After years of renovation work, St. Brigid’s church on Avenue B and East 8th Street was re-opened to the public on January 27, 2013.   

The restoration of St. Brigid’s church was made possible by an anonymous $20 million donation, which came after the church was closed and slated for demolition by the archdiocese after serious structural problems were found in the building in the early 2000’s.  The community rallied for years to save the church and stop the looming demolition. 

The restoration of this church building, constructed in 1848 by local, mostly Irish immigrants who also worked at the nearby East River docks, restores a historically significant part of the architectural heritage of the East Village.