Three of the most anti-Catholic legal organizations in the nation are the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. All three have sued the City of Quincy, Massachusetts and its mayor, Thomas Koch, over the proposed placement of statues of Saint Florian and Michael the Archangel on a municipal building.
The trio of Catholic-hating entities are making the usual separation of church and state argument, saying it is unconstitutional for government to endorse religion. But these statues are not intrinsically religious: Florian was chosen because he was a third-century military officer who enlisted in firefighting brigades; Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of the police. They were chosen because they are revered by first responders.
The lawsuit, led by the ACLU, was filed on May 5, 2025. On October 14, 2025, a Superior Court judge sided with the ACLU. More recently, oral arguments were held on May 6, 2026 in Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; a decision is expected later this year.
It may very well wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court. We are optimistic about the eventual outcome.
