Denver Catholic

CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I APRIL 30, 2014 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 PHOTO PROVIDED BY JULIE FILBY Before taking their spot in heaven, saints live their lives on earth. And some of that time is spent simply doing everyday things: brushing their hair in the morning, praying the rosary during the day, sitting down to pay bills after dinner, and put- ting pajamas on before climbing into bed at night. A new muse- um opening at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden will bring St. Frances Xavier "Mother" Cabri- ni—who served in the area in the early 20th century—to life through a collection of items she used while living in Colorado. "It's nice to have a place in your community to see where a saint used to be," said Jeff Lewis, shrine administrator. "She was a normal person who wrote checks, cooked meals, and made tough decisions like we all do." The museum captures the person that was here, added Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roselle Santivasi, one of three sisters who live at the convent on-site. "It brings her to life," Sister Santavasi said, "what she looked like, where she came from." Mother Cabrini, who grew up in Italy, came to Denver in 1902 at the invitation of Bishop Nich- olas Matz to serve the area's Italian immigrants and miners. In 1912 her religious order pur- chased property on Lookout Mountain west of Denver to build a summer camp for or- phans. The property is famous for a spring she discovered that is believed to have healing properties. When Mother Cabrini bought the property there were three structures on it: two barns and a pump house. The 12-by-50- foot pump house, built in 1909, houses the new museum. The dingy stone building, long abandoned, with a sloped dirt fl oor and failing roof, has been transformed into a bright and polished collection of artifacts and displays—and serves as a place to refl ect on the ministry of Mother Cabrini. "The museum has a timeline in it," explained Sister Santivasi, spanning from Mother Cabrini's birth (1850) to her death (1917), plus another that highlights her activities in Colorado. "It really gives a good picture of what her contributions were, along with all the sisters." The museum project, fund- ed by donations at the shrine's annual gala last summer plus matching funds from a fami- ly foundation, was originally conceived by Tom Francis, fa- cilities manager for more than 40 years. Francis' parents were both employed by the sisters, so he spent much of his youth around them, at the orphanage and the camp. Francis, along with Stan Ka- liszan, another maintenance employee, did the majority of the renovation work to convert the old pump house which in- cluded: preparing the dirt fl oor that's now stamped concrete, stripping the roof, putting in skylights, installing a ceiling of pine beetle kill wood, hand- crafting metal benches, railings and cabinets; building a brick retaining wall, path and other landscaping work, among ma- ny other labors of love. "These two men did almost everything," Sister Santivasi said. "They are so creative; so skilled." At the same time, they man- aged to maintain the entire 600-acre property that in- cludes a retreat center, hermit- age, chapel, gift shop, convent, three gardens, grotto and stair- way of prayer. "The two of them have put in a lot of work in the last year," Lewis added. The museum opens to the public May 4 with a blessing by Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap., following 11 a.m. Mass. After the blessing, all are invited to a barbecue hosted by the Knight of Columbus in the cafeteria for $5 per plate. The museum will be open on weekends 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.mothercabrinishrine. org or call 303-526-0758. Julie Filby: 303-715-3123; julie.fi lby@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterJulie New museum brings local saint to life MOTHER CABRINI MUSEUM Where: Mother Cabrini Shrine, 20189 Cabrini Blvd., Golden Blessing: May 4 following 11 a.m. Mass Celebrant: Father John Lager, O.F.M. Cap. Followed by: Barbecue hosted by Knights of Columbus, $5 each Museum weekend hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. More info: www.mother cabrinishrine.org or call 303-526-0758 PHOTO BY ROBERT LINN/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER MISSIONARY Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roselle Santivasi and Angelina Randazzo at the new Mother Cabrini Museum in Golden that opens to the public May 4. BY NISSA LAPOINT John Paul II's newly acquired title of saint means signs bear- ing his name need an update. This week the Denver Arch- diocese is replacing signage at its headquarter entrances along Steele Street and Arizona Avenue to refl ect the pontiff's April 27 canonization. The nearly 37-acre cam- pus named after John Paul II, who came to Denver for World Youth Day 1993, was renamed The Saint John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization. The archdiocese's corporate name will also be updated to include "saint." Denver chancellor David Uebbing said Archbishop Samuel Aquila changed the name to refl ect the Church's recognition of the late pope. "Archbishop Aquila has cho- sen to change the name of the pastoral center to The St. John Paul II Center for the New Evan- gelization, because it refl ects the heavenly reality and the Church's recognition of it," Ueb- bing said. "It also calls to mind the powerful intercession we have in St. John Paul II, who is a powerful intercessor for advanc- ing the cause of the new evange- lization and will continue to be- seech the father, son and Holy Spirit to make it fruitful." The archbishop signed a de- cree making the change offi cial April 28. Workers began to install new brick signs etched with brown lettering this week at two entrances. Catholic hub The Denver Archdiocese has its roots in the early 1900s when the center's campus was purchased by the Vincentians. Rapid growth along the Front Range made the southeast Denver land ideal for the or- der's new seminary. Historians cite the St. Thomas Seminary (now St. John Vianney Theo- logical Seminary) as one of the greatest assets of the Church in Northern Colorado. In subsequent decades, more buildings were added to the campus, including the Italian Renaissance-style St. Thomas Seminary Chapel (now Christ the King Chapel), a two-story brick convent that housed 16 nuns, and a theology wing. The campus also features a promi- nent bell tower and the Cardi- nal Stafford Library. In Feb. 1996, the archdiocese purchased the property and announced that the campus would be renamed the "John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization" after the inspi- ration of the pope's 1993 visit to Denver. Later, two seminaries were founded on the campus: the Redemptoris Mater Archdioc- esan Missionary Seminary in 1996, and the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in 1999. The archdiocesan ministry of- fi ces were also moved to the campus. In recent years, the archdi- ocese has added an addition and a chapel to the Redemp- toris Mater seminary and the Spirituality Year House for fi rst-year seminarians. This year, the archdiocese began construction on the Holy Trinity Center. The new multi-use facility is designed to address space woes and serve as an asset to faithful for the next 100 years. See the timeline for more de- tails about the campus' history. Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa Archdiocesan campus adds 'saint' to offi cial name THE ST. JOHN PAUL II CENTER CAMPUS HISTORY 1906-1908 1950-1956 2014 1926-1931 The Spirituality Year House is built for fi rst- year seminarians. 2010 CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 PRECIOUS tries out her new prosthetic hand. A 60-acre tract of land in southeast Denver was bought by the Vincen- tians for $15,218. The fi rst red brick building was built for $65,000. CAMPUS HISTORY Bishop John Tihen expanded the St. Thomas Seminary into a com- plex with a Renaissance revival building, 138-foot-high memorial tower, a kitchen, refectory and living quarters. The St. Thomas Seminary chapel, called the fi nest religious edifi ce in Denver, was built a few years later. The Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary moves on campus and a new building and expan- sion is made. Construction begins on the multi-use Holy Trinity Center. 1996-2008 An $80,000, two-story brick con- vent was built. A recreation center, called Bonfi ls Hall, was added for seminarians. The Cardinal Stafford Library, which houses 150,000 volumes, is added. One wing of the seminary later becomes archdioc- esan offi ces.

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