St. Brigid Parish, established in 1873 and originally dedicated to
Saint Bridget of Sweden, served the residents—many of Irish birth or
descent—of an area called “the hill.” The first pastor, Father James
Ryan, was determined to see the parish grow and thrive. A school opened
in 1874; over the years three different congregations of religious
sisters—Sisters of Loretto, Dominicans of Saint Catherine of Siena and
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth—oversaw its operations before lay
teachers took up its educational mission.
The parish soon grew too large for the original small church, and
under the direction of Father Henry Connelly, pastor in 1887, a
different site was selected for a second church. Father Connelly also
changed the parish patroness to Saint Brigid of Ireland and thus the
spelling to its current form.
When the new brick church, with classrooms on the second level, was
dedicated in 1890, an article in the Catholic Advocate stated that “a
goodly sum was contributed in church by those who attended.”
Parishioners’ dedication and generosity, along with the foresight of
several more pastors, made still a third church, plus a separate school
and a convent, possible in 1912. The school closed in 1972 and for some
time housed the Archdiocesan Catholic School Office.
The gifts of parishioners’ time, talent and treasure has enabled the
parish to thrive through good times and bad. Some present members are
descendants of founding families.
St. Brigid joined St. James in a two-parish cluster in 1994. It is
now part of the Highlands Five, a collaboration with four other
parishes. The 950 parishioners participate in joint Lenten missions,
Habitat for Humanity, Open Hand Kitchen, St. Vincent de Paul Society,
Highland Community Ministries and other outreach activities that serve
the poor. Known for its acoustics, St. Brigid has hosted many concerts
in recent years.