Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver

                                                                                                                                                  During a recent stay in Denver, Colorado, I was able to attend the noon-day Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception which is situated in downtown Denver near the state capitol. Although 250 miles from New Mexico, Denver shares a common Catholic history with its southern neighbor as it was originally within the Territory of New Mexico and under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Indeed the Very Rev. Joseph P. Machebeuf, the first bishop of Denver and the Colorado Territory, was a lifelong friend of ArchBishop Jean Baptiste Lamy of Santa Fe and had been recruited by Lamy in 1851 to follow him from Ohio to Santa Fe to serve the new Archdiocese of Santa Fe which at that time included the future states of  Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. As gold and silver mines and the railroad brought more settlers to Denver and the Colorado Territory, Colorado was established as an independent vicar apostolate in 1875 with its own Bishop.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated on October 27, 1912, consecrated in 1921 and was elevated to minor basilica status in 1975. On August 13 and 14 of  1993, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, celebrated masses at the Cathedral Basilica as part of the celebration of World Youth Day. Today the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception serves as the mother church of a faith community of approximately 500,000 Catholics spread amongst 144 parishes and missions in Northern Colorado. The Cathedral houses the kathedra ( chair), from which the Archbishop carries out his duties to the Archdiocese of Denver as teacher and shepherd. The Cathedral has also been designated a Southwestern Shrine Church attracting pilgrims to its liturgical services.
The cruciform Cathedral was inspired by French Gothic architecture. The Cathedral is 195 x 116 feet in length and width with a vaulted ceiling rising 68 feet above a slightly sloping nave. The bell spires were capped at 210 feet in 1912. The east spire contains 15 bells. The foundation is made of Gunnison granite, the exterior walls of Indiana limestone and much of the interior structural marble from Marble, Colorado. The finest Carrara marble from Italy was used for the altars, the pedestal, the pulpit, the statues, the communion rail, and the Bishop's throne. The front doors are made of brass and show the papal insignia miter with two keys. Busts of 19th century popes and the baptismal font are on the east side of the vestibule and a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua is on the west side of the vestibule.
The outstanding feature of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception are the 75 stained glass windows - more than any other church of any denomination in America. The windows were crafted by F.X. Zettler, a chemist known for his use of beautiful dyes in making stained glass at the Royal Bavarian Art Institute of Munich, Germany. He oversaw 50 artisans in the production of the windows for the Denver Cathedral in 1912 and considered these windows the finest of his tenure at the Bavarian Art Institute.
The other work of art worth noting is the W.W. Kimball pipe organ filling the choir gallery. The pipe organ has 31 speaking registers embracing every known tone-color of organ voicing and also contains the speaking registers for vox humana, which closely resembles the tones of the human voice. While I was visiting the Cathedral, a visiting organist was teaching a class of local students and the music was heavenly.
The weekday Mass I attended was populated with a few young mothers and  their children, some elderly women, men in business suits and a few visitors like myself. The visitors were easy to pick out as they were marveling at the stained glass windows. In particular I was struck by the colors of the large west transept stained glass window depicting the formal proclamation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and by the rose window behind the choir loft depicting angels above us.  The window colors had a transcending quality, exposing a small glimpse of the vivid brilliance of God's kingdom. I had entered the Cathedral  with some apprehension about medical tests I had undergone earlier that morning. I would be meeting my physician in the afternoon to learn if I was responding to treatment. Inside the Cathedral my attention was drawn to the artistic beauty of this house of God and I stopped worrying about my pending doctor's visit. I was pleased that I was there, celebrating the Mass with my fellow Catholics in this magnificent Cathedral..
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is definitely worth a side trip to Denver for New Mexico Catholic pilgrims. See for yourself.



West Transept Window

      

 

 
 

Rose Window

For more information on the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception please click on

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

www.denvercathedral.org/‎

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