A statue of the Holy Family fell from a crane and broke during the removal of the facade of the former Jesus, Maria e José School, in downtown Fortaleza, on Thursday (17). The piece was being hoisted when it fell from a height of approximately two meters.
The removal was carried out by a company contracted by the Fortaleza City Hall, through the Municipal Infrastructure Secretariat. The operation was part of works begun in August on the century-old building, which is listed as a municipal heritage site.
The transfer of the statue had been planned due to the condition of the property and the risk of the piece itself falling. The initial plan was to take the statue to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza, but after a technical assessment carried out on Thursday, it was decided that it would be temporarily sent to the Catholic Faculty of Fortaleza.
The Archdiocese of Fortaleza emphasized that the statue is directly linked to the history of the property, having been designed to occupy the top of the school, which was built in the early 20th century to shelter orphaned and impoverished children.
For the Archdiocese, the piece is associated with the original purpose of the institution and the Christian charitable work carried out there. For this reason, beyond its religious significance, the statue is part of the memory of the building itself and its original function.
The former Jesus, Maria e José School began construction in 1902 and was completed in 1905, in downtown Fortaleza. The building was erected to shelter orphaned and impoverished children as part of a charitable endeavor.
Over the decades, the property underwent different uses and was eventually deactivated. The building was listed as a cultural heritage site of Fortaleza and, in recent years, began to show signs of deterioration, such as cracks, compromised walls, vegetation, and damage to facade elements.
The property is currently undergoing restoration works.
The institution stated that it was informed by City Hall that the company responsible for the removal will carry out the restoration of the statue. After the repair, the plan is for the statue to be sent to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza, where it will be kept under the care of the Archdiocese.
The Archbishop of Fortaleza, Dom Gregório Paixão, had formally requested that City Hall keep the statue under the Archdiocese's care. The institution also stated that it is monitoring, alongside the municipality, the procedures for the restoration and preservation of the piece.
Once restored, the Archdiocese hopes that the statue will once again be contemplated and venerated by the faithful, now at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza.
