Owls to Stay by Altar at Papal Mass

The home of two burrowing owls who are nesting near the altar where Pope John Paul II will say Mass in September will be protected by a six-foot fence, officials said.

In the wild, the birds that nest in animal holes are protected by state and federal regulations. In Tamiami Park they will be protected by the fence, said Phil Doherty, project manager for Edward J. Gerrits Inc.

“They looked happy there so we thought we’d let them stay,” Doherty said of the owl burrow 100 feet from the altar. “It’ll take the place of . . . about 100 people, but they were there first.”

The pontiff, who will be on a tour of the United States, is to say Mass in the park Sept. 11. It is expected to attract 500,000 people.

Construction workers who are building both the altar and the fence have even dubbed the owls Mary and Joseph, although they aren’t sure which is male and which is female.