cathedral is to be inspired by
a luminous and voluminous space that immediately evokes a sense of the sublime.
Within its walls, worship and prayer and contemplation well up instinctively.
The windows, above all, set the imagination free. Vividly colored and
painstakingly hand painted, they rank among the finest in the nation. The
stained glass was crafted in Germany. During World War II, the studios were
bombed, all chemical formulae destroyed. Experts have claimed the windows could
not be recreated, even with today’s computer technology.
 Unimaginably intricate, the majority of the windows depict the mysteries of
the Rosary--Catholic prayer beads devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Notice the
detail on tapestries, the light in clouds, the foam on stormy waves. Spot the
angels in every window. Look long enough, and the cathedral windows will reveal
a deer, an anchor, various flowers and innumerable other details. The rose
window above the enormous pipe organ depicts St. Cecelia, patron saint of
musicians, and a band of angels.
The 75 stained glass windows were installed in 1912, at the cost of about
$34,000. In 1987, in a brochure published on the occasion of the cathedral’s
75th anniversary, the cost of replacing just one of the large transept windows
was estimated at more than $500,000. Suffice it to say that these windows are
nearly priceless.
The cathedral’s vibrant stained glass windows of every color contrast with
the austere whiteness of colossal columns reaching toward her lofty, gracefully
ached ceiling and shining white altars and statuary. The overall effect is,
well, heavenly.
The building was the brainchild of Bishop Nicholas C. Matz, who wanted to
erect a cathedral similar to those in his homeland of France. The cathedral is
modeled after the Cathedral of Chartres. Like the great cathedrals of Europe,
the bishop’s dream was decades in the making.
 In 1902, the Catholic Cathedral Building Fair raised thousands of dollars
over a 15-day period. The funds, unfortunately, were invested in Cripple Creek
mines that failed to pay off. Later, more cathedral funds were lost through
investing in glass-topped coffins that did not garner the market as anticipated.
After financial and physical setbacks spanning more than 30 years, the
cathedral was completed and dubbed The Pinnacled Glory of the West. The
dedication day, October 12, 1912, was a much heralded milestone event.
Designed by Detroit architect Leon Coquard, the cathedral foundation was
fashioned of granite quarried in Gunnison, Colorado. The superstructure is
Indiana Bedford stone. Inside, the bases of the Corinthian columns and elements
in the vestibules, balustrades and stairs were carved of marble from Marble,
Colorado. The gleaming white statues were sculpted from Italian Carrera marble.
With a seating capacity of 1,500, the cathedral is the spectacular setting
for the installation of bishops and archbishops, the ordination of priests, and
the blessing of the holy oils to be used in Catholic churches throughout the
Archdiocese of Denver.
In addition to the status of cathedral, this "Mother Church" also
ranks as a basilica--a title bestowed by the pope upon special churches based on
architectural and ecclesiastical importance. The word "cathedral" is
derived from "cathedra," the name for the bishop’s chair from which
he hands down Church teaching. "Basilica" is from the Latin, meaning
"great hall," derived from the Greek, meaning, "hall of the
king."
 Popes have named minor basilicas since the 16th century, but Denver’s
cathedral is one of 29 in the United States. Denver’s was the first basilica
named by Pope John Paul II. To signify this elevated status, the cathedral’s
sanctuary displays two special insignia: the ombrellino or "little
umbrella," and the tintinabulum. These traditional liturgical instruments
date to Medieval times. The ombrellino, fashioned from alternating panels of red
and gold silk, was used in processions to protect the pope from the elements.
The tintinabulum was modeled after a shepherd’s bell.
Time it right and you just might hear the cathedral bells ring. The 15
bells--each named and bearing a message engraved into the alloy--form one of the
largest and most complete chime systems in the nation. The inscription on the
largest bell describes the chimes as "15 silver-tongued voices."
Visible through the open Gothic windows of the cathedral’s east tower high
above Colfax Avenue, the bells weigh in cumulatively at 17,725 pounds.
A gift from John and Nellie Campion and family, the chimes rang for the first
time the eve of the cathedral’s dedication. Ever since, from joyous pealing
after weddings and ordinations of priests to doleful tolling prior to funerals,
the bells have given glorious voice to the cathedral.
In The Pinnacled Glory of the West, a book published to commemorate the
cathedrals dedication, cathedrals are described as "frozen music,"
realms of piety," "outer courts of heaven" and "earthly
structures in which power, glory, strength and beauty are all woven in
sculptured ecstasy."
For the 21st century visitor, this cathedral provides, at the very least, a
place of peace and prayer in the hectic pace of the city.
OTHER
OPEN DOORS: These sacred sites invite anyone. The interiors are quiet and open
to meditation, prayer or a private interlude daily.
St. John's Cathedral (Episcopalian), 1350 Washington Street, Denver, (chapel
open daily), 303-831-7115.
Radha Krishna Temple (International Krishna Society), 1400 Cherry Street,
Denver 303-333-5461.
 Main Mosque (Muslim, prayers five times daily), 2071 South Parker Road,
Denver, 303-696-9800
National Jewish Hospital, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver (chapel is
non-denominational), 1-800-222-5864.
In Boulder:
Naropa Meditation Hall (Buddhist), 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder,
303-546-3572.
St. John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine Street, Boulder, (chapel is open
daily), 303-442-5246.
CATHEDRAL MILESTONES
- 1880 Immaculate Conception Cathedral Association formed.
- 1902 Ground broken. Work discontinued for 4 years.
- 1906 Cornerstone laid.
- 1911 Spires capped at 210 feet.
- 1912 Cathedral dedicated. Building cost: $500,000.
- 1921 Cathedral consecrated.
- 1968 Named landmark by City and County of Denver.
- 1975 Listed on National Register of Historic Places.
- 1979 Elevated to minor basilica by Pope John Paul II.
- 1993: Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in cathedral.
IF YOU VISIT
Visitors may enter via the side doors on Logan Street. Remember that this is
a house of worship. Conduct yourself accordingly, keeping conversations hushed
and minimal, respecting people who are praying. Do not enter the cathedral
during Mass hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m.,
12:10 p.m., 4:30 p.m. Sundays 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Do
not enter the cathedral if a wedding, funeral or other liturgy is taking place.
Feel free to leave an offering in any of the alms boxes available.
You’ll want to note the following highlights:
- The side doors, installed to mark the 10-year anniversary of World Youth
Day in Denver, depict Pope John Paul II and include an image of a columbine,
a symbol of the Holy Spirit and Colorado’s state flower.
- At the side altar hangs a painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa--also known
as the Black Madonna-- a gift from Pope John Paul II’s private chapel.
- The yellow and red striped umbrella, known as an ombrellino, and the pole
mounted bells, known as a tintinabulum, signify the cathedral’s status as
a basilica. These fixtures date from medieval times when used in papal
processions.
- For optimum effect of sunlight streaming through the jeweled glass, visit
during daylight. Stained glass windows crafted in Germany are among the
finest in the U.S.
- In the vestibule, the railing around the baptistery was the original
communion rail once located at the front of the cathedral.
- In niches at the back are busts of former popes.
- A prayer garden situated near the parking lot features an exquisite
Italian cast bronze of Mary’s Assumption to heaven. Notice the lizard, the
bird and the columbine at the base of this piece sculpted using the lost wax
process.
- Today, the cathedral continues as the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of
Denver, with Bishop Jose Gomez serving as pastor.
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