Shaw gives away swatches of papal carpet

Published 11:26 pm Friday, October 2, 2015

Shaw Industries is making available swatches of the company’s carpet that were used during Pope Francis’ final mass during his historic visit to the United States last week.

“We came up with this idea of encouraging people to give a donation to St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital),” said Todd Callaway, director of digital content for Dalton-based Shaw Industries. “We thought that it would certainly be a good way to give people a keepsake for those that are interested in it, but also to help St. Jude who we partner with on a long-term basis.”

The pope concluded his six-day visit to the U.S. with a Mass celebrated on Sunday at the end of the World Meeting of Families, a Roman Catholic gathering which emphasizes the importance of families, held in Philadelphia.

Shaw is offering 6-by-6 inch swatches of the white and silver carpet that was laid out for the mass. In exchange, Shaw is encouraging people to make a donation of any amount to St. Jude, though one is not required. The swatches are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Several hundred yards of carpet was used for the event.

Ted Resnick, owner of Flemington Department Store in Flemington, N.J., installed the carpet for Pope Benedict’s visit in 2008.

“When I brought back the rug from when the last pope came to the country, I told people in my hometown, if anybody wants any pieces of rug that the pope walked come by the store. Well that caught on more than I ever thought I would. It was just a thought I had and then it spread nationally.”

Resnick runs Event Carpet, a division of Flemington Department Store. He approached Shaw to provide carpet for the World Meeting of Families which he was hired to install flooring for.

“I had people driving from hundreds of miles away to get a piece of carpet the pope walked on because they wanted a piece of history,” said Resnick.

He said he proposed the idea to Shaw when Pope Francis visited the country because of the experience he had in 2008. Resnick said he and Shaw split the carpet that was used during the Mass and he will also distribute out his stock in exchange for donations.

“It was an incredible experience being there on that massive stage and watching it transform essentially from an empty stage with a few props into this really beautiful setting with this white carpet,” said Callaway.

Callaway said he and another Shaw employee flew to see the installation of the carpet the night before the mass.

“They started to install the carpet around 2 a.m. that morning and they had to be done before 7 a.m.,” said Callaway. “But that’s what Ted Resnick does. He specializes in event carpeting.”

Resnick said he expects there to be a lot of interest in the carpet and he hopes people will donate.

“I remember with Benedict, there was a hospital in California that told me the piece they got they put in the chapel behind glass,” said Resnick. “All the kids that go by the chapel always stop by the piece and put their hands against the glass. It’s just heart-warming stuff.”