The “Angel of Harmony” sculpture in St. Louis has been restored to its former glory following a vandalism incident that shocked the region last year.
The sculptor, Wiktor Szostalo, participated in the reinstallation outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in late May after months of restoration work. The statue was effectively destroyed by a trespasser with commandeered construction equipment in September.
“It was very encouraging when the archbishop, on the next day after the attack, publicly stated that the sculpture [would] be restored,” Szostalo told BCM, noting that the costs for the restoration were covered by insurance.
The Angel of Harmony sculpture is back on the grounds of @cathedralstlmo, fully restored after damage from vandalism in the fall.https://t.co/ldTkiuhRgO
— St. Louis Review (@StLouisReview) May 27, 2025
Constructed in 1998, the stainless steel statue was conceived on the initiative of the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ then-auxiliary bishop Edward Braxton, an African-American prelate who asked Szostalo to create a piece of Afrocentric art for the cathedral. It is thought to be the first of its kind at the basilica, which was itself built in the early 20th century.
The original work was funded by Adelaide Mahaffey Schlafly, a local activist whose work intersected with the Civil Rights Movement in Missouri. Installed in 1999, the 14-foot-tall sculpture depicts a Black angel surrounded by an interracial group of children with instruments.
On Sept. 18, 35-year-old Christopher Jaros entered the property of the cathedral, which was undergoing renovations, and used a boom lift to crush the statue and knock it off its pedestal. Believed to have been experiencing a mental health crisis, Jaros was charged with property damage, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting arrest. He was not charged with a hate crime, as police did not believe he carried a motive related to race or religion.
Szostalo has noted that the statue received some amount of criticism over the years, including for its pro-social message in a city still affected by anti-Blackness and segregation. The 72-year-old sculptor—whose religious and secular works adorn various locales in the U.S. and Europe—was in his native Poland at the time of the vandalism. Receiving widespread media coverage, the incident spurred a wave of support for his efforts to bring the work back to its former state.
Upon his return, he moved the damaged statue back to his studio in Granite City, Illinois, and began work on its restoration, which took over four months and was completed in April. During the process, Szostalo received supportive visits from Bishop Braxton and the original benefactor’s son, local businessman Thomas Schlafly.
Szostalo told local media that he sympathized with the perpetrator, who may have simply been in need of mental health treatment at the time of the vandalism.
"This poor man who attacked it, he may just be the one guy left by the medical system that should treat people," he said.
At the reinstallation ceremony on May 20, the statue was welded onto a replacement base made of African black granite, inscribed as before with quotes from the Gospel of Matthew, St. John Paul II, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The latter? “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
