Bob Arihood and Crow's omen at St. Brigid's

No one has chronicled the neighborhood better than Bob Arihood. Here is a repost from Neither More Nor Less dated July 28, 2006 and titled Crow's omen.

As men washed themselves of the filth of a night and day of demolishing the interior of St. Brigid's , a crow sat cawing and harried by small but agitated and persistant birds atop the Gaelic cross at the peak of the facade of the 1848 landmark church of " Mary of Gael ", St. Brigid , the mother church of the Irish immigrants of the middle 19th century .

I am not a soothsayer and thus can not say what the presence of a crow cawing on a cross at a time like this does presage . Is there some dark fate and certain final loss with this church that we must without choice come to know and if so, should we not protest such fate extremely ? Shall this landmark and icon ,our connection with our past , just perish ? Today , the demolishers punched a hole in a stained glass window for fresh air as they demolished the precious interior and then punched a hole in the back wall of the church to defecate the brutally demolished interior of the church into the lot behind the church .Tommorow all will return to court to decide finally whether this demolishing shall stop .

The community wants this church to be saved ...preserved . But it seems there are now powerful forces dead set against saving this church ; powerful forces , the archdiocese , the bishops and the Cardinal , it seems , want St Brigids reduced to ruble . I do not truly understand why . Some say offers to purchase the church at a fair market price and then return St. Brigid's to the community have been made . It is said that the Cardinal has said no to such offers ,thus , can it be that there is more than just the money value of St. Brigid's demolished that is of concern to the archdiocese . The civil courts and the Landmarks Preservation Committee so far seem to be powerless to save this church . Finally ,why has some one not sought in canon law a path to the good grace and aid of His Holiness the Pope and the mother Church when the community now needs them most ?

Find more of Bob's St. Brigid's-related posts here.

Hawk's omen at St. Brigid's

Perhaps as a follow-up to the previous post, Crow's omen ... a shot of the St. Brigid's cross this week by Bobby Williams...

Conspiracy theories: Who was the anonymous donor behind St. Brigid's $20 million donation?

Headlines from May 22, 2008 ...


On this date (or, online the day before!), we learned that an anonymous donor came to the rescue of St. Brigid's, which reopens Sunday, saving the historic building's grounds on Avenue B and East Eighth Street from life as a condo or dorm. (There was also talk in 2003-2004 that the Cabrini Center would move here from down on East Fifth Street, as The Villager reported.)

Per the Times: "The gift includes $10 million to restore the building, at 119 Avenue B; $2 million to establish an endowment for the parish so that it might best meet the religious and spiritual needs of the people living in the community'; and $8 million to support the St. Brigid's School and other Catholic schools in need."

Great news. And fodder for conspiracy theorists. Matt Dillon! Bette Midler! The Villager mentioned Chuck Feeney, "an Irish-American philanthropist who has given about $400 million anonymously through The Atlantic Philanthropies, which he endowed."

And now, Dave on 7th shares his conspiracy theory:

Ever since St Brigid's was saved, I've wondered why, after going to literally the last hour in trying to demolish the church and sell off its incredibly valuable real estate, the Archdiocese would suddenly accept the offer of an anonymous donor and essentially rebuild the whole church from scratch.

My theory is that the "donor" is in fact the Archdiocese itself, and they needed to remain anonymous because they had just closed like four parishes in the neighborhood.

Interestingly, the parish that survived the cuts was St Emeric, which is housed in a nondescript church located on a dead-end street behind a power plant.

At some point a year or two ago, I saw flyers on Avenue C announcing that the Cardinal would be holding a mass at St Emeric. That's a BIG deal for a little church in a nondescript building behind a power plant.

Then came the announcement that St Emeric would "merge" with St Brigid's, and that the parish priest would come from St Emeric. That clinched it for me.

This was a deal between St Emeric and the Cardinal (who, by the way, is going to lead the first mass in the new church, again a very BIG deal) to rebuild the church and turn it over to whatever order St Emeric's is. And it all had to remain anonymous and unassociated with the Archdiocese or else the other parishes that were closed, in possession of perfectly good structures would be up in arms. This way it had nothing to do with them, they were at the mercy of a wealthy donor.

In the end, I'm just glad the building was saved, but that's how I think it all happened.

What do you think? I'm still going with Matt Dillon as the donor ... all those "Wild Things" residuals ...

[Updated] Behold the bell of St. Brigid's

Wow. EVG regular Salim just shared this... This morning, workers from a bell-restoration firm were putting a 3,000 pound, 150-year-old bell back in place at St Brigid's on Avenue B and East Eighth Street.

Wow.

Per Salim: "Everyone — cars, pedestrians, cyclists — was stopping to look at the bell. It was remarkably bright and beautiful, and the bell restorers had a lot of pride as they described it... forged in 1858, I think."

After a lengthy restoration, St. Brigid's is set to reopen on Sunday, as we first reported. And this might just do away with those fake "bells" that we've been hearing...

Updated 1-25

Salim and some other readers noted that the bell is actually on display now outside the church...

Hopefully people won't decide to do anything stupid here... it's pretty much right there in shenanigans way...

[Updated] St. Brigid's reopens on Jan. 27

[Photo from Jan. 6.]

An EVG reader passes along word that the first mass at the restored church on Avenue B and East Eighth Street will take place on Jan. 27 ... Nearly 11 years have passed since the last mass in the main church (there were services in the school basement next door until 2004).

The church was thisclose to being demolished ... thanks to a group of hearty volunteers and parishioners who never lost hope... they were able to save the church from an after-life as a dorm or condo.

In May 2008, news broke that an anonymous donor gave $20 million to help refurbish the church... Per The New York Times: "The gift includes $10 million to restore the building, at 119 Avenue B; $2 million to establish an endowment for the parish “so that it might best meet the religious and spiritual needs of the people living in the community”; and $8 million to support the St. Brigid’s School and other Catholic schools in need."

All this seems like a hundred years ago...


Much more on St. Brigid's in the coming days/weeks... there's a lot to discuss...

Previously.

Updated 1-14 9:30 a.m.
We had also asked Edwin Torres, chairman of the Committee to Save St. Brigid's, for more information. He confirmed the Jan. 27 date. The dedication mass is at 5 p.m. However, an important note: The mass, presided by Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan, is invitation-only for registered parishioners of St. Brigid's-St. Emeric's Church.

Reader mailbag: Are the new lights too bright at St. Brigid's?

A question from a reader:

Have the obnoxiously too bright lights at St. Brigid's on Avenue B bothered anyone else?

Well, yes — one reader mentioned the "the ludicrously bright lights and ugly fixtures" in this post about the bells of St. Brigid's.

Anyway, the reader understands the deterrent from possible vandalism (and perhaps warding off anyone from sleeping on the front steps) that the lights provide.

"But they are so freaking bright! I wonder if the fact that they're bothering me is my anal-retentiveness coming out ... or I’m guessing I can’t be the only one."

Anyone else with a comment on the lights?

[Updated] Flea market at St. Brigid School today

Entrance on East Seventh St. just east of Avenue B...

Updated 10 a.m.

Dave on 7th stopped in... we're on our way...

A look at 6 new or restored East Village buildings

Just a quick photo update on projects that we've been following... Photos by Bobby Williams.

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New second floor for the Iglesia Pentecostal Sarepta
701 E. Sixth St.
More details here.

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Jupiter 21
21 E. First St.
More details here.

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Supportive housing for homeless young adults and young adults aging out of the foster-care system.
710 E. Ninth St.
More details here.

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St. Brigid's
Avenue B and East Eighth St.
More details here.

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51 Astor Place
More details here.

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84 Third Ave.
More details here.

The bells of St. Brigid's [VIDEO]

I was hanging around in Tompkins Square Park this morning... and I finally heard the bells coming from St. Brigid's on Avenue B... excuse the rushed quality to the video... dropped everything (50 pounds of bread for the rats, etc.) to record this...



A commenter had this to say on our post the other day:

Well, all you tin-eared tintinabulists....These are not real church bells---rather a clever assemblage of recorded sounds run through well placed speakers...And they aren't coordinated with real time merely an approximation-Can't the priest check his cell-phone to at least be accurate?...The original bell was amazing and it was removed and not reinstalled for reasons that remain a troubling mystery. These recorded sounds are horrible and as fake as Hostess Twinkies. As a neighbor who lives quite close to the church I wish they would stop them completely.

Previously.

Silent night...

Keep getting my holidays mixed up... In any event, St. Brigid's tonight...

The bells of St. Brigid's

In the last few days, several readers who live near St. Brigid's on Avenue B and East Eighth Street have noted hearing the church bells chime. (Or whatever sound church bells make...) Dave on 7th noted the sound was coming from the north tower.

And per Dave on 7th: "I wonder if there are actual bells in there? They were lovely. And I wonder, if they're a daily thing, how long it will be before the complaints start?"

St. Brigid's at night

Last night.

When St. Brigid's dared to have a picnic

I was doing some research about St. Brigid's on Avenue B and found this post on McNamara's Blog ... with a repost of an article from The New York Times circa July 22, 1869 BW (Before Woo)...

It is well known that the Roman Catholic Church in this country has forbidden picnics. The ordinance against them was issued last year, and this was the first season for putting it into practice. The origin of the prohibition was the great number of abuses which were found to prevail at these festive gatherings.

With one exception, no Church picnic has taken place this year — at least in connection with the Roman Catholic denomination. The clergy of that faith have exerted themselves vigorously in enforcement of their Church ordinance. They have denounced fairs and picnics from the altar, interdicted them by special mandate, and used all their influence in their several parishes for their suppression. And very effectually so far, with one exception, as has been said.

The people have, in general, yielded with docility to the voices of their clergy in the matter, and at some sacrifice of enjoyment have quietly foregone the annual festivity which was customary. The exception alluded to was the picnic held yesterday by the Total Abstinence Benefit organization in connection with the Roman Catholic Church of St. Bridget, Avenue B and Eighth Street.

Father Mooney is the pastor of said church, and when he heard of the contemplated picnic immediately denounced it and assailed its promoters. It was even announced in some of the papers that it would not take place, in consequence of being forbidden by the priest. But it did take place yesterday in Jones’ Wood, and, considering the ecclesiastical opposition it encountered, was a very successful thing its way.

The Brotherhood marched to the ground in the forenoon, and all day streams of people continued to flow in through the gates, even though the price of admission was fifty cents a head. The picnic was a quiet and orderly affair, held by temperance men and conducted on temperance principles. There was good music and much dancing, and by 8 o’clock in the evening all had departed for their homes. It would scarcely have been worth distinguishing from similar affairs of its class but for the collision between clergy and laity that took place in connection with it.

I know, I know. If you don't like picnics, then move back to...

Wash day at St. Brigid's yesterday

... where workers were hosing down the church on the East Eighth Street side. Photo by Bobby Williams.

And now, a lot of photos of St. Brigid's

We continue to stockpile photos of the under-renovation St. Brigid's on Avenue B and Eighth Street... taking photos whenever we happen to pass by...

We were gawking at the basement space ... where there looks to be meeting rooms/community space, etc.

On Friday, workers removed the last of the scaffolding...

So we have now have mostly construction-free views...

As for an opening, we last heard sometime this fall via The Villager...

The towers of St. Brigid's

Workers have removed the scaffolding from the north tower of St. Brigid's on Avenue B and East Eighth Street... and now we get to see both completed towers with their spires ...

Workers finished the south tower spires in July.

Looking at the Church of Saint Emeric on East 13th Street

Catholic churches are coming and going these days in the East Village. Parishioners held the last mass this past Sunday at Mary Help of Christians on East 12th Street. (The Villager has a nice farewell feature in this week's issue.)

The Catholic Archdiocese is selling the church property, which includes the Don Bosco Salesians rectory adjacent to the church and the church's former school on East 11th Street. No official word just yet on the new owner.

Meanwhile, renovations continue at St. Brigid's on Avenue B at East Eighth Street.

And then there the Church of Saint Emeric. As The Villager first reported in June, St. Emeric’s, built in 1950 at 740 E. 13th St. at Avenue D, will close and merge with St. Brigid's.

Per The Villager, Father Lorenzo Ato, priest in charge at St. Emeric for the past four years, will be the pastor of the new parish and has already moved into the Brigid's rectory.

Joseph Zwilling, archdiocese spokesperson, said there weren't any immediate plans for the St. Emeric’s church building or the two-story parochial school built in 1952 next door on East 12th Street and Avenue D.

In any event, I figured this was a good time to visit St. Emeric's ... located down a rather lonely stretch of East 13th Street, which dead ends at the Con Ed power plant. The church sits next to the Manhattan Pumping Station that's currently being refurbished ...

... and across the street from the Con Ed power plant...

On the morning that I walked by here, there were a handful of men huddled atop the sidewalk bridge sleeping...

... and here's a look from the East 12th Street side...

The church building itself is fairly unremarkable (I haven't been inside) and the chunk of real estate is in an unglamorous spot — surrounded by the Con Ed plant, pumping station and public housing. Not sure what would work here outside of some utilitarian purpose or nonprofit use. In other words, no dorms or condos.

But!

Things being what they are these days in Manhattan, I could see some enterprising restaurateur open an eatery and offer an East-River-to-table small plates Tasting Menu for thrill-seekers who desire a real "gritty" East Village meal (don't worry — the eel with be flown in fresh daily from Nihonbashi) ... or a developer launch a boutique hotel with Super Charged Weekend Packages for travelers who yearn what it's like to work at a power plant. Other authentic "street" touches include the housekeeping staff who push their supplies in imitation C-Town grocery carts (for sale in the gift shop for $1,695) and the bar that sells craft beers in brown paper bags.

Yeah, anyway — this is the Church of Saint Emeric