ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man used construction equipment to drop a heavy boom lift onto a sculpture that has stood for 25 years outside St. Louis’ Cathedral Basilica, badly damaging it, police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the Angel of Harmony, which stood 14 feet (4.3 meters) tall and depicts a Black angel protecting three children of various races, could be saved. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that part of one of the children was broken off and the angel’s wings appeared to be damaged.
The motive for Tuesday night’s vandalism was unknown, said police, who arrested a 35-year-old suspect.
The Angel of Harmony, created by Polish sculptor Wiktor Szostalo, was installed in 1999, months after Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis. The angel’s wings include more than 100 wind chimes and the children are playing instruments. The pedestal is inscribed with quotes from the New Testament, Pope John Paul II and Martin Luther…