Saving St Brigid's

by Regina Lane

Saving St Brigid’s is the truly unique story of a small Australian rural community who, in the spirit of their Irish rebel ancestors, stood up for what they believed in. Written in the real-life perspective of Regina Lane, she recounts their fight for justice and awakens herself to the richness of her Irish Catholic culture, and its lasting legacy on the community and the Church, she grew up in. Through the lens of her Irish heritage and that of the local indigenous people, she weaves together a lyrical narrative of song and story, and discovers just how much our ancestral traditions have to teach us if we are to transform the world we live.

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[John Cleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tale of betrayal. How a loyal and committed family had their faith spurned by a heartless and unchristian patriarchal self serving institution. Interesting insight into how the Catholic Church used the notion of community to grow its wealth yet rebuffed the very community that supported it emotionally and financially. Authors father the unwarranted target of vindictive and personal attack for his and his families commitment to community. St Brigid's was saved. The Catholic Church is too insensitive to understand what they lost.

[Mike Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting insight into the author's personal crusade to save her local church, this book gives a fascinating insight into the history and lives of the Irish diaspora of south west Victoria. The story enables us to feel for the trials that the author and her friends went through. However the single perspective detracted from the overall story and ultimately turned the story into more of a polemic than a balanced account.