Reflections -- One Year Later -- June 30, 1995

Friday, June 30, 1995 will be the one year anniversary of the closing of St. Brigid Church. To commemorate this, the Committee is sponsoring an evening of remembrance and reflections on the theme: Silence Within The Walls Of St. Brigid Church. This is an opportunity for us as a community not only to look back on the long and rich history of St. Brigid, but also to look forward to a successful appeal and the reopening of our Church.

Some of our activities will be held two blocks from St. Brigid in the downstairs meeting hall of Holy Trinity Cathedral, located at the corner of Van Ness and Green (1520 Green Street). Father Victor Sokolov and the community of Holy Trinity have opened their doors to us to use their facilities as our temporary "home away from home." The Committee holds weekly Wednesday meetings there. We hope that you can join us for some, if not all, of the events planned for June 30.

The schedule for the evening is as follows:

Time		Event			Location
6:00 p.m.	Opening Prayer		St. Brigid Church
6:30 p.m.	Prayer Service		Holy Trinity Cathedral
7:30 p.m.	Potluck Dinner		Holy Trinity Cathedral
8:00 p.m.	Rosary			St. Brigid Church
9:30 p.m.	Candlelight Ceremony	St. Brigid Church
11:00 p.m.	Hour of Recollection	St. Brigid Church
Midnight	Concluding Prayer 	St. Brigid Church

We also ask that you leave flowers on the steps of St. Brigid Church throughout the day and evening to commemorate the tens of thousands of faithful who have worshipped there over the last 131 years. This will also show that we have not forgotten our wonderful Church.

The appeal on behalf of all St. Brigid parishioners, Memoriale Pro Admissione Recursus D.ni Roberti R. Bryan ad disceptationem, Prot. N. 24924/94 C.A., was filed with the Vatican's Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura on February 28, 1995. Mr. Bryan, the parishioners' attorney, is in frequent contact with our advocate, Dr. Martha Wegan in Rome. Denise Nicco, Vice Chairperson, is working very closely with Robert and Dr. Wegan. Robert noted that although the appeal is under his name, "it is filed on behalf of all the parishioners and everyone who has ever worshipped at St. Brigid over the past 131 years."

The litigation process before the Supreme Tribunal involves an extensive amount of time. Thus there is no way to accurately predict when a decision may be rendered.

The students of St. Brigid School have sent our Chairperson the school yearbook, A Galaxy of Stars, which contains a touching handwritten inscription. Robert stressed that this was clearly written for all of us who continue to work so hard to save the Church and School, and thus he accepted it for all of us.

"Dear Mr. Bryan,

Thank you for your hard work for Saint Brigid's Church. You are a great example of dedication to us, and we admire you very much. God Bless you!

Love,
The Students of Saint Brigid School and Church"

"Earthquake memories will always be with us--'the big one' of '89 which shook the ground and the 'spiritual one' of '94 when our church closed. We cannot forget how we stuck together through rallies, meetings, protests, and petitions in the fight to save our church, which will always live in a sacred place in our hearts. No matter how long it takes or how old we get, we will always be praying for its doors to reopen."

On June 6, Sister Carmen Santiuste, Principal of St. Brigid School, notified the parents that she is being transferred to St. Joachim School in Madera, California. We are all indebted to Sister Carmen for her nine years of service to the children of St. Brigid School. Her gentleness and spirituality have been a true inspiration to us all in our campaign to save St. Brigid.

The Committee to Save St. Brigid Church continued the parish's long tradition of celebrating St. Patrick's Day by hosting a dinner at the Fort Mason Officers' Club. This was the second dinner sponsored by the Committee since the closure of St. Brigid Church. On both occasions, parishioners and friends filled the club to capacity. We are particularly indebted to Home Savings of America, Safeway, and Thrifty's for helping sponsor this event. Congratulations to Tom Curtin, Chair of the Dinner, for planning such a wonderful evening.

Special awards were given to Ciaran and Mary Baynes, Josephine Brightwell (the parish secretary for 15 years), Bob and Norma Head, Denise Nicco, and Beatriz St. John for their dedication and commitment in the efforts to save St. Brigid Church. At the previous dinner, Robert Bryan, Father Cyril O'Sullivan, and Father Edmund Hayburn were presented with special awards. Many will remember that Father Edmund, the brother of the late Monsignor Hayburn, was with Robert at the Vatican on our behalf. On June 18, he celebrates his 50th anniversary of ordination as a priest.

Our next parish dinner will be Friday, October 20, 1995 at the Fort Mason Officers' Club. The Committee hosts these dinners as a way to bring the parishioners and friends of St. Brigid Church together. Gina Delle Sedie is in charge of planning the dinner. Please reserve the date!

The Committee to Save St. Brigid Church meets each Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m., and begins with the recitation of the Rosary at 6:40 p.m. The meetings are held at Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Russian Orthodox Church, 1520 Green Street (at Van Ness).

The Committee is the official non-profit organization created over a year and a half ago to represent all the parishioners and those who are interested in saving St. Brigid Church. The parishioners elected its Officers and Board of Directors. The meetings are open to all.

Mark your calendars
Here are some important days to remember:
· June 30 Anniversary Vigil
· July 29 Potluck Picnic in Lafayette Park
· August 26 Potluck Picnic in Lafayette Park
· October 20 Parish Dinner

Monthly Picnics
St. Brigid parishioners and friends have a potluck picnic the last Saturday of each month at Lafayette Park (Laguna and Washington Streets). The picnics begin at noon with a prayer service. These events are a lot of fun and children are encouraged to attend.

Special Intentions
Please join us in praying for the sick of our parish. People are particularly asked to pray for Dr. Renato Gallina and Richard Carico, Esq. (one of our attorneys), both of whom have worked so tirelessly in the effort to save the Church.

Sunday Masses at Fort Mason
Many St. Brigid Parishioners now attend the 11:15 a.m. Mass at the Fort Mason Chapel. We have been warmly received, and Father Bernard Brennan, the Pastor, has been especially hospitable. The chapel is not under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. After Mass some remain to visit and have brunch at the nearby Officers' Club, which is open to all. The brunch is $10.95. Everyone is invited.

T-shirts and Sweatshirts
The Committee is selling "Save St. Brigid Church" T-shirts and Sweatshirts. The T-shirts come in two colors -- light blue and cream, and Sweatshirts come in denim blue. T-shirts cost $10 each and Sweatshirts cost $18 each. Both are available in all sizes, and can be purchased at our Wednesday night meetings or at any of our upcoming events.

Financial Support
The Committee to Save St. Brigid Church is a not-for-profit organization devoted to maintaining St. Brigid as a place of worship. Our application for non-profit tax status has approved by the State of California, and should be cleared by the I.R.S. soon.

While the Committee and its officers serve without compensation, our expenses are substantial. The appeal in Rome is expensive. Additionally, we continue to incur expenses regularly for such things as printing, copying, mailings, express deliveries to Rome, international telephone calls, faxes, etc.

These expenses are met only through donations. Your help, in any amount, will be greatly appreciated. Checks should be made payable to: Committee to Save St. Brigid Church, P. O. Box 641318, San Francisco, CA 94164-1318.

Mailing List
We will continue to publish Update Newsletters as new information regarding our appeal becomes available. Additions, deletions or changes to our mailing list can be made by writing the Committee at the above address or calling our Hotline.

Survey
In our last issue, we asked for your thoughts on how the closure of St. Brigid Church has affected you and your family. To date, many of our parishioners have responded. Of those that responded, most are attending Mass at St. Dominic and Sts. Peter and Paul, and they have not registered with a parish. Please take a few minutes and fill out our questionnaire, and return it in the enclosed envelope. We appreciate your time and thoughtfulness. Responses will be printed in our next issue.

Thank you for joining us in the campaign to save St. Brigid Church. Everything we do is based upon a commitment to continue doing the work of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church in this community. Please share this newsletter with your friends and family.

BSJ
Secretary