Quincy Can't Put Saint Statues up yet, Supreme Judicial Court Rules
The court said the statues may signal government support for a particular religion and keep Quincy’s $850,000 project on hold.
- On Thursday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction blocking Quincy from installing two 10-foot-tall bronze statues of Catholic saints on its new public safety building's facade.
- Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch commissioned the $850,000 statues of St. Michael and St. Florian in 2023 without public input, prompting residents and the American Civil Liberties Union to sue, alleging the religious imagery violates the state constitution.
- Writing for the court, Justice Scott Kafker found the statues are "closely affiliated with a particular religion" and "may convey to observing members of the public implicit government support for that religion and, as a result, subordination of other religions."
- While the ACLU praised the decision as a "landmark ruling," Quincy spokesperson Lisa Aimola called it "disappointing" but "preliminary," vowing the city will "continue to fight" to honor its first responders.
- Stored in a Randolph facility, the statues remain blocked while the case returns to Norfolk Superior Court for final resolution; the high court ruled storage causes no harm to the city.
14 Articles
14 Articles
SJC rules Quincy can't put up statues of saints as lawsuit over religious freedom works through court
The ruling affirms a lower court decision from October 2025, which ordered the city to pause installation of two 10-foot sculptures of Catholic saints which are intended to adorn the outside of a new public safety complex.
SJC rules in favor of Quincy residents challenging $850K Catholic statues on public building
Massachusetts’ highest court has ruled that Quincy residents opposing the $850,000 statues of religious figures on the city public safety building have standing to move forward with their case.
High court rules against Quincy mayor on Catholic saint statues
IN THE END, there was no divine intervention for the City of Quincy. After a lower court judge temporarily blocked the city from installing 10-foot-tall bronze statues of Catholic patron saints on the facade of its new public safety building, siding with the residents who sued to stop it as impermissible government support for religion, the city appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court. On Thursday, the state’s highest court upheld the judge’s inj…
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