After almost five years of political battling, an anonymous donation of twenty million, hard work by Irish immigrants and others, Saint Brigid's is ready for a new life in the East Village in New York.
The Famine era church built by Irish immigrants was set to be demolished and had effectively been abandoned when local residents and Irish organizations stepped in.
Now although many of the original artifacts seem to have been lost this church that welcomed victims of the Famine in the black 40s has emerged from the ashes.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be saying mass and dedicating the church, formally as Saint Brigid's and Saint Emeric's. This event will take place at 5:00 PM on January 27th the Sunday just before Saint Brigid's Day.
The battle to save the church was won when an anonymous donor gave $20 million.
The $20 million ensured that the 160-year-old church would not be demolished and turned into condos. The secret Samaritan specified $10 million for repairs, $2 million for St. Brigid's School and the remaining $8 million as an endowment to the parish.
One of the few links left to the famine generation, the Gothic-style church was designed by Patrick Keely. A Tipperary man, Keely moved to New York when he was 25 and went on to have a long and distinguished career as an architect. The cornerstone was laid in September 1848 and the church was completed 15 months later, the work carried out by Irish craftsmen who had fled the great hunger in Ireland. St. Brigid's became a haven for the Irish-American community, and later for all nationalities that have called the parish home.
However, in recent years Mass attendance went down and in 2001 the church was closed after a crack was discovered in a wall, rendering the structure unsafe. In 2004 the parish was closed and the Archdiocese of New York started making moves to destroy the church to raise funds.
The Archdiocese's actions provoked outrage in the local community and a committee to save St. Brigid's Church was formed. In July 2006 demolition workers made a huge hole in the east wall, dragged pews out onto the street, and shattered some of the irreplaceable stained-glass windows.
Numerous legal challenges and appeals were made, but despite the committee's best efforts, the final appeal ruled in favor of the Archdiocese. The committee was working on an appeal at the Court of Appeals in Albany, when on May 21 2010 the $20 million gift was announced.
One man's generosity changed everything. "This magnificent gift will make it possible for Saint Brigid's Church to be fittingly restored with its significant structural problems properly addressed," said Edward Cardinal Egan, who had been much criticized for abandoning his flock in St. Brigid's, in a statement.
"The two additional gifts, to create an endowment for the parish and to support the parish school, are a powerful testament to the donor's goodness and understanding. He has my heartfelt gratitude, as I recently told him at a meeting in my residence."
35 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.hollabackgurl | Jan 20, 2013, 08:36 AM EST
The Church's objection to women's rights and gay rights has nothing to do with Jesus or morality and everything to do with power. Daddy wants to call the shots. It's the first rule of every major religion. Christ taught not one word about gay people or gay issues. If it had bothered him he would have mentioned it, he mentioned every other issue that did.
jacersagain | Jan 19, 2013, 09:13 PM EST
Correction, Will… the RCC is NOT at war with women and gays. THEY are warring against the RCC’s moral teachings because they want to do what they hedonistically like and not what Christ taught.
Will Hamilton | Jan 17, 2013, 04:45 PM EST
A modicum of the truth about the crimes of the Vatican inevitably finds in those mis-educated by the Church accusations of being anti-Catholic. Those sinister virgins in Rome have done a comprehensive job of confusing the flock. Not only did the church approve slavery but it carries on an never ending war against women and gays. That's easy well over half the human race. You won't find another organisation in history with a longer list of crimes than the Vatican.
Mortimer74 | Jan 16, 2013, 09:31 AM EST
Our resident eiriapiscafailin' anti-Catholic bigot is at it again. Let's correct her history lesson, shall we? When slavery made a comeback from Middle Age feudalism a Dominican priest led the fight against it in the New World (Bartolome de las Casas). Contrary to what she claims, in 1537 Pope Paul III forbade slavery in the New World. His condemnations were echoed by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839 and most decisively by Pope Leo XIII in 1888. My dear Catholic friends on I C are advised of a quite excellent book, "How the Catholic Church built Western civilization" by Thomas Woods.
eiriamach | Jan 15, 2013, 05:03 PM EST
curtisjohnson, do you get your history from your Sunday church bulletin? If I were to judge from your rude reply to willhamilton, I'd figure that Catholics can neither tell the truth nor extend respect to others: "unlike the Anglican 'church' and assorted Calvinist psychopaths, the Catholic Church never owned and tortured slaves." LOL! Recently, I posted just a little of the lengthy RC history of slavery, as follows (much, much more is available to you if you have a library card): Enslavement was once a form of punishment inflicted by the pope on disobedient Christians. Most Catholic theologians have believed some forms of slavery compatible with natural law. Thirteenth century canon law listed lawful categories of slaves. By the 15th century, papal encyclicals forbade slavery, but only of other Christians, not indigenous people in America, Africa, or Muslim areas. After Columbus' 1493 voyage, Pope Alexander VI awarded the king and queen of Spain the "right" to "reduce" the inhabitants of the Americas to "perpetual slavery" and granted the same "right" to Portugal over West Africa. Pope Innocent received 100 slaves in 1488 and re-distributed them as gifts to clergy and wealthy laity. Jesuits owned hundreds of slaves in pre-Civil War America. You can search through centuries of papal writings without finding an unequivocal condemnation of slavery before the end of the 19th century.
The Commentator | Jan 15, 2013, 11:32 AM EST
I think it's really great that the church has been saved. I do take issue with fact that the pedophile protector Timothy Dolan is going to be saying mass there. I wonder how long it will be before the Archdiocese will try to take money from the church. With all the animosity present, I believe the parishioners of St. Brigid's should ensure the church itself and land is legally owned independently so the Archdiocese has no legal entitlement to the church. They clearly didn't want any financial burden in regard to the church, so they certainly should not enjoy any financial benefit. They now have sufficient funds to maintain the church so perhaps they should become independent and that way they can have female priests. An opportunity to rid themselves of the middle ages mentality of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. Good luck to Saint Brigid's and Saint Emeric's.
Mortimer74 | Jan 15, 2013, 09:28 AM EST
It's bad enough to have to read swillhamilton's bigoted drivel, likely penned from behind the bars of some secure institution. But to be subjected to repetitions of the same garbage is wasting valuable commentary space. "Criminal enterprise", "armies of mindless clones", "murder, torture." Nurse!
curtisjohnson | Jan 14, 2013, 09:27 PM EST
swillhamilton, time for your shock therapy. The british terror state is a criminal consortium whose global nation mugging has created all of today’s problem spots – Afghantistan/Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, the occupied six, etc. Unlike the Anglican “church” and assorted Calvinist psychopaths, the Catholic Church never owned and tortured slaves.
Will Hamilton | Jan 14, 2013, 06:39 PM EST
It's remarkable that after thousands of years of evolution how easily misled the human brain is by childhood indoctrination. The Vatican is a criminal enterprise which manages to create armies of mindless clones. Children in Ireland have had to pay the price by suffering murder, torture and rape for decades. Most of the actual building are still there. You can walk 5 minutes from O'Connell st and look at the still standing Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott st. A building can't be created from lies or misconceptions.
Will Hamilton | Jan 14, 2013, 06:38 PM EST
It's remarkable that after thousands of years of evolution how easily misled the human brain is by childhood indoctrination. Despite centuries of rape and murder protected from consequence by membership of the Roman Church some idiot will point out an irrelevant minority of exceptions to justify their need to bolster their own brainwashing. The Vatican is a criminal enterprise which manages to create armies of mindless clones. Children in Ireland have had to pay the price by suffering murder, torture and rape for decades. Most of the actual building are still there. You can walk 5 minutes from O'Connell st and look at the still standing Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott st. A building can't be created from lies or misconceptions.
Will Hamilton | Jan 14, 2013, 06:38 PM EST
It's remarkable that after thousands of years of evolution how easily misled the human brain is by childhood indoctrination. Despite centuries of rape and murder protected from consequence by membership of the Roman Church some idiot will point out an irrelevant minority of exceptions to justify their need to bolster their own brainwashing. The Vatican is a criminal enterprise which manages to create armies of mindless clones. Children in Ireland have had to pay the price by suffering murder, torture and rape for decades. Most of the actual building are still there. You can walk 5 minutes from O'Connell st and look at the still standing Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott st. A building can't be created from lies or misconceptions.
Will Hamilton | Jan 14, 2013, 06:37 PM EST
It's remarkable that after thousands of years of evolution how easily misled the human brain is by childhood indoctrination. Despite centuries of rape and murder protected from consequence by membership of the Roman Church some idiot will point out an irrelevant minority of exceptions to justify their need to bolster their own brainwashing. The Vatican is a criminal enterprise which manages to create armies of mindless clones. Children in Ireland have had to pay the price by suffering murder, torture and rape for decades. Most of the actual building are still there. You can walk 5 minutes from O'Connell st and look at the still standing Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott st. A building can't be created from lies or misconceptions.
Will Hamilton | Jan 14, 2013, 06:37 PM EST
It's remarkable that after thousands of years of evolution how easily misled the human brain is by childhood indoctrination. Despite centuries of rape and murder protected from consequence by membership of the Roman Church some idiot will point out an irrelevant minority of exceptions to justify their need to bolster their own brainwashing. The Vatican is a criminal enterprise which manages to create armies of mindless clones. Children in Ireland have had to pay the price by suffering murder, torture and rape for decades. Most of the actual building are still there. You can walk 5 minutes from O'Connell st and look at the still standing Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott st. A building can't be created from lies or misconceptions.
Mortimer74 | Jan 14, 2013, 06:05 PM EST
KweenOHearts, excellent post. Not to mention the staggering number of false accusations made against priests on both sides of the pond. Of course 300,000 "Irish" readers were suckered by "Kathy's Story." Wonderful irony that this pack of lies broke the Irish non-fiction sales record. The comments of outrage on Amazon and other sites are hilarious.
Mortimer74 | Jan 14, 2013, 04:58 PM EST
“We would be naïve and dishonest were we to say this is a Roman Catholic problem and has nothing to do with us because we have married and female priests in our church. Sin and abusive behavior know no ecclesial or other boundaries." Rt. Rev. William Persell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Good Friday Sermon, 2002.
Mortimer74 | Jan 14, 2013, 04:57 PM EST
"But the facts—and the selective way they are dealt with in too much of the mainstream media—do suggest that the story line declaring the Catholic Church a uniquely perverse institution is a lie; those who perpetrate it are either ignorant bigots, or people with agendas other than the protection of young people, or both." (George Weigel, firstthings website, Dec 5th 2012) (George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.)
McNamara31 | Jan 14, 2013, 04:56 PM EST
KweenOHearts.... So we are supposed to be "pathetic bigots" and "cyber-foaming at the mouth". Read "your post" once again, and see if the word transference comes to mind.
KweenOHearts | Jan 14, 2013, 02:51 PM EST
Dontcha just love faux-news orgs like Irish Cetral?? They provide such a wonderful service! Were it not for them... where would embittered, pathetic bigots Stan James, Will Hamilton, McNamara31 and, of course eiriamach, whose chosen denom: -the lilly-white, impeccable, never erring, homo-loving, and ever-fracturing-by-bits-and-pieces 'episcopasties church' is soooo perfect! Where would these folks go for their daily cyber-foaming at the mouth? I mean, has anyone ever heard of children being emotionally or physically damaged in that particular sect... or in ANY other prot sect for that matter? ---- Wouldn't it be uplifting to us all, if those people who surely wake up every morning -even before sipping their first cup in a long stream of 'Irish coffee'- instead of looking for their daily rant-vehicle gave us the pleasure of enumerating the number of hours they've volunteered at the perfect organizations they belong to, and/or the enormous amounts of $$ they've contributed to keep those places operating? --- Gawd, it must smart like hell, when rather than hearing that loud thud they so-long for at the disintegration of the CC, news of full pews and generous mega-donors assault their long-suffering sensitivities!
Smyrnian | Jan 14, 2013, 09:46 AM EST
McNamara - I happen to agree with you. My comment was directed at the IC agenda and its daily if not hourly negativity vs the Church. A lot of good was done and is still being done. It's nice to see a positive IC article for a change; that was my point.
McNamara31 | Jan 14, 2013, 09:10 AM EST
s/b: It's a very sad day, when the organization we are "saving" these churches from, is the RC Church itself.I wonder how many historic churches are demolished in Rome?
McNamara31 | Jan 14, 2013, 09:07 AM EST
Smyrnian.... The situation the RC Church finds itself in today was not caused by "anti Catholic" views; rather its current state is in direct result of a hierarchy who acted like criminals in a cover up, rather than Shepherds of men and protectors of children. The reason for the continued silent stampede of "good Catholics" from the pews is due to a total lack of faith in this Pope, and some bishops because they looked out for their welfare and image, at the price of our children and the peoples trust.$2.5 billion has been spent by the church to clean up their actions; now they have utter disregard for the spiritual history of these first devout immigrants who built these churches and schools. Billions have been made by the Irish on Wall St and I hope this will start a trend to save "our" immigrant churches.It's a very sad day, when the organization we are these churches from, is the RC Church itself.I wonder how many historic churches are demolished in Rome?
Smyrnian | Jan 14, 2013, 07:22 AM EST
It must have been painful for Niall to write a positive story concerning the RC Church. It is apparently agonizing for the usual anti Catholic posters as evident by their whining, hand wringing comments below and, no doubt, more to follow.
falconflash | Jan 13, 2013, 11:44 PM EST
whoa! shoulda gave the money to our struggling Catholic Schools....
EileenM | Jan 13, 2013, 10:24 PM EST
God bless this wonderful donor. I know people from this parish, and they were desperate to have the church & school remain intact. Cardinal Egan was "full steam ahead" to get rid of this church and sell the property for development. How's that working out Cardinal? I don't think the NY Archdiocese ever expected someone to step forward to donate that kind of money, but the people of this parish and the children of St. Brigid's School will do this donor proud. I couldn't be happier for them -- good does will out. When I see the College of Cardinals, all prancing around in their fancy dudes and $300 shoes, it makes me sick. They should all read "The Shoes of the Fisherman" by Morris West and get a grip on reality in the 21st century. The Catholic Church has so much money, art, priceless artifacts, that no church or school should ever close.
corkkerry | Jan 13, 2013, 05:38 PM EST
About twenty years ago the Archdiocese of San Francisco needed money so the sold off Saint Brigid Church, also built by Irish immigrants, to an art college. The exterior of the church remains, but what the inside is like, I don't know. People fought hard, but...not enough money.
eiriamach | Jan 13, 2013, 04:07 PM EST
It is so pathetic and, indeed, offensive to see the lies that people tell themselves when they cannot face the horrendous facts of their Church's sexual abuse of children and its cover-ups of crimes. Lashing out at those who are dealing with the brutish facts and who, in consequence, have separated themselves from that Church is blunt bullying and displaced fury. I enter a plea for understanding of ex-Catholics who are still working through what irishamerica46, with the beam blinding his/her own eye, calls someone else's "anger issues." It will be generations before the harsh reality of a multitude of children abused by churchmen fades into a paragraph in the history books, so let's try to deal with it in an honest and tolerant, if not a Christian way.
McNamara31 | Jan 13, 2013, 03:40 PM EST
stanJames I totally agree we should fight each Bishop's attempt to limit the statue of limitations; however at the same time, these famine era churches were the work of the blood and sweat of the poorest of Irish immigrants, and should remain in memory of them and their devotion to God even though the present day church leadership fails to honor their memory.
Mortimer74 | Jan 13, 2013, 03:35 PM EST
SJ mentions SNAP. The “100,000 per SNAP” fallacy comes up regularly on this site. It is of course nonsense, and is debunked by the definitive reports of the (non-Catholic) John Jay College of Criminal Justice and (non-Catholic) Penn State professor Philip Jenkins.
Mortimer74 | Jan 13, 2013, 03:17 PM EST
Jacersagain, excellent post. And thanks for calling out StanJames. The embittered anti-Catholics and bigoted atheist fundamentalists are becoming increasingly desperate in their attempt to reduce every story about the Church to the issue of abuse. How tedious they are in their failing desperation. And, as you point out, they are just pathetic hypocrites, feigning sympathy and pretending they care about abuse victims, or the poor. It is well known that the historical incidence of child abuse in the Church is dwarfed by secular statistics and even by other religions. Also, that the Church has put its house in order since the Dallas conference and its child protection measures have recently been called “state of the art” by people like Elizabeth Yore.
irishamerica46 | Jan 13, 2013, 03:08 PM EST
There are men in every walk of life who have hurt children. Would you condemm all doctor's, lawyers, teachers,ministers, boy scouts etc and possible some who work in whatever field you are in? Yes the priests who molest kids deserve to burn in hell. But saving that beautiful Church is commendable and has nothing to do with bad priests.You need to look at what you're really angry at. If you can't see that there are good people in the Church who donate their time and talents to help the less fortunate perhaps a shrink needs to be in your future plans so you can learn to deal with your anger issues.
Will Hamilton | Jan 13, 2013, 02:53 PM EST
The re-opened church was to list the names of all of Romes priests, bishops and cardinals who starved to death during the famine but they couldn't find any. The idiot Irish: building memorials to an organisation that's corrupted Ireland and raped it's children.
jacersagain | Jan 13, 2013, 02:13 PM EST
stanJames – lay off. I work in the construction field and I hate to see old buildings and works built by master-craftsmen being destroyed. The benefactor of St. Brigid’s had his reasons. You should at least respect that generosity of him. You, on the other hand, sound like a money-chasing git who has no conception of what generosity means. May the church and the parish of St. Brigid and St. Emeric live long into the future and be a haven for all, as St. Brigid of Ireland would wish.
stanJames | Jan 13, 2013, 01:06 PM EST
$20 mil would provide 200 children / parents with some compensation for the endless hidden molestation of children by its power hungry sex starved priests. Its time to break the corporate barriers and extend the statue of limitations to the lifetime of the abused children. 100,000 in the usa alone per SNAP
McNamara31 | Jan 13, 2013, 10:56 AM EST
Fantastic story! Many of the original churches built buy the hard work and pennies of the early Irish who "did without for their church" are near destruction. These building are churches and also a historical monuments to the faith and perseverance of the famine Irish in their new land.I hope this wonderful individual has an iron clad contract, that the church, at some later date can not sell the high value NY property for some other reason.Those who had ancestors who passed through Brooklyn and New York would find it a treasure to visit these early Irish churches including the Old St. Patrick's Church in lower Manhattan.
eileenkny | Jan 13, 2013, 10:09 AM EST
When I was a freshman or sophomore at Maria Regina HS, I was part of an organization called Hand to Hand. We used to get on a bus and travel down to the Lower East Side to St. Brigid's parish. I was a reading tutor for second grade students; all from St. Brigid's School. I am so happy to see that God has led a benefactor to this very important landmark.