• Historic Architectural Treasure to be Destroyed.
• Orphan Parishioners Told, "Just Go Somewhere Else." while
• $103,000.00 raised specifically to repair and renovate church goes to diocese.

Saint Brigid's is a hundred and fifty six year old Roman Catholic Church located at 8th Street and Avenue B. Archbishop Eagan has closed services and told the parishioner's to "go find another church in the neighborhood" even though they had raised $103,000.00 to try to repair the church. School children's letters found in box in basement by parishioners-they were never delivered to the Cardinal by priest.

Rumors abound as to the fate of St. Brigid. However there really is a permit on file with the New York City buildings department to convert it into apartments. Bishop Zwilling has been quoted in NY Times announcing that NYC RC Diocese has formed a NY Catholic Homes NFP Housing Development corporation to build low and moderate-income housing in New York City. St. Thomas The Apostle in Harlem was designated for destruction for a housing development. It is thought that St. Brigid's fate is to be the same.

Saint Brigid's church, designed by Patrick Keely, a well known Irish American architect of churches, who is known for his design of the cathedral in Boston. It has a vital and committed community of parishioners, 460 members strong, who are planning a March to St. Patrick's Cathedral on November 7, meeting in front of St. Brigid at 9AM, to again attempt to deliver petitions to the Cardinal asking for their church to be returned, along with the $103,000.00 they raised to renovate the church.

This is parishioners' second march on St. Patrick's cathedral to petition Cardinal Egan, who refused to accept the petitions on Sunday, October 10, 2004, telling them that it was not the time or place. Yet Cardinal Egan met and greeted the Hispanic day parade as it passed outside St. Patrick's on Oct. 10,2004.

St. Brigid's has a fantastic organ, incredible stained glass windows, with sculpted heads of the shipwrights who built the church. It has reredos , made by Keely himself. Residents of the Lower East Side are petitioning the Cardinal and the NYC Landmarks Commission to preserve the building and allow the parishioner's to return to their spiritual home, which they want declared a landmark. St. Brigid has been a neighborhood landmark for the past hundred and fifty six years. It needs official status to keep it from being destroyed. The building cracked in 2001 but could be repaired rather than destroy the church. If you want to help Saint Brigid's and her parishioners and neighbors Please call and write and come march with us on Nov. 7, 2004 at 9AM:

1. Robert Tierney, Commissioner and Mary Beth Betts, Director Of Research, NYC Landmarks Commission, 1 Center St. 9th Floor, NYC 10007 tel.#-212-669-7700 Fax. 212-669-7960-write and send or fax letters as soon as possible.
   
   
2. Peg Breen, Director, NYC Landmarks Conservancy Peg Breen pegbreen@nylandmarks.org(they have a website www.nyclandmarksconservancy.org 212-995-5260.
   
   
3. Cardinal Eagan, NY Diocese, Saint Patrick's Cathedral VIVA SANTA BRIGIDA!!!