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Altar in Fr. Solanus beatification used for Pope Saint John Paul II Pontiac visit

Posted at 12:00 PM, Nov 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-17 12:00:16-05

When the beatification ceremony for Father Solanus Casey kicks off on Saturday afternoon from Ford Field, the altar at the center of the field for the ceremony was also used for a historic visit in metro Detroit.

The same altar was created for Pope Saint John Paul II's visit to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, and you can see a photo of it above.

Designed by Latvian-born architect Gunnar Birkerts, the altar and ambo (pulpit) were built of cherry wood and reflects the beauty of Michigan's natural resources.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend upon Detroit from across the world for the ceremony, with 65,000 people expected to attend the ceremony.

The presider for the mass will be his Eminence Angelo Cardinal Amato from Rome.

WXYZ will stream the ceremony online and on Facebook beginning at 4 p.m. with coverage all day long Saturday.