Christmas Day fire damages statue in Gadsden Church

A Christmas day fire at the St. James Roman Catholic Church in Gadsden caused minor damage when a fire apparently started at the pedestal of a statue at the front of the church. When the wooden pedestal burned, the statue fell and broke. There was smoke damage to the statue and to the alcove where the statue stood.  The statue of the Blessed Mother was part of a matched set. A statue of St. Joseph stands in an identical alcove on the right side of the sanctuary. The statue of Mary has hands folding in prayer, holding a rosary.  The statues were present in photos taken during the dedication of St. James in 1927. It's likely they were there for some time prior to that.  The fire department has not yet determined how the blaze started, and the church staff has no way to know when it started.