Quincy, Massachusetts, has become the center of a heated debate over the installation of two bronze statues at the city’s new police and fire headquarters. The statues, depicting St. Michael and St. Florian—patron saints of emergency responders—were commissioned by Mayor Thomas Koch and funded with $850,000 in public money. The figures, each standing 10 feet tall and crafted by an Italian artist, were intended to serve as symbolic guardians at the entrance of the $175 million facility, which opened to the public in March.

However, the proposal has sparked considerable controversy, with opponents arguing that the statues represent an unconstitutional endorsement of a specific religion in a public space. The city’s diverse population—approximately 100,000 residents with nearly half identifying as nonwhite and a student body speaking more than 60 languages—has expressed concern that erecting religious symbols on government property alienates non-Christian and nonreligious community members. At a City Council meeting last year, roughly 200 residents voiced opposition, and an online petition garnered over 1,500 signatures against the statues’ installation.

Religious leaders from multiple faith traditions, including Lutheran, Jewish, Methodist, and Catholic communities, issued a joint statement cautioning against promoting any single religion with public funds. A group of twelve residents, ranging from a former Catholic turned atheist to a practicing Catholic who felt conflicted by the issue, filed a lawsuit challenging the statues’ presence on constitutional grounds. The suit contends that the statues violate the Massachusetts Constitution by privileging one religion—and religious belief in general—over others.

A lower court initially placed a temporary injunction on the statues’ installation pending review by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, where arguments were heard last month. The mayor’s legal defense, supported by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, contends that the statues hold secular significance beyond their religious origins due to their long-standing association with police and fire personnel. Becket Fund attorney Joe Davis argued that the figures symbolize virtues vital to emergency responders, such as honor and bravery, rather than strictly religious iconography. However, justices questioned whether the public would perceive the statues primarily as religious or secular symbols.

Supporters of the statues include many local police officers and firefighters who view St. Michael and St. Florian as mascots representing the values central to their work. Longtime residents also defend the statues on cultural and historical grounds, asserting the figures’ significance transcends faith traditions. Tom Bowes, president of the Quincy firefighters’ union, emphasized that St. Florian exemplifies courage and valor in the line of duty.

The controversy arises amid a series of challenges facing Mayor Koch, Quincy’s longest-serving mayor since 2008. Recent issues include a settlement over illegal campaign donations, criticism over comments regarding clergy abuse, and public backlash after a City Council-approved salary increase granted to the mayor. City officials and legal representatives have declined to provide interviews regarding the statues.

For critics like Conveyer Valencius, a Quincy history professor and lawsuit plaintiff, the statues risk undermining a message of inclusion in a city that has experienced significant demographic shifts. Valencius, an Episcopalian, emphasized the importance of the public safety building being welcoming to all residents, noting that the presence of overtly religious symbols could convey exclusion.

As the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court deliberates, the future of the statues—and the broader debate over religion’s place in public spaces—remains unresolved.