Photo Gallery: Preserving history

A carved statue depicting a woman who is being consoled by Jesus in the 8th stations of the cross is seen at the Basilica Of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. The wood molds were used as molds for the Via Crucis at the shrine. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

The original church tower is seen Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Fr. Jorge Gomez talks about the the wooden statutes that were used for molds for the stations of the cross Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Jorge Gomez stands in a room with carved wooden statues used as molds for the stations of the cross at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Life-size wood sculptures were then hand-carved for each of the 14 Stations at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine are seen Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine is visited by pilgrims from far and near in order to reverence the Mother of God. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Fr. Jorge Gomez said 50-some years later, we’re trying to salvage what they have or to rescue or to recover the items that belonged to the old shrine so that we can have an exposition for the pilgrims to see what they had before and the way … it looks now.”(Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

The original church tower with a cross is seen in a distance at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. The Basilica welcomes anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 pilgrims weekly. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Italian woodcrafter Edmund Rabanser created the life-sized Stations of the Cross statues, as well as the new Mary statue. Rabanser, who is now in his 80s, carved the original pieces as part of a five-year project in 1993. Each of the statues started as a wood carving before being cast in bronze Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Fr. Jorge Gomez talks about the carved wooden statues used as molds for the stations of the cross at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Fr. Jorge Gomez is see through the wing of the plane that crashed into the church in1970 on Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. Parts of the plane are stored at the basilica. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

A stain glass panel from the original shrine is seen in storage at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is looking for lost relics from the original church from the fire that occurred in 1970 Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Life-size wood sculptures were then hand-carved for each of the 14 Stations at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

The original church tower is seen Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Basilica Director Jorge Gomez stands in a room with carved wooden statues used as molds for the stations of the cross at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Shrine Wednesday , June 12, 2024 in San Juan Tx. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)