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Quincy religious statue legal dispute

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2026-08-24 06:23 UTC → 2026-08-27 10:07 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A legal dispute ~~has emerged~~ continues in Quincy, Massachusetts, regarding the planned installation of two 10-foot bronze statues of Catholic saints, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian, on the facade of a new $175 million public safety headquarters. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction to block the installation. The court found that the statues, commissioned by Mayor Tom Koch at a cost of $850,000, could convey implicit government support for Catholicism, potentially violating Article 3 of the Massachusetts Constitution which requires government neutrality in religious matters. While city officials argued the statues serve a secular purpose by honoring first responders, the court ruled that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their case. The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State described the ruling as a victory for religious freedom. Representing the city, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty described the ruling as preliminary and stated that Quincy intends to continue defending its right to display the art. The matter remains subject to further ~~litigation in Norfolk Superior Court.~~ litigation.

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