Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral
of the Archdiocese of Denver of Roman Catholic Church
. It is located at the corner of Logan St. and Colfax Avenue
in the North Capitol Hill
neighborhood of central Denver. The cathedral has a capacity of 800 persons and hosts three daily and six Sunday masses. Additional services to the community include the yearly provision of 50,000 - 60,000 lunches to the poor.
was held on October 27, 1912, and consecration in 1921. The cathedral was raised to the status of minor basilica
on Christmas of 1979 - one of only 29 American cathedrals with that title. On August 13 and 14 1993 (for World Youth Day
), Pope John Paul II
held mass at the cathedral- one of only a few cathedrals in the United States
so honored. The church's spires were struck by lightning in 1912 and 1997, both resulting in damage.
Leon Coquard of Detroit, designed the cathedral in the French Gothic
style.. Its character is influenced by the 13th century Saint Nicholas Collegiate church (collégiale Saint-Nicolas) of Munster, Moselle
, France
- the birth village of bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz
, who supervised its construction.
The building features two 210 feet (64 m) spires, and is made of limestone
from Indiana
, and granite
from Gunnison, Colorado
. The altar, statuary, and bishop's chair are all composed of marble
from Carrara, Italy
; the 75 stained glass windows
are from the F.X. Zetter's Royal Bavarian Institute in Munich
.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Archdiocese of Denver of Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. It is located at the corner of Logan St. and Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local street system, it lies 15 blocks north of the zero...
in the North Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Denver, Colorado
Located in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, the Capitol Hill neighborhood is bounded by Broadway, Downing Street, Colfax Avenue, and Seventh Avenue, which carry large volumes of traffic around the neighborhood. It is technically located in East Denver which begins immediately east of...
neighborhood of central Denver. The cathedral has a capacity of 800 persons and hosts three daily and six Sunday masses. Additional services to the community include the yearly provision of 50,000 - 60,000 lunches to the poor.
History
Construction of the cathedral started in 1902 and was completed in 1911 with a final cost of approximately $500,000. Its inaugural massMass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was held on October 27, 1912, and consecration in 1921. The cathedral was raised to the status of minor basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
on Christmas of 1979 - one of only 29 American cathedrals with that title. On August 13 and 14 1993 (for World Youth Day
World Youth Day
World Youth Day is a youth-oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions....
), Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
held mass at the cathedral- one of only a few cathedrals in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
so honored. The church's spires were struck by lightning in 1912 and 1997, both resulting in damage.
Architecture
ArchitectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Leon Coquard of Detroit, designed the cathedral in the French Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style.. Its character is influenced by the 13th century Saint Nicholas Collegiate church (collégiale Saint-Nicolas) of Munster, Moselle
Munster, Moselle
Munster ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-Demographics:-Architecture:Notable buildings include the 13th-century Saint Nicholas Collegiate Roman Catholic church . Some of the church's features were replicated in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- the birth village of bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz
Nicholas Chrysostom Matz
Nicholas Chrysostom Matz was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Denver from 1889 until his death in 1917.-Biography:...
, who supervised its construction.
The building features two 210 feet (64 m) spires, and is made of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from Gunnison, Colorado
Gunnison, Colorado
The historic City of Gunnison, a Home Rule Municipality, is the county seat and the most populous city of Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,854. It was named in honor of John W...
. The altar, statuary, and bishop's chair are all composed of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
from Carrara, Italy
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
; the 75 stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....
are from the F.X. Zetter's Royal Bavarian Institute in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.