Massachusetts' highest court has blocked a city from installing two 10-foot statues of Catholic saints outside a new public safety headquarters, ruling that the monuments could improperly signal government support for one religion.
The court's decision, issued on August 20, upholds a lower court ruling from October 2025 that temporarily blocked the installation of the statues of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of police officers, and St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. The statues were chosen by Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch to honor the courage and sacrifice of the city's firefighters and police officers.
Critics of the plan argued that placing religious figures outside a government building would violate the Massachusetts Constitution's protections on religious neutrality. The controversy began after it was reported that Quincy planned to install the statues outside its new public safety headquarters, and the plan was not publicly disclosed during the building approval process.
The city of Quincy is represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which said the ruling is "disappointing but preliminary." Joe Davis, senior counsel at Becket, stated that the city should be able to honor its firefighters and police officers without having to hide public art due to concerns about religion. The city will continue to defend its right to honor its heroes.
The plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU of Massachusetts and other organizations, argued that the statues would advance religion and violate the state constitution's principles of religious neutrality. The court's decision affirms those principles, which are seen as essential to a pluralistic society where people of all faiths and no faith can flourish.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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