Md. Preps Underway For Pope's Visit To The Nation's Capital
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The countdown is on for the pope's visit to the nation's capital. People are hard at work getting things ready. A lot of construction is being done in Maryland.
Marcus Washington has an inside look at preparations already underway.
There isn't just one person responsible for everything when the pope comes to visit, but we did find one man who's taking on the responsibility of building the altar where the pope will stand during mass.
When you're building for the holy father of the Catholic Church, the work is never-ending.
Inside a woodworking studio in Frederick, construction is underway of the furnishings the pope will use during the mass scheduled in Washington, D.C. -- from the base and the columns of the altar to the eight chairs used by the deacons and the pontiff.
The work is being led by carpenter and deacon for the Archdiocese of Washington, David Cahoon.
"Finger of God. Hand of God. I was in the right place at the right time. It's all the grace of the holy spirit," said Cahoon.
"And I did the renderings of the mosaic, and I'm going to do the mosaic itself. It's going in front of the altar itself." said designer Karen Kouneski.
One by one, Karen Kouneski will place the small gold plated and marble furnishings on the mosaic.
"It's an honor. To me, it's like once in a lifetime," she said. "Just doing something for the pope. I just can't imagine. I can't tell you how I feel."
A feeling that words can't describe, but the hard work is showing.
And not every part of the construction is brand new. There's actually something very old that will be incorporated into the furnishings.
"There's going to be an artifact that will be in front of the ambo, which will actually be a cross that was made from the anchor from the Ark and Dove in 1634, which was the first Catholic colonist that came over and formed the colony that's now Maryland.," said Cahoon.
All the work will be reused in the basilica once the pope leaves.
Students from Catholic University's school of architecture designed the furnishings for the pope's visit.
