Outside St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Bloomfield, there is now a statue of St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of police officers. The statue was dedicated on April 4, 2011. It was dedicated to the Pittsburgh's three "fallen heroes": Officer Eric Kelly, Officer Stephen Mayhle, and Officer Paul Sciullo. They were the three city of Pittsburgh police officers that were killed on April 4, 2009.
The Fallen Heroes Memorial depicts a strong but sorrowful statue of St. Michael on top of a three tier pedestal with the photographs of the three police officers embedded in the stone. Next to the statute is a huge police shield bearing the date of the officers' death, 4/4/09. The spot was chosen because it is prominent on the main traffic corridor through that part of the city. Despite the statue and tiny memorial garden being in front of the Church, they are a separate non-profit corporation, and not part of the Church. Both the City of Pittsburgh and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh donated the land.
Sciullo was a member of St. Joseph's Church. The people who live in the area will never forget him. All three officers will never be forgotten, and neither will the day of their deaths, April 4, 2009.
An important lesson in all of this was how hard the people worked to make this monument a reality. Donations for the memorial are still needed. If anyone is interested in contributing, contact Bloomfield Development Corp., 366 Gross Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 or (www.bloomfieldnow.com).
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