St. Brigid of Kildare Parish held its annual Women's Retreat in April. It was a joyous weekend attended by dozens of women.

"We are so grateful for our Journey to Joy with the Lord during our annual Women's Retreat this year. He blessed us in so many ways over the weekend. Thank you to those who were able to attend!"

St. Brigid of Kildare Parish would like to thank Laura Ginikos, Youth and Young Adult Minister at St. Brigid of Kildare Parish for her nine years of service to our parish. Laura will be moving on from her role as she and her family relocate to the Zanesville area this spring. During her time here, Laura oversaw the youth and young adult ministries, working primarily with high school students and young adults. She also enjoyed working with middle schoolers throughout her time here as well.

Laura says “Learning from and working alongside our priests, deacons, and parish staff has influenced who I am and am becoming as well as how I will continue to participate in the life of the Church.”

“The relationships I have built with students and their families in our parish have been a true gift. I’ve been praying for students and their families by name since the graduating class of 2016 left our campus. An unexpected blessing of serving in this ministry has been how many of our graduates have remained in contact over the years. Learning how God is working in their lives and continuing to be invited into their walks as they navigate young adult life is a testament to the gift parish youth ministry can be to students, families, and the parish community.”

“The gift of youth ministry -- faith formation, service projects, and relationship-building moments -- would not be possible without the adult volunteers from our parish. The joy of seeing firsthand how dedicated our parish adult volunteers have been to sharing our faith, deepening their own faith, and walking with our students will continue to inspire and encourage me” Laura says.

St. Brigid of Kildare Parish is grateful for Laura’s talent and hard work at our parish, and we wish her the best in her future.

For information on youth or young adult ministry options in the Diocese of Columbus, visit https://columbuscatholic.org/evangelization/youth. 

Thank you to Melissa Herman for her many dedicated years of service in our music ministries at St. Brigid of Kildare Parish as she moves on from her role.

Melissa Herman has served St. Brigid of Kildare Parish as the Adult Choir Director, Youth Ensemble Director, and Children’s Choir Director for nearly 20 years. 

Melissa has left a wonderful imprint on the Music Ministries at St. Brigid and will be missed. 

She and her husband Matt are enjoying retirement with their 3-D printing business as Melissa continues to teach for Columbus schools. 

We wish Melissa the best and are grateful for her many years of service!

For questions or information on music ministries, contact Music Director Paul Melcher at pmelcher@stbrigidofkildare.org.

Congratulations to the 186 children who received the sacrament of their First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 11.

It was a joyous day as our community celebrated their milestone. We look forward to watching our parish children continue to grow in their faith!

Join us at Brigid's Green on Sunday, June 30th at noon for a Parish Picnic!

Enjoy the company of other parishioners while enjoying lunch, a DJ, cake walk, an ice cream truck, and fun and games for the whole family!

RSVP at the link below.

Looking for ways to get involved and help where you are most needed? Below is a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities within our parish where all are welcome!

(PGC compliance needed where noted. Contact John Denzel jdenzel@stbrigidofkildare.org for PGC information)

• Dublin Food Pantry Volunteers - May 30, 9 AM - 1 PM
• Duties: Help serve clients in the new facility off Sawmill Rd.
• To Help: email Carol Crum at caroljcrum@yahoo.com

• Father’s Day Food Drive - June 15 (4:30 - 6:15 PM), June 16 (8:30-12:15 PM - two shifts)
• Duties: assist in accepting donations from parishioners and packaging in boxes; may need volunteer(s) to deliver to pantry the week after the collection
• To Help: Contact Karen at kaernes@icloud.com or 614-271-4086
• Sandwich Saturday - June 15 at 9 AM, school cafeteria
• Duties: Help assemble 1,000 bologna sandwiches to be distributed to soup kitchens in Columbus. No PGC or registration needed.
• Sandwich Saturday at Home: Assemble items at home, drop off at Kroger on Hospital Dr. in Dublin on May 20 or June 17.
• To Help: Sign up at link found at stbrigidofkildare.org/signups
• Vacation Bible School Volunteers - June 17-21, 8:45 AM to Noon
• Duties: Group leaders, station helpers. No teaching experience required. Must be PGC compliant
• To Help: Contact Rel. Ed. office at 614-761-1176 if interested.
• Giving Tree Project - July TBD
• Duties: Cutout tree ornament shapes (time involved - 1-2 hours)
• Duties: Put labels and string on ornaments (time involved - 2 hours)
• To Help: Contact: Susan Corcoran szcorcoran@gmail.com
• Donations for St. John Food Pantry - July 27 (4:30 - 6:15 PM), July 28 (8:30 - 12:15 PM - two shifts)
• Duties: accept donations, check dates, package in boxes
• To Help: Contact Karen at kaernes@icloud.com or 614-271-4086

If you have parish volunteer needs you’d like added to this list, contact Allie Wing at mrs.wing@stbrigid-school.org.

St. Brigid of Kildare School is hiring for the following teaching positions to begin this fall:

• 7th/8th Grade Instructional Support Teacher (Possibility to Teach Religion)
• 5th/6th Grade Science/Religion Teacher

To Apply:

• Review the full job description and requirements on the Diocese of Columbus website here.
• Candidate must complete an online teaching application with the Diocese of Columbus
• Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume, and references to Jill Carfagna, Assistant Principal, at mrs.carfagna@stbrigid-school.org.  

Walking with Purpose is a Bible study community that meets women right where they are, hands them a cup of coffee, and transforms their hearts. If you desire to grow in your faith, to encounter God’s Word in a fresh way, and in a supportive community of Catholic Women….join us! 

Beginning in October, on Tuesdays at 7 pm.

Learn more and register at the link below.

On Earth Day (Monday, April 22), we held a dedication and blessing in our school garden to honor and thank John and Sheila Reiner of Oakland Park Nursery for their gracious contribution to our beautiful garden space. Sheila spent many years as a teacher at Saint Brigid of Kildare School and retired after decades of service. We held a short prayer service to dedicate the Mary statue in the garden to Anna Ruth Richison, Sheila's mother who inspired her to go into teaching.

Father Black gave a blessing over the garden as eighth and second grade students joined in prayer. Students from all grades made thank you cards for John and Sheila for their gracious support and donation.

Thank you to the Reiners for their support of our school. Our children are very grateful to learn, play, and pray in such a beautiful outdoor space.

The Appeal (previously known as the Bishop’s Annual Appeal) is our parish's opportunity to bring about a positive change in the lives of many of God’s people in our Diocese.   The Appeal is a unifying force that calls on every member of our community to be stewards of faith so that we may continue to bring Christ into every home and heart. The Appeal has four specific ministries that it funds with your generosity:

• Social Needs - dollars raised will support concrete outreach to the poor and most vulnerable in our diocese.
• Catholic Education – the Appeal supports Catholic education and faith-formation initiatives for young people, including those on college campuses.
• Evangelization – dollars raised are used to share the good news of salvation with everyone, through our parishes and outreach ministries.
• Vocations – the Appeal funds programs to form missionary disciples, religious, and priests who are heralds of the Gospel.

Our parish has raised $170,000 of our $334,000 goal. We can accomplish this goal if, after prayerful consideration, everyone gives what they can. Our response to the Appeal is one way to share our blessings with our neighbors and to express our gratitude for all the blessings that our most loving God has bestowed on us.

The Appeal began the weekend of April 27 and 28, 2024. Please consider supporting the ministries and programs made possible through the generosity of the people of faith.

We strongly encourage you to go online to columbuscatholicgiving.org to make a secure pledge or gift.

Now Digging into the Acts of the Apostles

Our Men’s Bible Study Group is just beginning a study of the Acts of the Apostles, using a commentary by Schott Hahn, and would like to invite any man from the parish to join them. They meet weekly throughout the year to study scripture, reach a deeper relationship with God, and form community. By better understanding scripture, they hope to apply the lessons learned to improve their lives and the lives they touch. 



This group meets in the Deacon’s Room (upstairs in the Church building) on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. They also have an option to Zoom in to the meetings. New members are welcome and there is no ongoing commitment. Contact Wayne Booker at waynebooker@aol.com for more information. 

For more information about other Adult Faith Formation programs, contact Kim VanHuffel at kvanhuffel@stbrigidofkildare.org.

St. Brigid's Family First group is holding many activities for families this summer, including Mass meet ups, adoration, popsicles on the playground, service, playgroups and more. For all details, view the flyer below.

St Brigid Athletic Association is happy to announce Fall Sports Registration is now open.  Please note strict deadlines for registration, there will be no extension of registration dates - so please register as soon as possible - some registration dates are sooner than normal due to new season start dates, new sports, and attempts to have teams formed on time and be able to have enough coaches. 

New this year will be an attempt to have dedicated St. Brigid Soccer teams to participate in the diocese CYO program - notice the season starts in the summer so that it could be a sport that you also play while doing other fall sports very easily.  If you have specific questions about soccer, please reach out to Commissioner Allison Heacock or AD Bill Baumel asap.

Also new this year, the diocese CYO is offering Flag Football for grades 1-4, so please look into this option for those incoming 1st-4th graders for the fall.

We are also in search of a new Volleyball Commissioner - without finding one we may not be able to offer Volleyball in the fall.  We have been searching through existing coaches and parents, but we haven't found someone yet to take over this role.  Please reach out to info@gowolfhounds.com if you would be interested in giving back to the St. Brigid Volleyball program.  

If you have any questions about a specific sport, please reach out to each respective commissioner/ contact.  If you have any problems with registrations, please reach out to shawn.steinbrunner@gmail.com for any registration problems.

Learn about all the fall sports and registration information at the link below.

By Christine Schillinger

My joining the Catholic faith happened slowly, and then all at once.

I was not raised with religion in my family home and my husband is what Catholic’s lovingly call a “cradle Catholic.” Before getting married, we decided we would raise our family Catholic- easy enough for me since I came with no faith-based strings. Being the planner that I am, I made sure we took all the right first steps: we got married in the church, we baptized our children within the first 3 months of life, and we even attended Mass at our local parish (before moving to Dublin). But, no matter how much I planned, or how many times I took part in our religious commitments; I always felt like an outsider to God instead of in a community with Him.

I needed to make a change; so I did what all inspired people do… I submitted an interest form online and didn't think about it again for about a year…

Continue reading Christine's story at the link below.

If you are interested in learning more about the RCIA/OCIA process or becoming Catholic, click here or reach out to Kim VanHuffel at kvanhuffel@stbrigidofkildare.org or 614-761-3734.

Leading up to the National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024, there will be four Eucharistic Pilgrimages across the country. The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Route will begin in Connecticut on May 17, 2024 and will spend a week in Columbus June 24 - 30 before continuing on to Cincinnati and arrive in Indianapolis in July. 

You are invited to lean on Jesus in the Eucharist on Friday, June 7th for First Friday Eucharistic Adoration following the 9:00AM Mass and concluding at 4:00PM with Benediction.

Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey.” Saint Anthony of Padua (Feast Day: June 13) 

Saint Anthony was known for helping find lost souls, drawing thousands who wanted to hear him speak. We invite you to visit Jesus and listen to God’s voice in the silence of Adoration. All are welcome, including families with children. If you wish to sign up for an hour, please email Shelly Cocumelli at rocks1dad@aol.com.

Registration for Religious Education for the 2024-25 school year is now open

To learn more about Religious Education and to register, visit the webpage here.

CREW (which stands for Catholics Ready, Eager and Willing) is a parish group providing low-commitment volunteer opportunities. Throughout the year, there are many times that we could use your hands to help make a difference here at St. Brigid of Kildare.

This is not a committee with members and monthly meetings. This is not a year-round commitment. CREW is just a list of parishioners who are ready, eager and willing to help around our campus and during special events.

Sign-up today to receive all the CREW requests via email but only commit to those that appeal to you and fit in your schedule! You’ll meet new people, feel connected to our parish family and be the first to know that we aren’t too shy to ask for help!

It was a joy to celebrate the graduating class of 2024 on May 5 with a blessing at 11 AM Mass followed by a reception for the graduates and their families.

Please join our parish family in praying for these students and their faithful futures.

Click the link below to view a video about our graduates and their future plans.

Registration is now open for summer camps! Bishop Watterson High School and St. Charles are hosting a variety of summer camps, including academics, athletics, art, theatre, robotics and more, ranging for children in incoming grades 2-9. Click the links below to learn more.

• BWHS Summer Camps
• St. Charles Summer Camps

Save the date for the second annual Bounty at Bridge Parks, benefitting the Dublin Food Pantry on Sunday, September 15 at The Exchange.

Click the flyer link below to learn more.

June 11, 2024, at 6pm in Hendricks Hall

Adults 18 years of age and older are required to complete this class prior to volunteering with minors. Register for the class at https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theOrgID=18023&theme=0

All volunteers with our children and youth must complete PGC, a St. Brigid volunteer application, submit the signed code of conduct, copy of photo ID, registration with SELECTiON.COM Fastrax and complete a criminal background check prior to volunteering.

Full details and forms can be found at https://stbrigidofkildare.org/safe-environment/ 

Returning Love for Love Pilgrimage

Please consider joining Bishop Earl K. Fernandes for a pilgrimage to France in honor of the 350th Anniversary of the revelations of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

 Dates: May 31- June 9th. This trip will include traveling to Lisieux, Paris, Paray-Le-Monial, Nevers, Ars, Annecy, Lyons and Normandy. 

 https://www.ctscentral.net/trips/france/celebrate-the-350th-anniversary-of-the-revelation-of-the-sacred-heart-in-france/

The Eucharist: Sacrament of Truth and Love

A Men’s Day of reflection entitled “The Eucharist: Sacrament of Truth and Love” is scheduled at the Pontifical College Josephinum on Saturday June 1, 2024. Father Peter Fegan, OP will be the facilitator. Registration includes two talks, Mass, Stations of the cross on the beautiful grounds, breakfast, and lunch. Cost: $40. Registration at pcj.edu/mensdayofreflection Questions Email joetesta9@icloud.com.