LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — One of the big jobs being tackled at Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica, as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary, is the refinishing of the pews.
Kittinger Furniture won the job and Father David LiPuma says that the pews are in good hands "We have the greatest confidence in Kittinger. The quality of their work is by far the best."
A century of sitting and kneeling has taken a toll on the pews. Ray Bialkowski, President of Kittinger furniture, says that underneath it all the wood is in good shape. He says "It's all original mahogany-I hope I'm in that good a shape when I'm a hundred years old."
The pews are taken apart completely, stripped, sanded, refinished, sealed and reassembled with screws, not the original nails. Ray says "They are definitely going to last another hundred years because our finishing is better than what it was a hundred years ago."
Father David says the plan is to have all of the pews back in place within six months. He adds that along with the pews they are refinishing and sealing the floors and fixing up the stained glass windows.
