Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception | |
---|---|
39°44′25.01″N104°58′54.98″W / 39.7402806°N 104.9819389°W | |
Location | 401 East Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado |
Country | United States |
Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Website | www |
History | |
Founded | 1860 |
Consecrated | 1921 |
Architecture | |
Style | Gothic Revival |
Groundbreaking | 1906 |
Completed | 1921 |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 895 |
Number of spires | Two |
Spire height | 221 ft (67 m) |
Materials | Granite, Limestone |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Denver |
Clergy | |
Archbishop | Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila |
Rector | Very Rev. Samuel Morehead |
Designated | March 3, 1975 |
Reference no. | 7500506 [1] |
Reference no. | 5DV.111 |
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Denver of the Roman Catholic Church. It is located at the corner of Logan Street and Colfax Avenue in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood of central Denver.
Construction of the cathedral started in 1902 and was completed in 1911 with a final cost of approximately $500,000. The inaugural Mass was held on October 27, 1912, and consecration was in 1921. On August 7, 1912, lightning struck the west tower causing damage to the upper 25 feet (7.6 m); however, this was repaired before the opening.
The cathedral was raised to the status of minor basilica on Christmas Day 1979. On August 13 and 14, 1993 (for World Youth Day), Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the cathedral, one of only a few cathedrals in the United States so honored. In June 1997, lightning struck a second time, but this time damaged the east tower. The parish completed work to restore the tower within eight months. [2]
During the first days of the George Floyd protests from May 29 to June 1, 2020, the cathedral basilica was vandalized multiple times by protesters. Damage included arson, spray-painted anti-Catholic phrases, and police tear gas penetrating the building. No one in the cathedral basilica was injured during the protests. [3]
In October 2021 the cathedral was vandalized again with graffiti being sprayed on doors and statues around the cathedral. It was the latest in a spate of vandalism against Catholic churches in Colorado which had damaged at least 25 other church buildings. [4]
Architect Leon Coquard of Detroit designed the cathedral in the French Gothic style. [5] Its character is influenced by the 13th-century Saint Nicholas Collegiate church (collégiale Saint-Nicolas) of Munster, Moselle, France, which is the birthplace of Bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz, who supervised cathedral construction. [6]
The building is in the shape of a Latin cross measuring 195 by 116 feet (59 by 35 m) with the nave rising to 68 feet (21 m). The main façade houses three entrances and is framed by two 221-foot (67 m) spires. The structure is constructed of Indiana limestone and granite from Gunnison, Colorado. The altar, statuary, pedestals, pulpit, communion rail, and bishop's chair are all made of Carrara marble from Carrara, Italy, while other element features including the confessional, vestibules, balustrades, risers, steps, baseboards, and pillar bases are all made out of Yule marble stone from Marble, Colorado. [2] [7] [8]
Interior decorations of the cathedral were carefully thought out under the supervision of Thomas H. Miller. Traditional painter decorations were set aside to allow for the two Carrara marble colors of rich cream and delicate gray to create their own harmony. These colors of marble also help to bring out the luminous colors of the 75 stained glass windows which contain more than 20,000 pieces of stained-glass. The 75 stained-glass windows are from the Royal Bavarian Art Institute in Munich founded by Franz Xaver Zettler. These stained-glass windows were crafted by 50 artisans and cost $34,000 for all 75 windows, but now a single stained-glass window would cost $500,000. The church has the most leaded stained glass of any church in North America. [9] [10]
The floor is made out of Pearl shells which resided in the Elbe River. These shells would go through a multitude of steps including being mixed with other products before hardening into a dark green floor. This process also allows the floor to be both water and fireproof. [9]
The building also includes a thoroughly thought-out heating and ventilation system. The whole cathedral is heated by two Kewanee boilers, which is twice the amount it needs to be heated. This was done as a precaution if one of the boilers was to stop working. The ventilation system consists of two fans powered by variable-speed motors. These fans make this one of the best ventilated buildings in the country since they can change the entirety of the building's air in just 11 minutes. [9]
When opened, the cathedral could accommodate 1,000 worshipers. However, due to significant alterations following the liturgical reforms initiated at the Second Vatican Council (including the removal of the historic stone altar rail and the expansion of the chancel to accommodate a second, freestanding altar) the church now accommodates 895. [2] [5]
The cathedral offers three daily and six Sunday Masses as well as other sacraments regularly. Additional services to the community include the yearly provision of 50,000–60,000 lunches to the poor in the area. [2]
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C. Its construction of Byzantine and Romanesque Revival architecture began on 23 September 1920.
Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica is a Catholic basilica on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, which also houses the National Shrine of Saint Peregrine. Located at 3121 West Jackson Boulevard, within the Archdiocese of Chicago, it is, along with St. Hyacinth and Queen of All Saints, one of only three churches in Illinois designated by the Pope with the title of basilica.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Catholic church in Sarajevo; commonly referred as the Sarajevo Cathedral, it is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, currently Tomo Vukšić, and center of Catholic worship in the city. The cathedral is located in the city's Old Town district.
The Basilica of Saint Mary is a Roman Catholic minor basilica located on its own city block along Hennepin Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the first basilica established in the United States. The Basilica of Saint Mary is the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland. The building sits within the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, a National Historic District of Canada.
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a cathedral serving Roman Catholics in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. It is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The cathedral is named for Mary, mother of Jesus, under her title, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Church Street East Historic District and Lower Dauphin Street Historic District and is listed on the Historic Roman Catholic Properties in Mobile Multiple Property Submission
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, stands on 18th Street on the east side of Logan Square, at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It was designed by Napoleon LeBrun to plans by the Reverend Mariano Muller and the Reverend John Tornatore and built between 1846 and 1864. Its dome and Palladian facade, by John Notman, were added after 1850. The interior was decorated by Constantino Brumidi.
Franz Mayer of Munich is a German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany and a major exponent of the Munich style of stained glass, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 170 years. The firm was popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and was the principal provider of stained glass to the large Roman Catholic churches that were constructed throughout the world during that period. Franz Mayer of Munich were stained glass artists to the Holy See and consequently were popular with Roman Catholic clients. The family business is nowadays managed by the fifth generation and works in conjunction with renowned artists around the world.
The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence the Deacon & Martyr is a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The church was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith and the Roman Catholic community of Asheville. Pope John Paul II elevated the status of the church to minor basilica in 1993. It is a parish church, located within the Diocese of Charlotte. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only basilica in western North Carolina. Its dome, inspired by the Basilica de los Desamparados of Valencia, has a span of 58 by 82 feet, and is reputed to be the largest, freestanding, elliptical dome in North America. The architectural style is Spanish Renaissance.
St. Michael is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The current church is located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in South Chicago, a neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A Gothic Revival style building constructed between 1876 and 1888 by architect Joseph Connolly, it is considered Connolly's best work. The monumental church contains decorative carving and stained glass executed by skilled craftsmen. The church of Our Lady is one of the 122 parishes in the Diocese of Hamilton and currently has 2,600 families in the congregation.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic church near the Mansion District in Albany, New York, United States. Built in the period of the 1848-1852, it is the mother church of the Diocese of Albany. In 1976 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Manila. It is located in Intramuros, the historic walled city in Manila, Philippines, and is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the principal patroness of the country.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as Zamboanga Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception on the motherhouse grounds of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is a large Italian Renaissance Revival-style church constructed of Indiana limestone at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. The cathedral-like structure, which is the fourth church/chapel of the Sisters of Providence since their arrival at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840. Construction for the church began in 1886; its exterior was completed in 1891 and the interior was completed in 1907. The church was consecrated on October 23, 1907, and continues to serve as a place of daily worship services that are open to the public. The church also houses the shrine and tomb of Saint Mother Théodore Guérin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel (1905) was erected in the crypt beneath the church.
St. Dominic's Cathedral, locally known as the Fanchuanpu Tianzhutang, is located by the Min River, Fuzhou, Fujian, China. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fuzhou and the Ecclesiastical Province of Fuzhou.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic cathedral located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Lake Charles. Immaculate Conception Parish was established in 1869, and it became a cathedral in 1980. The church building, rectory, and a garage are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cathedral of Christ The King is a Catholic cathedral in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Basilica of Notre Dame of Geneva is a Roman Catholic church and Minor Basilica located in Geneva, Switzerland. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral that is the seat of the Diocese of Raleigh, replacing Sacred Heart Cathedral.