Mount St. Benedict chapel, left, with pews stacked for shipping and light fixtures removed prior to renovation. Hurricane-destroyed Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, right, in Louisiana will receive the pews and lights. The architecture of the two places of worship is strikingly similar.

The pews, light fixtures and ceiling fans that were in the monastery chapel were donated to hurricane-damaged Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church in Cameron, Louisiana. After Hurricane Rita (which followed Katrina), 90% of the homes in Cameron were destroyed. The church building was left standing with only the crucifix intact in the washed-out interior. Erie's J.H. Bennett Moving and Storage, Inc. offered the sisters a greatly reduced rate to pack and ship the furnishings to Louisiana. Click here to read a July 29 Erie Times-News article about the donation.