PHOTOS | A Heartbeat of Renewal: St. Frances Cabrini Parish Celebrates Renovated Church and Hall
- Ryan Bagley
- Aug 25
- 5 min read
Parish leaders say the goal was more than remodeling — it was creating a sanctuary for generations to come.
On a bright Sunday morning, the parishioners of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Littleton came together to celebrate the completion of significant renovations to their beloved church. This moment not only honored the hard work and dedication that went into the updates but also signified the dawn of a new era for their tight-knit community, filled with renewed hope and possibilities for the future.
At the center of the day was Mass, including a rite of dedication for the new main altar and the inauguration of the new tabernacle, celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and concelebrated by nine other priests, including current pastor Father John Paul Leyba.
“This altar represents Christ,” said Archbishop Aquila in his homily. “It represents his sacrifice, and every time the Mass is offered, his sacrifice is made present.”
During the rite of dedication, three first-class relics of St. Frances Cabrini herself were placed in a glass compartment inside the altar. The relics were displayed for veneration by the faithful and guarded by the Knights of Columbus in the narthex prior to Mass.
The new altar, made by craftsmen in Spain, is one of the many renovations at St. Frances Cabrini that were made possible by the parish’s 2022 capital campaign, the Heartbeat Project. The project name comes from John 13:23, where St. John the Apostle lays his head on Jesus’ bosom, and its goal, in the words of St. Frances Cabrini herself, was to “go anywhere and do anything to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know him or have forgotten him.”
“This is a deeper project; it’s much more than just the remodel,” said Jane McGill, chair of the parish stewardship committee. “Like St. John, we rest in Jesus and draw strength from him. The remodel physically manifests this unity by physically aligning the baptismal font, altar, tabernacle and crucifix.”
The renovations aim to create a sacred space that acts as physical catechesis for current parishioners, those who have left the Church and those who have never been exposed to Christianity before.
“I think the spirit of it is important,” said Father John Paul Leyba, “and this effort is to prepare for another generation of Catholics that is coming. It has a basis in the past that is manifesting in the present to prepare for the future. It’s preparing for a generation that may not have the basic Christian assumptions about God and each other and the questions they may have.
“We recognize that truth, goodness and beauty are attractive,” Father Leyba continued. “I think one of the primary modes of attraction that will appeal to this generation is beauty. They’re looking for beautiful things, things that aren’t transient. Our church is a physical place whose design touches the Gospel.”
(Photos by Rachel Moore/courtesy of St. Frances Cabrini Parish)
To accomplish this evangelical mission, the parish began by surveying parishioners about what improvements they wanted to see.
“I thought that was really neat,” said parishioner Tim Norick. “A lot of times, people just make the changes they want without getting the input of the parish.”
“It felt like a family decision,” added Kara Norick.
Based on the input received in the survey, the parish decided to refrain from renovating the church exterior and focus on beautifying the interior and updating the sound system.
“Two of the main themes of regular Catholic life are the Word and the Word made flesh,” said Father Leyba. “Two of our main concerns were that parishioners couldn’t hear the Word (the acoustics in the nave were bad), and the tabernacle was to the left behind the pews. We wanted to improve our sound system and make the tabernacle more central.”
As the renovation moved forward, the project's costs ended up exceeding the budget by around a quarter of a million dollars. Thankfully, chair of the Heartbeat Project building committee Allen Ross had a background in construction that helped him play a major role in reducing the cost of the project. Ross and the committee worked with the contractors to cut costs and add some desired touches, including creating two statue niches beside the tabernacle, reupholstering the pews and renovating the bathrooms. In the end, they were able to bring the total overage down to just $55,000.
“It was a huge success,” said Ross. “All of this was accomplished through the hard work of many good people.”
The first part of the church to be renovated was the parish hall, which Archbishop Aquila blessed and dedicated as the Monsignor Kenneth Leone Hall after Mass.
“He’s a beloved priest. He came to Cabrini and healed our parish, which is why he’s so loved,” Jane McGill said of Monsignor Leone, who served as pastor of St. Frances Cabrini at the time of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.
“I think that naming our hall after Monsignor Ken Leone is a special, special gift,” said parishioner Mark Nelson. “The new things we’re doing here are a good way to honor his legacy and to bring the faith to other people in the neighborhood.”
“My heart is with you,” Monsignor Leone said in a prerecorded video message to the community. “There are so many incredible, wonderful memories here for me, spending 12 years here with you. It was such a blessing. … There have been so many moments of grace in this place, and so today, I just give you thanks for all the love and prayers that you’ve put in. The way you love each other, the way you pray—you’ve inspired me.”
Following the hall’s renovation, updates began on the church, and Mass moved into the renovated hall in the interim.
Now fully renovated, the church boasts crystal-clear acoustics, thanks to a new sound system concealed in the octagonal baldachin suspended above the main altar. Seven of its sides are blazoned with the Latin names of the seven sacraments, and the back panel contains lighting elements that illuminate the centrally located tabernacle on the rear altar.
“I was afraid that it was going to be so different and modernized to the point that it felt cold,” said Kara Norick, “but they did such a beautiful job of incorporating things in a way that made what was already there better. It’s still our church; it’s still Cabrini. This is where so many kids from Columbine came for sanctuary, so the fact that it doesn't look overly different still brings back memories of safety.”
“I was blown away,” Mark Nelson said about his first time seeing the altar. “The colors, the size of it, it just looks impressive.”
Nelson said that he liked the look of the church pre-renovation, but “the new renovations struck me as looking like the old cathedrals in Europe. People want to pass on the faith and do something just absolutely gorgeous, and I thought this was a good opportunity to do that.”
After Mass, Archbishop Aquila thanked Father Leyba and the parishioners of St. Frances Cabrini for the work they have accomplished in renovating their church and ensuring it will be a beautiful place for generations to come.
“As archbishop, I want to express my gratitude to Father John Paul for his leadership,” he said, “because I know this would not have been accomplished without his guiding it. And I want to extend my deep gratitude to all of you, the faithful of St. Frances Cabrini, because without your time, treasure, and talent, this would never have been done. … [This church] truly does lift your hearts to heaven and to our God, and that is what every church is meant to do.”
