MISSOULA — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Missoula is undergoing a major restoration project to preserve its historic murals. It's also a project that will cost a lot of time, effort, and money.
"A total is gonna be right around $3 million," Father Craig Hightower, the parish's pastor, said.
(WATCH: Historic St. Francis Xavier church undergoing major restoration project)
Several cracks have appeared in the parish's ceiling and church interior, resulting in safety concerns.
“There's a 14-inch piece of plaster that fell down at 4:08 in the morning," Father Hightower said. "Thank God no one was in here at 4 a.m. If our pianist was there, she'd be dead."
Custom Plaster has been hired to restore the cracks in the ceiling while also preserving the murals and designs by Brother Joseph Carignano, a native of Italy, who painted the pieces over an 18-month period from 1901 to 1902.
“The goal of the restoration is to make them as original as possible to what he did,“ Father Hightower said.
While the cracks cannot be seen from the pews, washers cover the east ceiling to help restore the plaster.
"Sometimes the plaster is really sagging," Greg Masters, the owner of Custom Plaster, said. "You're using it to push the plaster into the position it's supposed to be in, and then the adhesives dry and keep it there."
The $3 million price tag will be funded primarily through donations and some grant money. As Father Hightower pointed out, the repairs are necessary.
"For here, the biggest part is just the age of the building," he said.
Established in 1891, the building also has unique curved ceilings that can make repairing the plaster an intricate process.
"When you're up on the scaffolding, it's not proportional," he said.
For now, the church is in full operation and working around the scaffolding with safety measures in place. The work has also not stopped events like weddings.
"They [brides] do not have to wear helmets," Father Hightower joked.
The project will also last a few years.
"So our plan is to be here for four seasons," Masters said. "We'll be here from June into November for the next four years."
If you would like to visit or donate to St. Francis Xavier, you can visit their website.
