Mission murals receive facelifts

Visitors traveling to the St. Ignatius Mission parish will see the structure under construction while open to the public.

Starting on July 16, crews from Grand Scaffolding of Billings began installing scaffolding around the church so that a crew from Cusom Platerer out of Boise, Idaho, can being fixing murals.

The Rev. Craig Hightower explained that combined age and earthquakes over the years “have taken their toll” on the murals.

Restoration work officially began July 23 and is anticipated to be largely completed by late fall, depending on the weather.

“(The company) can’t do the work when it’s too cold outside,” Hightower explained. “We’re hoping to have the bell tower area, miscellaneous area, the St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother done this summer.”

Plaster is crumbling off the lath, Hightower previously explained to The Leader. To fix the plaster, the company must gain access to the inside of the walls through the back rooms.

“What you have to do is take down the lath and plaster on the backside of the wall,” then inject plaster, pull the crumbling wall back in and seal it up, Hightower explained.

Pushing the murals in from the front would further damage the murals, Hightower said.

According to documents at the church, Hightower said that the murals were painted in 1904-05.

A “variety” of funding sources have been used to pay for the process, which Hightower said will cost between $750,000 and $1 million.

Although the church is of Catholic faith, Hightower said it belongs to the community that helped raise funds for the project.

“We’re fortunate the entire community has been generous,” he said. “We’re humbled by that support.”