A man has been arrested for vandalizing the “Angel of Harmony” statue outside of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Police were called to the Cathedral the evening of Sept. 17 after 35-year-old Christopher Jaros was seen tampering with construction equipment. Police found a boom lift had been dropped onto the 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. The purpose of the sculpture was to introduce people to different forms of religious images — and reflect a theme of racial harmony.
“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.” Click here to read more from the St. Louis Review.