Police have arrested a 35-year-old man in conjunction with vandalism of the “Angel of Harmony” statue outside of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
Police were called to the cathedral basilica the evening of Sept. 17 after a man was seen tampering with construction equipment. Police found a boom lift had been dropped onto the 11-foot statue, knocking it off of its pedestal.
The statue, created by St. Louis Polish sculptor Wiktor Szostalo, features an angel with African-American features and large wings evocative of the “winged victory” and featuring more than 100 wind chimes. In front of the angel are three children with Hispanic, Asian and European features playing a hymn of peace on different instruments. Part of one of the children on the statue was broken off, and some of the wings were damaged.
The base, made of black African granite, features quotes from the New Testament, St. John Paul II and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Then-Auxiliary Bishop Edward K. Braxton had suggested the statue to Archbishop Justin F. Rigali; it was a gift from Adelaide Schlafly in memory of her late husband, Daniel.
The statue emphasizes a “theme of harmony, peace and racial justice,” Bishop Braxton said at the time. “The African-American features will depart from traditional images of angels with European features in order to emphasize the universality of God’s love for all people.”
“The Angel of Harmony has graced the grounds of our city’s Cathedral Basilica since 1999, as a joyful reminder that our diversity is something to be celebrated, that truth, beauty and goodness unite us all,” Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said. “We need to be reminded of that daily. We are still learning about the extent of the damage, with great hope that this special sculpture can be restored.”
