Altar for Pope Francis Visit Constructed in Port Chester

Day laborers from Don Bosco Workers and Obreros Unidos de Yonkers have been chosen by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York to build an altar to be used by Pope Francis when he visits the United States in September.

CruxNow.com reports the workers are Hector Rojas, 30, Francisco Santamaria, 61, of Nicaragua and Fausto Hernandez, 51, of the Dominican Republic, who are building the altar at a shop in Port Chester. They recently received a visit from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, to congratulate them on their effort.

“They could have called a large company, but they called us,” Rojas told CruxNow. “We are very happy to help them.”

Additionally, students at Lincoln Hall in Somers are building a lectern the pope will use.

The pope will visit Washington, DC, New York and Philadelphia during his visit next month. He will arrive in New York City the evening of Sept. 24. The visit will include Evening Prayer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, an address to the United Nations, an interfaith service at the 9/11 Memorial, a visit to an East Harlem Catholic school and Mass at the Garden.

Patch Editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report.

Photo: Pope Francis. Photo credit: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil