A Massachusetts judge has temporarily blocked the installation of two towering statues of Catholic patron saints that were meant to honor the city’s police officers and firefighters, handing a victory to ACLU-led activists who would rather erase faith from public life than thank the people who run toward danger. The injunction in Norfolk Superior Court came after residents sued, arguing the display violates the state constitution’s separation of church and state.
The works in question are dramatic, 10-foot bronze figures of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian, commissioned to flank Quincy’s new public safety building and reportedly costing the city about $850,000. The statues were designed by Sergey Eylanbekov and were being produced in Italy, with the city having already paid hundreds of thousands before the legal challenge halted their placement.
Fifteen Quincy residents — represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and joined by groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation — sued Mayor Thomas Koch and the city, saying the statues elevate Catholicism above other beliefs on public property. The plaintiffs argue the city’s unilateral decision, and the use of taxpayer funds, sends a sectarian message to residents who are not of that faith.
Mayor Koch and many in the community pushed back, insisting the statues are secular symbols of courage and protection long associated with police and fire traditions, not a proselytizing mission by city hall. The mayor has vowed to appeal the ruling, and groups defending religious expression have stepped in to support the city’s right to honor first responders in a way that resonates with those who serve.
Let’s be blunt: this isn’t about constitutional purity — it’s about a handful of activists weaponizing the courts to police public taste and bully a city for showing gratitude the way people on the ground actually understand it. Police and firefighters cheered the plan when it was revealed, and ordinary citizens circulated petitions with thousands of signatures supporting the statues; yet activists would rather spend taxpayer dollars litigating than let the city recognize bravery.
The judge’s order and language reflect a dangerous trend of judicial micromanagement, where cultural crusaders get the courts to dictate what symbols are permitted in public life. Quincyans should be skeptical of a system that sidelines local pride and common-sense expressions of thanks to first responders while elevating procedural objections over community solidarity.
Conservatives and patriots who believe in honoring service, faith, and local decision-making should keep an eye on this case and make their voices heard — support the mayor’s appeal, back the men and women who protect our streets, and reject the idea that public recognition of virtue must be stripped of history and meaning. The real scandal isn’t the statues; it’s the small but loud minority trying to force a bland, faith-free public square where nobody is proud and nobody is allowed to be thankful.
