July 17, 2009
To the Board of Directors and Friends of House of Brigid, Inc.
House of Brigid volunteers arrive in Wexford, Ireland!
It is with great joy that we wish to report to you that Carolyn Pirtle, Christopher Labadie and Martha Calcutt arrived in Ireland today to begin a year of service to the Church of the Annunciation, Clonard, and the Diocese of Ferns in County Wexford. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped to make this day become a reality, including the benefactors who provided initial funding for the initiative, the volunteers who responded to the call to give a year of service to the Church and to the people of the Church of the Annunciation parish in Wexford who agreed to host the volunteers. We also want to thank Alison Obernik of Whitney Moore in Dublin who provided advice regarding the Irish immigration laws and Phil Boyle, Vice President of HGC Services, LLC, in Plainville, Connecticut, who helped us secure supplemental health insurance.
As many of you know, The House Brigid or Teach Bhríde originally was conceived as an initiative of the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir. Recent graduates of the university will be the initial participants in the volunteer ministerial community seeking to reinvigorate the Catholic Church in Ireland through music ministry, liturgical renewal, youth activities and catechesis. The participants will be hosted by Fr Denis Lennon, P.P., pastor of Church of the Annunciation, in Clonard, County Wexford. Housing will be provided by the host parish. Other living expenses of the participants will be paid for by House of Brigid, Inc., a nonprofit corporation as contemplated by Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, registered in the state of Connecticut in the United States.
If you would like additional information about Teach Bhríde, The House of Brigid, please contact Ann Calcutt, President, House of Brigid, Inc. at +1-203-254-7249 or acalcutt@optonline.net. Also you can contact Carolyn Pirtle, Director of the House of Brigid at carolyn.a.pirtle@gmail.com or Fr Denis Lennon at +353(0)53-912-4417 or denle@eircom.net .