Campaign Projects
After years of planning and working with professionals, the vestry, staff, and the Arts & Architecture Commission have identified urgent capital repairs. At the core of the cathedral’s work are our spiritual life and our missional work in the community, and each of the necessary capital repairs relates to one or both of these missions.
A feasibility study performed in 2022 confirmed that our members wanted to fund these important projects. As we consider our future at Saint John’s Cathedral, we find that we are well-positioned and well-supported to take the steps needed to sustain and enhance our cathedral home.
We are pleased to share that with God’s help, we have fully funded all of these important projects. Click here to read the full announcement.
The expansive stained-glass windows in Saint John’s Cathedral transport you to a sacred, spiritual place connecting you to the biblical origins of our faith. Anyone who has stepped into Saint John’s Cathedral has experienced beauty, peace, and serenity when the light shines through the windows – they reach directly into your heart.
Saint John’s Cathedral has one of the largest collections of Charles J. Connick windows in the United States, and since their placement over a century ago, they have inspired parishioners and visitors with their vibrant elegance and their history. The cathedral’s stained glass collection also includes windows from the Edward Frampton Studio in England, and a very special Tiffany window in the narthex.
These majestic windows need care, like anything that is meant to transcend generations. Due to inevitable wear, the lead, masonry, and millwork that hold the windows together are severely compromised and urgently need repair. Saint John’s is partnering with Northeast Stained Glass Studio from New Jersey which specializes in repairing these windows. We plan to restore the windows in place over the course of 9 months, without removing them, to preserve these works of art for generations to come.
Restoring the Stained-Glass Windows
This project is nearing completion. We plan to be back to full capacity in the nave before the holidays.
All Souls’ Walk Columbarium is the resting place for so many of our loved ones. It is a space for us to gather, reflect, mourn, and celebrate. The structure of All Souls’ Walk has suffered significant weathering and water damage, which has caused the pavers to rock and has created trip hazards. We will repair the foundation, provide new drainage to prevent extensive weathering in the future, and level the pavers. New nameplates will incorporate the historic design that we presently have, while also being more legible for visitors to find their loved ones easily. With these improvements, we will return All Souls’ Walk to a welcoming and safe gathering area for people who come to meet, pray, and give their respects to those they love.
Taking care of the final resting place of our loved ones – and people we never knew – is symbolic of the care that we show for our community and our hope in the Resurrection. God placed these souls under our safekeeping, and we are privileged to watch over them.
Repairing All Souls’ Walk Colubarium
Construction on the columbarium will begin fall 2024. We will continue to hold commitals during this time, and the remains of those who are interred in All Souls’ Walk will be securely stored on-site during the renovation.
Saint John’s is a place and a community that cares deeply about people. The staff takes great care of each of our parishioners, and we in turn need to help take care of them. The current air conditioning in the staff offices and library is failing, making them uninhabitable in the summer months. The air conditioning cannot be sustainably repaired. Modernizing the space by extending the new HVAC system, installed in parts of the building in 2021, into the parish building is the most cost-effective and community-oriented solution.
HVAC upgrades and installation will begin fall of 2024.
Replacing the HVAC System in the Staff Offices & the Library
The kitchen at Saint John’s plays a vital role in our hospitality and our outreach ministry in our community. It allows us to connect deeply with each other over a shared meal at Cathedral Nights and other events, and it facilitates our call to feed the hungry in our neighborhood and our city. This space is in need of an update after years of loving use, including renovations and new appliances to support many more years of ministry.
Kitchen upgrades are scheduled to begin fall of 2024.
Renovating the Kitchen
The sacristy is the space in which our dedicated Altar Guild prepares for Holy Communion and from which Eucharistic Visitors are sent out into the community to share the body and blood of Christ with those who cannot worship with us on Sundays. The sacristry is central to this important Sacrament, and it needs repair. The cabinets that house the valuable and sacred communion vessels are insecure and vulnerable to theft and desecration.
Sacristry upgrades are scheduled to begin fall of 2024.
Updating Our Sacristy
Saint John’s Cathedral is a pillar in the Denver community. From founding the internationally known United Way, to acting as a civil rights leader, to providing stable housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness through the St. Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square, we have always cared for and supported our community. Addressing the needs of our wider community and partnering with local non-profits is both a part of our history and our future.
A Community Engagement Grant Task Force has identified three focus areas for the campaign’s philanthropic committment: racial justice, economic justice and opportunity, and gun violence prevention. As a part of this campaing, we will raise money to give as grants to a number of local organizations that address these issues. We also pledge to engage more deeply with these grantees through volunteer support, as we do our annual grant recipients, to make an impact that goes beyond financial support alone.
Making Community Engagement Grants
Holy Baptism is the first commitment a person makes to God on their spiritual journey, and each year, the number of people we baptize grows as we bring more people into the Christian faith and life. Our historic baptismal font, which dated back to 1880, collapsed a number of years ago. We are working with the notable liturgical designer, Terry Eason, to install a new font that complements the architecture of our beautiful nave and is representative of the importance of the sacrament of Holy Baptism. This new font will be flexible and visible by the congregation during baptisms as a continual reminder of the baptismal covenant many of us have made.
The Arts & Architecture Commission have worked with liturgical designer Terry Eason to design the font. It is currently being built by New Holland, who also built our chairs in the nave.
We plan to dedicate our new baptismal font at the Feast of All Saints on Sunday, November 3.
Installing a New Baptismal Font
Church bells are rung around the world to call people to worship and are used to mark and honor important events in our lives and our community, including marking the number of American deaths by COVID-19 during the pandemic. Our historic tower bells, which were forged in Germany and installed in 1905, need repair. The mechanisms that operate the bells failed several years ago, and they have remained silent in our city since then.
Saint John’s is partnering with Sunderlin Bellfoundery, a highly recommended American company that specializes in both the craft and maintenance of traditional bells, to complete this project.