NEWS: St. Brigid's Gains a Major Supporter
From the Irish Echo
Thompson backs landmark status for St. Brigid’s
By Peter McDermott
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A top elected NYC official has asked that St. Brigid’s church be considered for the “landmark status it richly deserves.” Comptroller William C. Thompson said that the 158-year-old house of worship “holds an important place in our city’s evolving history as a hallmark of the Lower East Side/East Village community.”
In a letter to Robert C. Tierney, chairman of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the comptroller said that the “architecture of the church alone makes a convincing case for designation.”
Thompson mentioned its association with County Tipperary native Patrick Keely, who designed 600 churches across North America. “The reredos, the organ case and the original wooden altar were carved by Keely himself,” the letter said.
“St. Brigid’s has always been at the forefront of our city’s history, both religious and secular. It ranked among the leading financial contributors toward the construction of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and also served as a place of refuge for labor leaders during unrest in the 1870s,” he said. “St. Brigid’s parishioners also fought for the Union in the Civil War as part of the famed Fighting 69th Regiment.”
Thompson added: “The State Supreme Court injunction against a demolition permit affirms the position that St. Brigid’s is worth a great deal more to our city than the archdiocese may realize.” (Justice Barbara Kapnick has yet to issue a final ruling after halting the demolition in August.)
In a conclusion to his letter to Tierney, the comptroller said: “Your support in this matter is critical and the public supports such a designation.”
The Committee to Save St. Brigid’s can be contacted at www.savestbrigid.com
This story appeared in the issue of December 27, 2006 – January 2, 2007