Saint Francis of Assisi has returned to Chapala’s parish church after a brief leave of absence
The life-size wooden figure representing the town’s spiritual patron was transferred from the niche above the church altar to the vestibule of the adjacent rectory on August 25 to undergo a process of repair and restoration.
The statue was damaged when it tumbled off the transport platform used in the religious procession held on October 4 of last year, the final day of the annual fiestas patronales. The incident occurred at the end of the parade along Avenida Madero as the porters who were hoisting the saint stumbled while ascending the church steps for evening Mass.
Immediate emergency measures were taken to patch up some of San Francisco’s injuries. Last month parish priest Enrique Monteón Curiel contracted professional restoration specialists Gabriela Contreras González and Joselia Cedeño Paredes to fully refurbish the image.
The young women run a small business dedicated to restoring religious and secular antiques, operated with accreditation by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Previous projects included repairing the sculptured altar piece of the San Francisco temple in Tizpán del Alto after it was vandalized last November.
In assessing the condition of Chapala’s patron saint they took into account damages from the accidental fall and deterioration from age. They found broken fingers on both hands, nicks on the right arm, neck, forehead and friar’s robe, along with the accumulation of dust and grime.
Following standard restoration guidelines, they carried out only essential repairs, cleaning and retouching paint in spots where required. For the latter they employed special long lasting pigments imported from Italy, carefully mixed to match the original colors.
The saint is now back inside the church, placed in front of the altar on temporary display before the annual nine-day celebration begins on September 26.
The image is more than a century old, its specific origins unknown. It was donated to the Chapala parish by the Tercera Orden Franciscano in 1908. It was not until 2009 that it was first lugged out for the festive march along the main avenue held on October 4. A miniature model of Saint Francis is used in the daily processions on preceding dates of the novenario.
Padre Monteón has not yet decided whether he will keep the full size saint safely in place or allow the faithful to take it out for a spin around town on the feast of San Francisco.