For generations, St. Bridget, Richmond, has evolved both physically and faithfully with the times. Recently, the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary with a series of events culminating in a Mass offered by Bishop Barry C. Knestout and a gala held Feb 1.
“As we celebrate 75 years of St. Bridget Catholic Church, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the many blessings God has bestowed upon our parish,” said Father Ken Shuping, pastor. “This milestone reflects generations of faith, prayer, and love that have shaped our vibrant spiritual home.”
In 1948, a wealthy Richmond woman named Annie Irvin left $200,000 (equivalent to approximately $2.6 million today) in her will for the construction of a new church in the Westhampton area of Richmond. Irvin, who was of Irish descent, wanted the new church to honor St. Brigid of Ireland, but use the same spelling as her cherished mother, Bridget Irvin.
Ground was broken in 1949, with Mass being celebrated in Westhampton Theater until construction was completed the following year. Bishop Peter L. Ireton named Father Francis Byrne as St. Bridget’s first pastor (Father Byrne was named a monsignor in 1954). The church features characteristics of multiple architectural styles, including marble statues from Italy, ornate stained-glass windows, grand arches, and a bell tower.
In addition to the church building, a rectory, convent, and school were also established as part of the parish. St. Bridget soon grew to be the largest parish in the Richmond area, and over time, more land and buildings were acquired to accommodate the growing population. Most recently, the parish purchased the former Westhampton Baptist Church and converted it into a new middle school in 2015.
A parish family
For 74 years, Betty Spencer has been a parishioner of St. Bridget and was a member of the school’s very first kindergarten class. The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary opened the school in 1951, but students were first taught in the church basement and convent living room until the school building was complete the following year.
Spencer remembers the school’s focus on responsibility, hard work, and respect, but she also recalls carefree moments when Father Byrne would run around with the students at recess, playing badminton and blessing them.
“I have always been very grateful that my parents made the sacrifice to send me to Catholic schools,” said Spencer. “I treasure it every day.”
Spencer got married and raised her own children and grandchildren in the same church. “St. Bridget just became a part of our family and who we are,” she said.
Though she is retired from work, she is not retired from church. She keeps herself busy with the parish’s various Bible studies, choir, book club, funeral ministry, Eucharistic ministry, and the Rosary Ministry for Bon Secours. Some of the same friends she studied with all those years ago take part in these activities with her.
Paul Kastelberg’s ties to the parish go back over 50 years. His mother, who was widowed at age 39 with six children, was a devout Catholic who made sure all of the children attended Mass every Sunday.
To Kastelberg, St. Bridget became a place of solace and serenity, one that he returns to each morning as he attends daily Mass, carrying the memory of his mother with him. He shared that the parish has rallied around his family both in times of celebration and in sorrow.
“From 2014 to 2022, I lost five immediate family members, including my mother. To this day, members of the church have been overwhelmingly supportive,” he said. “If it wasn’t for St. Bridget, I do not know where I would be.”
When Jon McCulla and his wife Ann moved to Richmond in 1989, they started looking for a spiritual home in their new city. They quickly found that at St. Bridget, glad that it had a school for their three children to attend. McCulla and his wife became active in the parish community, joining many ministries and committees.
“The community at St. Bridget Church and School has always been welcoming and loving,” said McCulla.
A place to live and learn
Father Shuping has been the pastor at St. Bridget since 2021, but his history with the parish stretches back much further. It was his first parish assignment as a parochial vicar after he was ordained in 2003. Father Shuping explained that St. Bridget is the perfect place for the newly ordained to learn how to be a parish priest.
There are about 100 baptisms and 25 weddings celebrated there every year. St. Bridget also has the parish school for students in junior kindergarten through eighth grade and a campus ministry program at the University of Richmond.
Msgr. William Carr first came to St. Bridget as a new priest in 1969 before returning as pastor in 2005.
“It was a great place to do on-the-job training,” he said.
Msgr. Carr first worked for St. Bridget’s founding pastor, the late-Msgr. Byrne, and said he was “happily caught up” in the busy parish life. He recalled the six Sunday Masses, three daily Masses, and lines of parishioners waiting each Saturday for their confessions to be heard. Upon his return in 2005, Msgr. Carr served as pastor for 16 years.
“St. Bridget and all the parishes I have served have people who want to know, love, and serve the Lord,” he said. “St. Bridget parishioners … hunger for the Eucharist, and they have great big hearts for people in need.”
Social ministry is a cornerstone of parish life at St. Bridget. Jo Ellen Schneider, who has served as the parish’s director of social ministry since August 2024, said her job is to “serve as a conduit to help our parishioners connect with outreach opportunities that enhance their faith.”
She talked about the many different programs parishioners participate in: feeding initiatives, Respect Life ministries, a twin parish in Haiti, mentorship and tutoring programs in area schools, Knights of Columbus and a Society of St. Vincent DePaul conference, among others.
St. Bridget and its 2,200 parish families have a lot to celebrate, so they celebrated in a lot of ways. The anniversary season kicked off with a casino night and silent auction last September, followed by a church picnic, discussion groups, and a gathering focused on the history of the parish.
“It starts off with the liturgy and focus on the sacraments, and from there we go out to live the faith,” said Father Shuping. “This is best played out by the way we teach our children and the way we reach out to those around us.”