Speaking in the week where a Supreme Court hearing will decide whether the Archdiocese has the right to demolish the historic downtown building, committee members urged Bloomberg not to stay silent.
“The history of the volunteer Fighting 69th and the history of our beloved church go hand in hand,” said committee member Jerome O’Connor.
“The second pastor of St. Brigid’s, Reverend Thomas Mooney, served as the second chaplain of the Fighting 69th. The regiment was based out of the Tompkins Armory, right near St. Brigid’s and was deployed in 1861 to fight in the first Battle of Bull Run. The Mayor has been silent on the issue as the Department of Buildings and the Board of Standards and Appeals allowed the demolition by the Archdiocese to proceed. This church is historically significant and means so much to the Irish, Latino and immigrant communities of our city. The Mayor still has time to tell the Archdiocese to stop the destruction and desecration.”