St Michael and St Florian statues spark government property legal fight

A legal battle over whether a Massachusetts city can erect statues of the Archangel Michael and St. Florian outside its public safety center could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court; Lawyers on both sides argue the case could shape the future of religious displays on state property.

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty represents The city of Quincy told Fox News Digital they expect the Massachusetts Supreme Court to make a decision soon.

“The ACLU’s position is anti-art and anti-history, and we are confident the justices will reject it,” Joseph Davis, Becket’s senior attorney and Quincy’s lead attorney, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said.

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“We do not hide beautiful civic art just because it might make someone think about religion, and there is nothing in Massachusetts law that says otherwise. Quincy has the right to honor first responders with symbols that have inspired generations of courage and sacrifice,” Davis added.

The debate started after The Patriot Ledger reported Quincy planned to place two 10-foot bronze statues of the Archangel Michael and St. Florian outside the new public safety center.

Two 3-meter bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian were made by one sculptor. in italy He was chosen by Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch. St. Michael is the patron saint of police officers and St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters.

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Statue of St. Michael the Archangel. (Getty Images)

According to Aries court documentsHe said he did not choose the statues to advertise religion, but to “honor, inspire and encourage our First Responders,” as well as “lift morale” and “provide safety.” [first responders’] “Life-saving work will continue to be maximally effective.”

Critics said the plan was not publicly disclosed during the building approval process, raising constitutional concerns.

The legal battle began in May 2025, when various faith groups of Quincy residents and taxpayers sued the City of Quincy and Koch in Norfolk Superior Court, arguing that the planned placement of the statues outside the city’s new public safety center violated the Massachusetts Constitution’s protections of religious neutrality.

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Bronze statue depicting St. Michael the Archangel standing over a defeated figure, holding a shield and spear in a dramatic pose symbolizing protection and victory over evil. (Norfolk County Superior Court)

The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU of Massachusetts, the national ACLU, the League of Americans for the Separation of Church and State, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and Cloherty & Steinberg LLP.

Inside short, The ACLU of Massachusetts says: “The statues, whose imagery draws directly from Catholic iconography, lack a predominantly secular purpose. The primary effect of the permanent installation of two new, large-scale, explicitly religious statues as the sole decoration on the city’s public safety building is to promote religion.”

a short oneHowever, the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police, St. He says that Michael was revered not only by Christians, but also by people of various faiths.

“Not just Catholics or Christians, but first responders of all stripes, religious beliefs, and political persuasions cherish both saints for their symbolic importance to the profession,” the summary states.

Koch’s office told Fox News Digital it had no comment at this time as it awaits the court’s decision.

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Jessie Rossman, legal director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “The Massachusetts Bill of Rights demands that our government remain neutral on matters of religion. This neutrality is what allows the wide range of beliefs of our clients and others — including deeply held Christian beliefs — to thrive in cities like Quincy and across the Commonwealth.”

Rossman added: “The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court established the legal test for analyzing Article 3 claims nearly 50 years ago, and rightfully so, that test remains a good law. Under that test, placing these statues as the sole decoration in a government building, especially a building intended to provide essential services to all residents, violates our state constitution.”