IT was battle that captured the imagination of the south-west community.
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Now the book about the story to save St Brigid’s at Crossley has been written into a book by Regina Lane.
The book, which tells the story of the community battle to buy the former Catholic church at Crossley will be given three public launches — two of them this weekend.
Saving St Brigid’s will take centre stage during the Port Fairy Folk Festival at 8pm tonight in St Patrick’s Hall followed by another session at St Brigid’s hall on Monday at 8pm.
Then on Thursday musician Shane Howard will again put the book in the spotlight at Readings bookstore on Lygon Street Carlton.
Part of the book sale proceeds go to the Friends of St Brigid’s to pay off the group’s $200,000 mortgage and keep the church and hall in community hands.
“St Brigid’s sits in the heartland of Irish Australia,” Lane said.
“It was built and paid for by our ancestors — children of the Irish famine as a legacy to their children. It was to uphold their legacy that I decided to stand up alongside my community and fight to protect it.
“It was put up for sale by the Catholic Church and became the heart of a struggle that went all the way to Rome.
“I had to share this story and so I wrote a book about it.
“In June it will be 100 years since my great-grandfather told the congregation at the opening of St Brigid’s that they wanted to leave a legacy for their children.
“It’s imperative that this story finds its audience before next June.”