Basilica searches for lost relics, items of 1970 plane crash

SAN JUAN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — It was more than 50 years ago that a pilot flew his plane into the original Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine in San Juan, Texas.

All that remains of the original church is a tower with a cross that never caught fire. The original shrine was demolished on Oct. 23, 1970, when Frank Alexander, a flight instructor, flew a single-engine plane into the building filled with people.

Miraculously, no one inside the church was killed and the statue of Our Lady of San Juan survived. The only one who died was Alexander.

As the clean-up efforts began that day, many people who passed by or helped took some of the items left behind in the charred debris.

Now the church wants them back.

“If we tell the story of what happened, it is a manifestation that Our Lady wanted to stay here but at the same time bring to memory something that was considered a tragedy in 1970 and at the end, it resulted in a blessing so more people know now," said Basilica Director Fr. Jorge Gomez. "People try to destroy faith but faith just gets stronger.”

Gomez says the exhibit will include relics found in the rubble of the church. Parts of the plane will also be on display such as the engine and parts of the wings.

A family recently returned to the church a burned statue of Jesus Christ that used to hang in the shrine.

Eliseo Zavala, an intern with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, at the Downtown San Juan Cultural Arts District, was delighted by the news.

“It was in somebody's garage for years," Zavala said. "The gentleman then passed away. The Family said, what do we do with this item? Well, they contacted the church and now we have that item back. So I know there's other items out there and we will be asking for the public's help and retrieving some of those items.”

Other items, such as a chalice, have been found in garage sales selling for as little as $2. Zavala says the items are priceless and would help preserve the history of the area while also helping boost tourism as more than 1.5 million faithful visit the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan annually.

Zavala and Gomez emphasize that no questions will be asked to anybody who returns the items as they aim for a December opening date.

“Nobody is going to get in trouble, and if you don’t want to return it [items] that’s fine as long as we can take a picture of what it is, so we can show them," Gomez said. "We don’t want any people pointing with the finger that she or he has them. If you are free to return then good or keep it, just respect that it was a sacred item from the old shrine.”

For more information or if you have any original shrine items, contact the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle at (956) 787-0033.