Ignatius and Xavier statues

The above photo shows the altar at the first St. Joseph Church, built in 1858, and located at 100 N. Jefferson Street, in downtown Mobile. Note the statues on either side of the main altar: St. Francis Xavier is to the left, and St. Ignatius is on the right. 

The statues were moved to the second St. Joseph Church, which was dedicated in 1908, and located at 808 Spring Hill Ave., across St. Louis street from the old church. There they were placed, at the entry to the nave, on wall mounted corbels located on either side of the nave entry doors, and facing the main altar. They resided there until 2018, when St. Joseph parish was closed, whereupon they were relocated to the new St. Ignatius Church, built in 2021. They currently reside in niches in the narthex wall, next to the nave entry doors.

The statues are approximately 60 inches tall from the top of the head to the floor. They are made of plaster and were manufactured by Daprato Statuary, founded in 1860, in Chicago.

In 2021, St. Ignatius parish commissioned ecclesiastical artist Brenda Godfrey to repair and repaint both statues. Brenda is the third generation of her family to professionally paint Daprato statues. The repainting is expected to begin by the end of the year.