ST. LOUIS – There is new hope that a toppled statue at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis can be restored. It comes as the public is learning more about the statue’s rich, symbolic history.
It all comes after a 35-year-old man was arrested after using construction equipment to destroy the Angel of Harmony statue outside the Cathedral Basilica on Tuesday evening.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has formally charged Christopher Jaros with two counts of first-degree property damage, first-degree tampering, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest and institutional vandalism amid the investigation. He is currently jailed at the St. Louis Justice Center without bond.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department received a call around 8 p.m. Tuesday evening regarding a man tampering with construction equipment. When they arrived on the scene, they found a boom lift had been dropped onto the Angel of Harmony statue.
“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 of St. Louis’ Reverend Mitchell Rozanski said in a statement. “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.”
