There are occasions when the Conventual Franciscans of Our Lady of the Angels Province celebrate Mass outside of a church and they need an altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist and an ambo to proclaim the Word. Such was the case the week of July 26-31, 2026, when the province held its quadrennial chapter at the Baltimore Maritime Center in Maryland. 68 Franciscan friars gathered to consider and approve plans for the order for the next four years.
“While we were meeting to conduct the business of the order, everything we did was surrounded by prayer,” said Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv. “That included daily celebration of the Eucharist.”
That’s where Friar Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv., comes in. The Catholic Chaplain at Elon University, a self-taught woodworker, spent about 150 hours carefully measuring, cutting, finishing, and assembling an altar and ambo made of solid black walnut lumber. They were first used in the chapter in Baltimore.
“Both pieces are easy to assemble using magnetic switches that are attached to magnetic plates. They go together very easily,” Friar Peter said. “There are eight magnets for each piece, and they go together with 800 pounds of force when they are put together.”
A carving of the stigmata of St. Francis (below) is slightly recessed into the front of the altar. 24 carat, triple thick gold leaf, protected by an acrylic topcoat. The wounds in the stigmata of St. Francis are pink cubic zirconia, with an environmentally-friendly finish.
This is not the first time Friar Peter has used his gifts for the Church. In 2024, he used the design of Friar Joseph Dorniak, OFM Conv., to make a crozier for Friar Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., bishop of Charlotte.
“I began woodworking over twenty years ago,” said Friar Peter. “It has always been a dream and hope that my hobby could lead me, someday, to crafting sacred objects. Projects like this altar and ambo are a dream come true and I put a lot of heart, sweat, and prayers into this project.”
The modular pieces for the altar and ambo are stored in a custom built wooden box that Friar Peter also made. They will be stored in the province friary in Ellicott City, Md., and will be used for provincial liturgical celebrations where an altar and lectern are not available according to Friar Michael.
