The Villager

St. Brigid’s parishioners, struggling for more than 10 years to save the church built by Irish boatwrights during the Famine Year 1848-’49 on Avenue B, rejoiced last week when the Catholic Archdiocese announced it had accepted an anonymous $20 million donation to restore both the church and parish and to endow the parish school. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Councilmember Rosie Mendez, State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer joined the local Committee to Save St. Brigid’s in a surprise celebration on Wed., May 21. "The power of prayer should never be underestimated," Edwin Torres, president of the Committee to Save St. Brigid’s, said later. "I don’t know who the donor is but I respect his request for anonymity — and God bless him." The donation includes $10 million to address the serious structural problems of the church at 119 Avenue B and restore it to serve again as a parish church, plus $2 million for an endowment for the parish and another $8 million to support St. Brigid’s School and other Catholic schools in the area that might need help.