My dear parishioners:

    As you know, after seven months of cluster meetings, public hearings, and careful, meticulous review of an enormous amount of data about parish life in San Francisco, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission, in many of whose meetings I personally took part, recommended the closure of Saint Brigid Parish. The Council of Priests, most of whose members are elected by the priests, in two lengthy meetings unanimously endorsed this recommendation. And after carefully weighing all the evidence and advice, I accepted this recommendation.

    Earlier this month, in accord with the appeals process established by Canon law, Father Hanson, in his role as Pastor, and a significant number of parishioners of Saint Brigid asked that I review this decision in order to determine if it was based on any error of substance or process. Since early January, when the petition was presented to me, I have given careful consideration to the issues raised both by Father Hanson and the parishioners of Saint Brigid. However, having considered everything presented to me carefully, I remain firmly convinced that the original decision to close Saint Brigid church and parish was the correct decision, and I reaffirm it.

    I am fully aware that this decision will be a grave disappointment to you. At the same time it is basic to my office as Archbishop to consider not only individual parishes but the overall good of the whole Archdiocese. The San Francisco of the forties and fifties is gone. There are approximately 47,000 people going to Mass at 53 parishes in a City of 700,000 with the lowest youth census of any major city in the United States. Something has to change. It is obvious that there are too many parishes in the City, and several of them like Saint Brigid have churches which need enormously expensive retrofitting. We must look to the future. We must be architects of the future, not victims. There are exciting possibilities before us if we walk together in unity and charity and make the hard decisions which alone will permit us to embrace a future which promises a whole new life and a new vitality for our Archdiocese. We have to move now.

    I share your grief and your tears. This process has been difficult and taxing for all of us. But I firmly believe in the future that God is preparing for us and that hope underlies my conviction that this is the right decision. During the months ahead I hope that you will prepare in a hopeful spirit for the new reality and for the transition to your neighboring parishes where a warm welcome awaits you.

    May the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation who has given us all things in Christ Jesus, deepen your faith and fill you with the hope that is rooted in the Cross and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, Our Lord.

Your servant in Jesus            

Archbishop of San Francisco