Philadelphia, PA (September 10, 2015) – The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 today announced that Langhorne Carpet Company is weaving and will donate three custom carpets
to be used during the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia on September 26 and
27.
Under its
long established ‘Carpets of Caring’
philanthropic program, the family-owned, 85-year-old Penndel, Bucks
County-based textile company is weaving the Jacquard Wilton 100% organic wool
carpets on its treasured Delaware County-manufactured “broad looms” for use during this historic
occasion.
Based on Langhorne’s
original “Medallion of Hope” design, the 75’ x 9’ carpet will be rolled out and
used during the Holy Father’s arrival and departure at Atlantic Aviation and
the other two room accent carpets will be used inside the rectory of the
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral for the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on
September 26.
The Airport
carpet, presented in Cardinal Red and Gothic Gold, features the decorative
medallion border inspired by a section of the Cathedral Basilica’s stained
glass windows. It requires nearly 191,000 yards of yarn (more than 100 miles)
and will consist of more than one million individual woven loops. The carpets
in the Cathedral rectory will feature the same signature medallion motif
with the repeating six-inch diameter medallions.
Langhorne’s
in-house design team is led by company President William H. Morrow and includes
Lead Designer Andrea Perlman and Design Assistant Lydia Whitford. Ms. Perlman
is a 1977 graduate of Philadelphia University, from which Ms. Whitford will
graduate in 2016.
“We are honored to
represent the greater Philadelphia region and the global wool textile community
in weaving these distinctive, uplifting carpets for the Papal visit,” said Mr.
William H. Morrow, President of Langhorne Carpet Company. “We greatly
appreciate the opportunity presented by the World Meeting of Families and the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia to participate in this profoundly important
event."
Co-sponsored
by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family and the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia, the World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event that
seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight
its intrinsic value to the good of society. This international gathering will
welcome Pope Francis to the United States for the first time in his Papacy.
Being held in the United States for the first time ever, the official theme for
the 2015 World Meeting of Families is “Love
is Our Mission: The Family Fully
Alive.”
For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, visit www.WorldMeeting2015.org. For more
information regarding The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, which
co-sponsors the World Meeting of Families, visit http://www.familiam.org/famiglia_eng/00002554_HOME_ENG.html. You can also engage the World Meeting of Families –
Philadelphia on Facebook (World Meeting
of Families 2015) (Encuentro Mundial de las Familias
– Filadelfia 2015), Twitter (@WMF2015)
(@WMF2015ES) and Instagram (WMF2015).
About World Meetings of
Families
Beginning
with 1994, The Year of the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Family has
been responsible for organizing the World Meetings of Families in Rome (1994);
Rio de Janeiro (1997); Rome (2000); Manila (2003); Valencia (2006); Mexico City
(2009); Milan (2012); and now, Philadelphia (2015). Since its inception by Saint John Paul II,
the World Meeting of Families has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of
family across the globe.
About
Langhorne Carpet Company
