There was a report in the New York Times on Monday of a church in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, St Brigid’s, that has been saved from demolition.  

It was a church with a history, going back to the 1840s, when Irish immigration brought new-comers to the city and, settling in that area, they built their church. Those pews were later to be occupied by others, Poles, Ukrainians and Puerto Ricans.

But the years took a heavy toll on the structure of the building and by the start of this century it was so serious that it was deemed unsafe for occupancy. It would have to be demolished. Then after much effort and enterprise, when all seemed lost, when the stained glass windows had been smashed out and bulldozers were about to move in, an anonymous donor offered $20m to repair and restore the church and school. This last weekend it was opened again for the community to worship and share the Eucharist.  The stained glass windows were replaced with those from another closed church in Harlem .  

Some story!  

Care for bricks and mortar that have significance for communities lights a spark and miracles happen. In Europe there are many cathedrals, soaring statements of majesty, erected in faith, much, much older that St Brigid’s and they too take time and money to ensure their survival. Alongside these huge statements of faith are the thousands of small parish churches, still maintained by the local people with much love and care.    

But in the end, fine and inspiring though they might be, buildings are not the Church. Reflecting the phrase I headed last week’s blog posting, it is we, the people who walk through the doors, sit in the pews or kneel in prayer, who are the Church. That is why, with all our present difficulties, we should respect those with whom we differ and seek to be along side each other as we try to resolve our differences. 

 The words of the great Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett, come to mind: “Ever tried, ever failed. Never mind, try again, fail better” Faith demands that we stick with it, whatever the difficulties. In Ireland , Fr Tony Flannery is doing just that.

 There is an interview with Tony Flannery on this RTE link