The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that Quincy cannot install two 10-foot-tall bronze statues of Catholic saints on its new public safety building. The unanimous decision affirmed a lower court injunction from October 2025 that halted the project amid a lawsuit claiming the display would violate the state constitution's protections against government endorsement of religion.

The statues depict St. Michael the Archangel, patron of police officers, and St. Florian, patron of firefighters. Mayor Thomas Koch, a devout Catholic, commissioned the works from an Italian sculptor at a cost of $850,000 in city funds. The mayor described the statues as a tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of first responders who serve the community without regard to faith.

The new 120,000-square-foot public safety complex houses police and fire headquarters. Koch had selected the saints specifically for their traditional association with emergency services. Supporters, including some police and firefighters, argued the symbols honor professional duty rather than promote any religion.

Residents filed suit with support from the ACLU, contending that prominent religious imagery on a government building sends a message of favoritism toward Catholicism. The lower court agreed the plaintiffs were likely to prevail and ordered the installation paused. The Supreme Judicial Court found no error in that assessment.

Koch has indicated the city may continue fighting the case, possibly including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The statues remain in storage. The ruling leaves open whether alternative, non-religious symbols honoring first responders could be considered for the building facade.