The Pope’s Sanctuary in Ireland, specially built by a Derryman
This is the first look at the specially designed sanctuary that will be used by Pope Francis in next sunday’s Mass in the Phoenix Park.
Work has been completed to strict Vatican specifications on the furniture for the Pope’s sanctuary as the finishing touches are put on Papal visit preparations.
The irish Mail on sunday got an exclusive look at the altar, chair and ambo – or lectern – made by the specialist Joinery Group in Maghera, Co. Derry.
Faith has always been important to the company’s founder, John Bosco O’hagan, who left home aged 15 to become an apprentice carpenter in Derby before returning to set up a firm that employs more than 200 staff and is celebrating 30 years in business this year.
his parents had a strong faith and the family prayed together every night, a tradition he has tried to pass on to his own children.
sitting in the company’s boardroom, under a picture of his two late parents sarah and Peter John, Mr O’hagan describes his journey to being trusted to carry out the work as mind blowing.
‘if my mother, when i was leaving home at 15, had a thought that in my lifetime, unfortunately not her lifetime, that her son would be responsible for making the altar that the Pope would say Mass on in ireland, it just blows your mind,’ he said. Mr O’hagan’s team has worked with former saw Doctors drummer Johnny Donnelly, who is overseeing stage design for the Phoenix Park, while producing the furniture which was made using irish oak sourced locally.
Vatican officials sent strict design specifications and measurements for the sanctuary furniture which has a simple and minimalist design, with the chair Pope Francis will sit in being noticeably large.
‘it’s a very simply design, because the Pope wants things done simple. The altar is simple, it’s a square altar, very little over the top of it. The chair seems high to me, and wide but we’ve checked it out several times and that’s the size that they want so that’s fine,’ Mr O’hagan said.
‘The Pope is going to go on there with a lot of robes on him and stuff, so really it gives him a bit of room to sit in the chair with the stuff hanging around him.’
At a special event on Friday, the pieces were unveiled to the local community, with people queuing up to get their picture in the hot seat – only to be told later that it was a replica chair.
Mr O’hagan said it wouldn’t be right for anyone to sit in the chair before ‘the big man’.
Petitions with special prayers gathered locally are being placed and sealed inside the altar, which will be blessed by the Pope during the Mass, and remain in the altar.
Mr O’hagan didn’t ask for any payment for the work, instead he was happy to be reimbursed with tickets for the event in Croke Park and the Mass in the Phoenix Park.
Priests from across the county came to view the sanctuary furniture, some stood behind the ambo with an excitement that was impossible for them to conceal, while others diligently inspected the craftsmanship of the altar.