St. Brigid Parish
1615 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94109

   On February 8, 1993 as Archbishop of San Francisco, I appointed a Pastoral Planning Commission entrusting to them the task of forumulating a comprehensive pastoral plan for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. On November 19, 1993, the Commission presented to me the first phase recommendations embracing the City and County of San Francisco.

   Among the recommendations of the Commission is the supression of St. Brigid parish and the closure of the church due to the changing demographics which have made pastoral ministry enormously more difficult today than it was a generation ago. These changes have frustrated the ability of the parish to recruit young adult communities or elicit the services of the laity as liturgical ministers or in programs of sacramental preparation. The estimated repairs to the church building due to the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, which are in excess of five million dollars, cannot be ignored in considering the overall viability of the parish. Hence the Commission has made this recommendation in view of these facts and with assurance that the spiritual needs of the parishioners can be more than adequately provided for in the neighboring parishes of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary's Cathedral, Saints Peter and Paul and Old St. Mary's.

   In accord with the requirements of canons 515, §2, and 1222, §2, I have brought the matter of the suppression of the parish and the the closure of the church to the presbyteral council on November 12, 1993, for the purpose of seeking their counsel. This body has concurred with the recommendation that the parish of St. Brigid be suppressed and that the church no longer be used for divine worship.

   Having thus fulfilled the requirements of law, it is my determination and decision that St. Brigid parish be suppressed in accord with the norms of canons 120, §1, 123 and 515, §2, in the Code of Canon Law. St. Brigid School, however, will remain open under the direct supervision of Department of Education of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

   Moreover, in accord with the norm of canon 1222, §2, it is also my determination and decision that the church of St. Brigid no longer be used for divine worship.

   These determinations are to become effective on July 1, 1994.

Given at the Chancery of the
Archdiocese of San Francisco
on this date, December 13, 1993.

Archbishop of San Francisco

   Chancellor