Millie Santilli saw the writing on the wall for St. Brigid Church, of which she had been a parishioner for more than five decades. She led the committee charged with raising money in an effort to help the church – which became a mission of St. Rocco Church in July 2018 – keep its doors open. She said she knew for quite some time that the parish was in dire straits, but she and other members of the congregation did their due diligence.

They held dinner and dancing events, as well as a mass at Goddard Park. Fundraisers were held in the church basement, and Marchetti’s catered the gatherings – hardly a surprise, since a number of parishioners came from nearby Cranston. Despite those efforts, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence announced on May 13 that St. Brigid will permanently close on July 1. The closure of the century-old church at 1231 Plainfield St. was announced to parishioners during the weekend of May 4-5.