WASHINGTON 鈥� For most Catholics, next month鈥檚 papal visit is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect. For Deacon Dave Cahoon, it鈥檚 all that 鈥� but it鈥檚 also a deadline.
Cahoon runs St. Joseph鈥檚 Carpentry Shop, in Poolesville, Maryland, and he鈥檚 one of a crew of 12 making the furniture for Pope Francis鈥� canonization mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, set for Sept. 23. They need 16 pieces, from the pope鈥檚 chair to the altar and more.
He told the that he also built the altar for Pope Benedict XVI鈥檚 mass at Nationals Park in 2008.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just by the grace of God鈥� that he got the job for a second papal visit.
It鈥檚 a big job.
鈥淚鈥檓 on pure adrenaline,鈥� he told CNS, but the Pope will get nothing less than his and his team鈥檚 best.
When your father is visiting, he tells 草莓传媒, 鈥淵ou bring out the good china.鈥�
Cahoon says he鈥檚 using locally sourced wood for the process, explaining that after Francis鈥� recent call to take better care of the Earth.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 really go ahead and make it out of mahogany that came out of the South American rain forest.鈥�
It will all be reused at the basilica after the outdoor mass.
草莓传媒鈥檚 Andrew Mollenbeck contributed to this report.
