| October 24, 2005 Dear Friends: In the early-morning dark today, defying an order from the Department of Building Inspection, San Francisco’s Archdiocese went into St. Brigid Church and took out many of the church’s 100-year-old artwork and statues. Our committee had been at the church, 24 hours a day, since Friday afternoon when SF police, acting on an order from the Department of Building Inspection, told the archdiocese they could not take the artwork, nor even enter the building, until the issues of St. Brigid’s landmark status and who owns the artwork have been resolved. On Friday afternoon, members of the Committee to Save St. Brigid Church had had to lie down in the doorway to stop them until police got there. But this morning their wrecking crew got in and out while we were stuck outside, powerless, behind the locked gates of the churchyard. Today, by the time police got there, the archdiocese’s wrecking crew had gone. On Thursday evening SF’s Planning Commission had voted to grant landmark protection to the church, both inside and out, including the artwork the archdiocese took this morning. But their action won’t become law until the Board of Supervisors can vote, at the earliest next week. By then, unless we can stop them, the artwork could be anywhere. We will go into court this week to ask a judge to require the archdiocese to return the things they took until their proper ownership is determined. We hope you will be able to come to that hearing to show support for St. Brigid. We don’t know the exact time or date, but we will keep you informed – and hope you can make it. More immediately, the Committee will meet Tuesday night with Mayor’s rep. Justin Roja, to ask for the Mayor’s help in this. Please be there to make him know we’re angry. 7 p.m. at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, Van Ness and Green. Here are two pieces from the Chronicle on Friday and Saturday which more completely describe the situation.
Joe Dignan
Committee To Save St. Brigid Church
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