Our Architecture
& History
Architectural Highlights
The cruciform cathedral inspired by French Gothic architecture was designed by Leon Coquard of Detroit, and completed by Denver architects, Aaron Gove and Thomas Walsh. It is 195 feet by 116 feet in length and width with a vaulted ceiling rising 68 feet above the slightly sloping nave. The church originally seated 1,000 but after remodeling it seats 800. The bell spires were capped at 210 feet in 1911. The foundation is of Gunnison granite; the exterior walls Indiana limestone; and much of the interior structural marble is from Marble, Colorado. The finest Carrara marble from Italy was used for the altars, pedestals, statues, pulpit, bishop’s throne and communion rail. At the top of each interior column, a trinity of ribs spring from a cluster of marble wheat and grapes. These ribs support the Gothic vaulted ceiling.
SPIREs
The east spire contains 15 bells. The four main bells are rung before and after all the Masses on Sunday and on special occasions. The stained glass windows on the west spire depict the symbols of the four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel; the east spire windows show the symbols of the four evangelist: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
VESTIBULE
The baptismal font in the vestibule has the original communion rail around it. Busts of popes of the 19th century are in the east side of the vestibule and the statue of St. Anthony of Padua is on the west side of the vestibule.
The Cathedral Doors
The front doors are made of brass. The two side doors have the episcopal insignia -miter and crosier while the center doors have the papal insignia-miter with two keys.
The Stained Glass Windows
Our windows are considered some of the finest in the world. There are 75 windows. F.X. Zettler crafted the windows in Munich, Germany at the Royal Bavarian Art Institute (the firm and its secret for exquisite stained glass were destroyed during World War II). Mr. Zettler was a chemist known for his ability to craft beautiful colors and dyes. With monumental effect, Zettler oversaw 50 artisans who worked to craft our windows. In 1912 the total cost of the 75 windows were $34,000. Today, just one transept window would cost over $500,000
Explore the beauty
Our History
St. Mary’s Parish Church located at what is now the corner of 15th and Stout streets was the first Catholic Church in Denver. Father Joseph P. Machebeuf celebrated the first Mass on Christmas eve of 1860. In 1868, Father Machebeuf was appointed as bishop of Colorado and St. Mary’s became the Cathedral.
In 1890, Bishop Nicholas C. Matz built a brick and sandstone building at 1842 Logan Street. Its four floors were used as the Cathedral school and the basement was the pro-Cathedral or temporary Cathedral. John K. Mullen, John F. Campion, J.J. Brown and Dennis Sheedy paid for eight lots for the permanent Cathedral. In 1902, ground was broken for the new Cathedral. Work came to a halt due to a lack of funds caused by questionable investments made by the procathedral rector, Fr. Michael Callahan. In 1905, an energetic assistant, Hugh L. McMenamin or Father Mac, came to the Cathedral and organized fund raising efforts for the work to continue. The cornerstone was laid in 1906 and Father Mac was appointed rector of the Cathedral on July 26, 1908.
The twin 210 foot spires were capped in 1911. The exterior of the structure is made up of limestone from Indiana and granite from Gunnison, Colorado. The altar, statuary, and bishop’s chair are all made of marble imported from Carrara, Italy. The seventy-five stained glass windows came from the F.X. Zetter’s Royal Bavarian Institute of Munich. With the structure virtually complete, a bolt of lightning struck the west tower on August 7, 1912 and knocked off the top twenty five feet. The spire was repaired before the dedication. The total cost to build the Cathedral was approximately $500,000.
To learn more about the history of the Cathedral, read The Pinnacled Glory of the West by Rev. Hugh L. McMenamin online below.
