Bridget O’Brien
@bridgetemob.bsky.social
Philadelphian, Chicagoan, Catholic lay minister • she | her
“And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:”
“And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:”
Come onnnnnn Alecto. 💀
January 6, 2026 at 3:36 AM
Come onnnnnn Alecto. 💀
I am presiding at several Word & Communion services this week because it is very hard to find priests the first week of the year, and this would not be a problem at all except that I barely made it through the welcome announcements this evening at Mass due to the lingering effects of the flu.
January 5, 2026 at 12:31 AM
I am presiding at several Word & Communion services this week because it is very hard to find priests the first week of the year, and this would not be a problem at all except that I barely made it through the welcome announcements this evening at Mass due to the lingering effects of the flu.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Me on my 32nd “The Lion in Winter” rewatch:
None of these people deserved Eleanor
January 4, 2026 at 5:35 AM
Me on my 32nd “The Lion in Winter” rewatch:
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Even the most committed just-war realist should be appalled by a state that revels in its appetite and capacity for violence. No one who stands by Trump or makes excuses for his regime has any moral credibility.
January 4, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Even the most committed just-war realist should be appalled by a state that revels in its appetite and capacity for violence. No one who stands by Trump or makes excuses for his regime has any moral credibility.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
If I can be earnest for a moment: Circumstances aside, the fact that this administration keeps releasing images and vids of its own violent acts because it thinks they look awesome and kickass is reason enough to shun and condemn the whole pack of them as immoral and unfit to lead.
January 4, 2026 at 12:38 AM
If I can be earnest for a moment: Circumstances aside, the fact that this administration keeps releasing images and vids of its own violent acts because it thinks they look awesome and kickass is reason enough to shun and condemn the whole pack of them as immoral and unfit to lead.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
that's not a typo.
January 3, 2026 at 3:08 PM
that's not a typo.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
I can believe the depths we have sunk to.
January 3, 2026 at 3:08 PM
I can believe the depths we have sunk to.
I was not up to it yesterday but I am making pork & sauerkraut today. My apologies for the results of my tardiness.
January 2, 2026 at 9:59 PM
I was not up to it yesterday but I am making pork & sauerkraut today. My apologies for the results of my tardiness.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Me normally at W & C Services: And again, just a reminder: this is not a Mass, unfortunately no priest is able to join us today so we will be receiving hosts that were consecrated at Sunday's Mass; this is NOT a Mass.
Me this week: [all that PLUS] I am no longer contagious, I promise, I am not—
Me this week: [all that PLUS] I am no longer contagious, I promise, I am not—
Presiding at Word & Communion services most of next week, but still at the stage of "I recently had a flu" where I have periodic intense coughing fits. Booo.
January 2, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Me normally at W & C Services: And again, just a reminder: this is not a Mass, unfortunately no priest is able to join us today so we will be receiving hosts that were consecrated at Sunday's Mass; this is NOT a Mass.
Me this week: [all that PLUS] I am no longer contagious, I promise, I am not—
Me this week: [all that PLUS] I am no longer contagious, I promise, I am not—
Presiding at Word & Communion services most of next week, but still at the stage of "I recently had a flu" where I have periodic intense coughing fits. Booo.
January 2, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Presiding at Word & Communion services most of next week, but still at the stage of "I recently had a flu" where I have periodic intense coughing fits. Booo.
• Roast pork with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, and long hots
• Falafel in pita with cabbage / cucumber / french fries / hot sauce / pickles / tahini etc
• Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, mayonnaise, cranberry)
• Pork banh mi
• Rachel
Honorable mention: chicken salad on rye
• Falafel in pita with cabbage / cucumber / french fries / hot sauce / pickles / tahini etc
• Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, mayonnaise, cranberry)
• Pork banh mi
• Rachel
Honorable mention: chicken salad on rye
What are y’all’s top five sandwiches? Like your desert island sandwiches?
January 2, 2026 at 5:55 AM
• Roast pork with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, and long hots
• Falafel in pita with cabbage / cucumber / french fries / hot sauce / pickles / tahini etc
• Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, mayonnaise, cranberry)
• Pork banh mi
• Rachel
Honorable mention: chicken salad on rye
• Falafel in pita with cabbage / cucumber / french fries / hot sauce / pickles / tahini etc
• Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, mayonnaise, cranberry)
• Pork banh mi
• Rachel
Honorable mention: chicken salad on rye
I very deeply love hearing rhetorically-skilled paeans to US cities.
When I was a young child, my parents were in a catastrophic car accident & the aunt who lived in the suburbs refused to come get my brother & me because "the city was too dangerous" for her to enter.
When I was a young child, my parents were in a catastrophic car accident & the aunt who lived in the suburbs refused to come get my brother & me because "the city was too dangerous" for her to enter.
January 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
I very deeply love hearing rhetorically-skilled paeans to US cities.
When I was a young child, my parents were in a catastrophic car accident & the aunt who lived in the suburbs refused to come get my brother & me because "the city was too dangerous" for her to enter.
When I was a young child, my parents were in a catastrophic car accident & the aunt who lived in the suburbs refused to come get my brother & me because "the city was too dangerous" for her to enter.
My humidifier has been running for 36 hours without interruption, I ran the dishwasher and then stopped and opened it before the dry cycle, I have a large simmer pot going on on the stove, and I cannot get the humidity in my living room above 20%.
It's ROUGH.
And by "it" I mean my skin.
It's ROUGH.
And by "it" I mean my skin.
January 1, 2026 at 8:41 PM
My humidifier has been running for 36 hours without interruption, I ran the dishwasher and then stopped and opened it before the dry cycle, I have a large simmer pot going on on the stove, and I cannot get the humidity in my living room above 20%.
It's ROUGH.
And by "it" I mean my skin.
It's ROUGH.
And by "it" I mean my skin.
Friend: [Mutual friend] is such a 21st century person. What would he have done for a living if he were born in the 40s?! I would have ended up in the priesthood whenever I was born.
Me: I think I—
Friend: If you’d been born in the 40s, then Sister Bridget would have run a women’s college.
Me: I think I—
Friend: If you’d been born in the 40s, then Sister Bridget would have run a women’s college.
January 1, 2026 at 4:21 AM
Friend: [Mutual friend] is such a 21st century person. What would he have done for a living if he were born in the 40s?! I would have ended up in the priesthood whenever I was born.
Me: I think I—
Friend: If you’d been born in the 40s, then Sister Bridget would have run a women’s college.
Me: I think I—
Friend: If you’d been born in the 40s, then Sister Bridget would have run a women’s college.
Recently scandalized a friend and on the one hand this is absolutely not my name, but on the other hand, sure.
January 1, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Recently scandalized a friend and on the one hand this is absolutely not my name, but on the other hand, sure.
The "Julie" bots are REALLY awful today, good grief.
January 1, 2026 at 3:13 AM
The "Julie" bots are REALLY awful today, good grief.
I am not typically a new year's resolution person, but I do think that this coming year I want to be intentional about reading a (non-work-related) book each week.
December 31, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I am not typically a new year's resolution person, but I do think that this coming year I want to be intentional about reading a (non-work-related) book each week.
A distinct but related thing:
Many people posting their 2025 reading lists should be embarrassed about the total lack of women represented. If fewer than 10% of the books you read in 2025 were written by women, you should give that some real thought as we enter another year.
Many people posting their 2025 reading lists should be embarrassed about the total lack of women represented. If fewer than 10% of the books you read in 2025 were written by women, you should give that some real thought as we enter another year.
I think this is sad and actively bad for society.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
NEW: How many books did you read this year? If it was more than 2, congrats: you read more than the median American.
Read on for way more @today.yougov.com polling from me on America's book-reading habits in 2025. 1/
Read on for way more @today.yougov.com polling from me on America's book-reading habits in 2025. 1/
December 31, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A distinct but related thing:
Many people posting their 2025 reading lists should be embarrassed about the total lack of women represented. If fewer than 10% of the books you read in 2025 were written by women, you should give that some real thought as we enter another year.
Many people posting their 2025 reading lists should be embarrassed about the total lack of women represented. If fewer than 10% of the books you read in 2025 were written by women, you should give that some real thought as we enter another year.
I think this is sad and actively bad for society.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
NEW: How many books did you read this year? If it was more than 2, congrats: you read more than the median American.
Read on for way more @today.yougov.com polling from me on America's book-reading habits in 2025. 1/
Read on for way more @today.yougov.com polling from me on America's book-reading habits in 2025. 1/
December 31, 2025 at 6:44 PM
I think this is sad and actively bad for society.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
I’m not going to do the performative social media thing where I find 20 different reasons it might be OK not to have read a single book in the past year; it reflects something deeply unwell about the US.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
OK, have reached the “recovering from the flu” stage, but my lips are miserably, distractingly chapped and my congestion headache is, ahem, nothing to sneeze at.
Favorite remedies for either (that are not the obvious “Take ibuprofen, drink water”)?
Favorite remedies for either (that are not the obvious “Take ibuprofen, drink water”)?
December 31, 2025 at 4:34 AM
OK, have reached the “recovering from the flu” stage, but my lips are miserably, distractingly chapped and my congestion headache is, ahem, nothing to sneeze at.
Favorite remedies for either (that are not the obvious “Take ibuprofen, drink water”)?
Favorite remedies for either (that are not the obvious “Take ibuprofen, drink water”)?
I never would have expected to get into D&D as an adult, but I really do love it.
Me: OH I have no clue whether this is true but today I realized my character believes X about herself.
DM: …you have no idea how much this plays into my plans.
(ominous music)
Me: OH I have no clue whether this is true but today I realized my character believes X about herself.
DM: …you have no idea how much this plays into my plans.
(ominous music)
December 30, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I never would have expected to get into D&D as an adult, but I really do love it.
Me: OH I have no clue whether this is true but today I realized my character believes X about herself.
DM: …you have no idea how much this plays into my plans.
(ominous music)
Me: OH I have no clue whether this is true but today I realized my character believes X about herself.
DM: …you have no idea how much this plays into my plans.
(ominous music)
I couldn’t handle being sick & cooped up inside anymore, so I decided to be sick & freezing outside on a little walk, but then wanted to finish the book I’ve been reading, resulting in me crying on a bench.
December 29, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I couldn’t handle being sick & cooped up inside anymore, so I decided to be sick & freezing outside on a little walk, but then wanted to finish the book I’ve been reading, resulting in me crying on a bench.
Every nerd you know will have a STRONG opinion about whether you can ignore this tech entirely or whether it is the lynchpin that holds the entire global cloud together.
BRB naming my eccentric, inexplicable, but ultimately helpful tech company Bombadil.
Sauron is appearing on the scene as concerns rise about crime among the most wealthy.
December 29, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Every nerd you know will have a STRONG opinion about whether you can ignore this tech entirely or whether it is the lynchpin that holds the entire global cloud together.