St. Bridget

History of St. Bridget's Catholic Church

Saint Bridget's Catholic Church was built in the summer of 1916 by contractor John Helgren and a crew of parish volunteers. The lumber was hauled in from Mountain Home, with the trucking donated by a parishioner, and Mrs. Noble sold the lots to the church for $200. A $500 gift from the Catholic Extension Society helped cover costs, and with it came the request that the church be named for St. Bridget. Mrs. Addie Hawes secured the bell from the abandoned Middle District School and had it placed in the steeple. The first child baptized in the parish was Rodney Allen Hawes, in the summer of 1917.

Parish Priests Through the Years

For decades the rural mission was served by a long succession of visiting priests whose records were kept at St. Paul's in Nampa, then with the bishop in Boise, then in Mountain Home and Glenns Ferry, before being transferred back to Mountain Home in 1989. Bishop Kelly himself came out to say Mass and care for the parish's needs once a month for several years.

• Father Michael (1920s)
• Father D.L. McElligott
• Father King
• Father Flannigan
• Father Quinn
• Father George King
• Father Condon
• Father Frances DeNardis
• Father Bill Taylor
• Father Jerry Funke
• Monsignor Hallissey
• Father Raul
• Father Julio Vicente
• Father Ben Ulincott
• Bishop Kelly (monthly visits)
• Fr. Costance Swai, ALCP/OSS (current pastor)

Founding Families and Early Life

The first Catholic families of the Bruneau Valley — Turner, Hawes, Crocheron, Rahn, Groves, Swisher, Harley, Pence, and Black — built the parish together, both literally and spiritually. The women of the parish formed the Altar and Rosary Society in 1922, and the community's earliest fundraisers were parish dances, followed in later decades by bazaars, tamale sales, Basque dances, and crab feeds.

• Founding families: Turner, Hawes, Crocheron, Rahn, Groves, Swisher, Harley, Pence, Black
• First baptism: Rodney Allen Hawes, summer 1917
• Altar and Rosary Society formed 1922
• Parish fundraisers: dances, bazaars, tamale sales, Basque dances, crab feeds

Fish Taco Fridays During Lent

A beloved parish tradition at St. Bridget's is the Lenten Fish Taco Friday fundraisers, held at the Bruneau Legion Hall from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. The evenings raise money for religious education, the Idaho Catholic Youth Conference (ICYC), and church repairs. Takeout orders can be placed by calling Jessie at (208) 599-2575.

• Where: Bruneau Legion Hall
• When: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm on Fridays during Lent
• Takeout: call Jessie at (208) 599-2575
• Benefits: religious education, ICYC, church repairs

Pastor and Staff

St. Bridget's is currently cared for by Fr. Costance Swai, ALCP/OSS, ordained July 10, 2014. His mailing address is 21 W. Arthur Ave., Glenns Ferry, ID 83623, and he can be reached by email at [email protected]. As a Station of Our Lady of Good Counsel, the parish is part of the larger pastoral care structure of OLGC in Mountain Home, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise.

• Fr. Costance Swai, ALCP/OSS — current pastor
• Mailing address: 21 W. Arthur Ave., Glenns Ferry, ID 83623
• Email: [email protected]
• Parish phone: (208) 587-3046

Visit and Contact

Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed to worship at St. Bridget's. The church stands at 28672 Hyde St. in Bruneau, Idaho. Inquiries about Mass times, Reconciliation, baptisms, weddings, and parish life can be directed to the parish phone number or the pastor's email.

• Address: 28672 Hyde St., Bruneau, ID 83604
• Phone: (208) 587-3046
• Website: https://www.bruneaucatholicchurch.com/
• Parent parish website: http://www.olgcid.org/ (Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mountain Home)