Archbishop John R. Quinn has ordered that after 130 continuous years of incredible viability and spiritual leadership in the community, Saint Brigid Parish will cease to exist next week. His Administrator assigned to our Church, Father Dan Keohane, has planned a Mass of Appreciation for 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Recently he wrote in the Church Bulletin, that there will be "some very special liturgical music and . . . festive decorations." He has even bought champagne for a reception to be held afterwards in the school auditorium!

Many parishioners have expressed revulsion regarding the "festive" plans, and find the attitude of the Archdiocese to be an insult to the tens of thousands of men, women and children who have faithfully worshipped and died in God's service for over a century at Saint Brigid. They feel it is a sacrilege, and incompatible with what the Roman Catholic Church represents. If the Archbishop is successful in closing Saint Brigid, it is a time for sadness and prayer - not celebration and festivities.

Please join us in the Church parking lot after the 11:00 a.m. Mass for prayer. Rather than celebrating, let us all pray.

It is with great sadness that we approach what may be the last Mass in Saint Brigid Church. It will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, 1994. This was announced in the Church Bulletin on June 12, 1994 by the Administrator. Tragically, the Archdiocese has refused to permit the parishioners to remain afterwards in the Church for prayers. Consequently Robert R. Bryan, our Chair and attorney, wrote Father Keohane this week, stating:

As explained by Beatriz St. John this morning, the parishioners would like to remain in Saint Brigid following the 5:30 Mass on the last night the Church is scheduled to be open, June 30, 1994. I cannot fathom why there would be any opposition to the faithful praying.

The fears of the Archdiocese regarding an occupation after midnight are unfounded. We have no intention of creating a situation like at St. Joseph's Church in Worcester [Massachusetts]. The parishioners simply want to pray in Saint Brigid for the last hours it is open. Just as people pray with a loved one in the last hours before his execution, we want to pray in the final hours in the Church before it is terminated. However, I might point out that the abusive and medieval manner in which the parishioners at Saint Brigid have been subjected over the past seven months, is enough to radicalize even the most conservative person. Please, give the faithful this last chance to pray in Saint Brigid. . . .

Join us Thursday evening for prayer on the front steps, if the Church doors are closed. We will pray through midnight for Saint Brigid's life.

This is a time when our prayers are desperately needed not only to save this 130 year old Parish from destruction, but also for our Archdiocese leaders. An investigation by the S.F. Examiner has resulted in the discovery of profound and far-reaching problems in the leadership of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. A series of in-depth articles last week disclosed mismanagement in the Archdiocese, financial and moral corruption among some priests, and a callous disregard for the needs of the faithful.

In Friday's lead editorial, captioned An Archdiocese in Denial, the Examiner said that "loss of credibility is high on the list of complex reasons why the numbers of regulars at Mass in San Francisco churches declined. . ." A copy of the complete editorial is attached.

Rather than reacting defensively and personally as sadly reflected in this weekend's Bulletin insert (a letter from the Chairman, Council of Priests, speaking for the Archdiocese), we pray that our leaders will cease being in denial. "Self-defeating arrogance" has no place in the church of Jesus Christ.

We pray for an end to the present moral crisis, and for a spiritual reawakening in the leadership of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Saturday's S.F. Chronicle contains a front page article on how devastating the closure of Saint Brigid Church would be on our parishioners and the community. A copy is included with this Newsletter.

Louisa Stanton, age 88, who first attended Saint Brigid nearly 70 years ago, is portrayed in pictures and word with great sensitivity. She emigrated from Ireland in 1925, became a U.S. citizen in 1930, was an accountant for the U.S. Government from 1936 until retirement in 1969, and now in the twilight of her life lives across the street with a breathtaking view of Saint Brigid. As with so many of us, the Church is the center of her life.

In describing the Archbishop's treatment of her and the other parishioners at Saint Brigid, Ms. Stanton explains that they are "throw-away Catholics." The horrendous impact from Archdiocese plans to close the Church, is profoundly felt by her and many others: "When I go there, I feel like the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders. If our Church closes Thursday night, I am finished."

The appeal efforts in Rome to save Saint Brigid from the Archbishop's attempt to close it, are ongoing. Robert Bryan continues to file extensive motions and documents with the Congregation for the Clergy. He will keep up these activities in our behalf, until the Church is saved. There are several more levels of appeal, if the Congregation rules against us. This litigation could take at least another year.

Last week Robert filed with the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome, the Second Supplement to Appeal of Saint Brigid Church from the Decree of Suppression By the Archbishop of San Francisco, With Newly Discovered Appeal Petition of Pastor. Included were 1,068 affidavits from the faithful, confirming the unjustness of the process leading to the Archbishop's decision for closing Saint Brigid. Robert also presented the recently located appeal petition of our Pastor, Rev. Kirby C. Hanson, which was delivered to the Archbishop on January 3, 1994. It eloquently refuted every reason given to close our Church. Another exhibit was a petition to the Archbishop from 42 priests, including our own Pastor and Father Cyril O'Sullivan. They objected to the suppression of churches in San Francisco, and complained that the process leading to the Archbishop's closure decisions was unfair. The priests explained "that there are injustices being recommended . . . which would produce great spiritual and possibly physical harm . . . the cluster process did not allow for adequate input and consultation from the parishes."

Over three weeks ago we formally asked the Congregation for the Clergy to suspend the closing of Saint Brigid until the appeal process is completed. In the Motion for Stay of Execution of Decree to Close Saint Brigid Church July 1, 1994, Until After Final Decision on Appeal, Robert said:

[I]t would be unfair and result in enormous hardships to the faithful of Saint Brigid, to permit the Parish to close while its appeal is pending from the closure Decree. The parishioners do not want to be forced to cease worshipping at the Church, only to return some time in the future if they are successful in saving their Parish. The spiritual lives of the faithful and their many Parish organizations should not be so unnecessarily disrupted and damaged. . . . The very essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church require fairness and due process. To permit Saint Brigid Church to close while the appeal process is continuing, would create substantial and unnecessary hardship to the parishioners . . . [and] would be grossly unjust.

A new independent study of the Church is in progress by a highly reputable engineering firm, under the leadership of Joe Dignan, Vice Chairman and acting head of the Engineering Subcommittee. The results are marvelous! Preliminary findings reflect that the cost of any retrofitting which may be required, will be a small fraction of that projected by the Archdiocese. Further, the Church appears not to be an unreinforced masonry building as defined by City building codes. This is truly a safe place to worship.

The new evaluation confirms what Father Hanson, our Pastor, said in his January 3, 1994 appeal petition to the Archbishop: "The $5.5 million estimate for St. Brigid is undoubtedly a `worst case scenario.' It is possible as the unreinforced buildings are studied in detail . . . the cost could be markedly less." In an April 8 meeting with the Archbishop's engineer, the figure was lowered to $3 to $4 million. Now we know that even that estimate was grossly exaggerated.

You may recall that in late May the Archdiocese stated it "would not give permission for a further seismic study" of our Church. So we were forced to cancel a evaluation planned at that time. That we now have a study in spite of interference and hardships from the Archdiocese, demonstrates the incredible power of faith and prayer!

White towels are worn to Mass as a symbol of our commitment to Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church. Early this year Father Cyril O'Sullivan draped from the altar in Saint Brigid a large towel, which he explained represents our resolve to save this House of God and not give up. For his uncompromising dedication to Christ and the faithful, Father O'Sullivan was banished and silenced by the Archbishop.

Let the white towels serve as a reminder that a large number of elderly parishioners and our youth will be irreparably harmed, if this Church is closed. Saint Brigid is exceptionally viable and vibrant, has a large attendance, and is financially self-supporting with nearly $700,000 of our contributions remaining in the Church bank account. That money will be confiscated next week by the Archdiocese, if the Church closes.

We have repeatedly offered to save Saint Brigid and a poor church, at no cost to the Archdiocese. As expressed by Robert Bryan in a June 15, 1994 letter to Archbishop Quinn:

I implore you to reconsider suppressing Saint Brigid. We again offer to raise all necessary funds to save not only our Church, but one that is poor. In the process two churches will be saved for Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, at no cost to the Archdiocese. In the spirit of the Lord and the Second Vatican Council, you should at least give us a reasonable opportunity to do this.

Donations
The campaign to save Saint Brigid Church is incredibly expensive, since we are involved in litigation in Rome which will last at least another year. Please send your tax deductible donations to: Committee to Save St. Brigid Church, P.O. Box 641318, San Francisco, California 94164-1318.

Write letters
Our leaders in Rome must understand the importance of saving Saint Brigid Church. Please write them. Feel free to give us your letters, which will be promptly sent by fax to Rome. Letters should be addressed to:

His Holiness Pope John Paul II
Supreme Sovereign of the Universal Church
00120 Vatican City State
Europe
[FAX: 011 396 6988 5088]

Cardinal Jose T. Sanchez, Prefect
Piazza Pio XII 300193
Rome, Italy
[FAX: 011 396 6988 4845]

Mailings
If the Church is closed for the present, we will have periodic mailings to keep everyone informed of litigation developments in Rome and requests for assistance. To save Saint Brigid, all need to be involved and help.

Prayer
We need to continue praying not only for the salvation of Saint Brigid Church, but also that our local leaders become more sensitive to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

Thank you for joining us in the campaign to save Saint Brigid Church. Everything we do is based upon a commitment to continue the work of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church in this community.

BSJ
Secretary