The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a closely watched dispute over whether the City of Quincy may install statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian at its new public safety headquarters, with city attorneys arguing the displays honor first responders rather than promote religion.
The case, Fitzmaurice v. City of Quincy, stems from a lawsuit filed by Quincy residents and backed by the ACLU of Massachusetts, which argues that the 10-foot bronze statues violate Article 3 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights by signaling government preference for Christianity. A Norfolk Superior Court judge temporarily blocked the installation last year pending appeal.
Attorney Joseph Davis, who is representing Quincy alongside the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told the court that St. Michael and St. Florian have long served as civic and professional symbols associated with police officers and firefighters.
In court filings, Quincy argued the figures were chosen “to honor and inspire the city’s first responders,” noting that fire departments across Massachusetts use the Florian cross and that St. Michael imagery is common in law enforcement memorials and awards. The city also pointed to religious imagery displayed at public sites across Massachusetts, including statues of Moses at the John Adams Courthouse and artwork at the State House and Boston Common.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs countered that the statues’ placement at the entrance of a government building undermines religious neutrality. “Installing statues of saints at the entrance to a prominent government building signals a preference that threatens my religious liberty,” plaintiff Conevery Bolton Valencius said in a statement released by the ACLU.
“It’s deeply ironic that the ACLU argued its case in a courthouse prominently adorned with a statue of Moses and other symbols with religious roots,” Davis said. “That courthouse art is not unconstitutional, and neither are Quincy’s statues. In this country, public art doesn’t become off-limits just because it may make some people think about religion. We’re confident the justices will apply that common-sense rule here and let Quincy pay tribute to its firefighters and police.”
The dispute began after local media reported in 2025 that Mayor Thomas Koch had commissioned the statues. According to court filings, the city has already spent more than $760,000 on the project.
A ruling is expected later this year.
