St. Helen Parish celebrates 75th anniversary

Friday, Aug. 21, 2015

ROOSEVELT — In 1940, the year that St. Helen Parish in Roosevelt was dedicated, Sunday Mass was celebrated in building that served as a rectory for the three Paulist priests who served the area; the rectory’s front room had been converted into a chapel, and Sunday Mass attendance averaged 35 people.

In the 75 years since then, the parish has built a new church and social hall, and “people have experienced and celebrated in this parish community God’s miraculous love, most especially in Word and Sacrament,” said Msgr. Colin F. Bircumshaw, administrator of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, in his homily during the Aug. 16 anniversary Mass, which was so well attended that additional chairs had to be set up on the church’s patio so all could be seated.

Catholics in the Uinta Basin have cherished and lived the faith throughout the years, Msgr. Bircumshaw said. “They have sacrificed to make the Eucharist available Sunday after Sunday so that they could be the Mystical Body of Christ here in the Uinta Basin. Today, dear friends in Christ, is a privileged moment for you to rededicate yourselves to the mission and vision of your parish and to become what you receive – the Body of Christ. We remember with love and affection the beloved deceased parish members who were the pillars providing us with such strong foundations to build upon. We remember with that same love and affection the many wonderful Paulists and Benedictine priests who helped to found the parish, and the diocesan and religious priests who have sustained it over the years; the Holy Cross and Atonement sisters who have served this parish throughout various years, for whom we will be forever thankful.”

Concelebrating the Mass were Father Showri Rayalu Kalva, the parish administrator; Msgr. Michael Winterer, who twice served as the parish pastor; and Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus of the diocese.

In his brief comments after the Mass, Msgr. Winterer thanked the parishioners for the support that he received during his ministry there, and for all that they and their ancestors have done “to make this the great Christo-centric parish that it is. ... I am confident that this parish will continue to grow and foster great Christ-centered ideas in this whole area.” 

The parish’s history is commemorated in a spiral-bound book created for the anniversary. Among the tidbits in the book: From 1887 to 1922, priests from Fruita, Colo. served Catholics in the Uinta Basin three or four times a year; in 1941, two Holy Cross sisters taught a summer school for 75 children, of whom 30 were Catholic;  and in 1944 the farmhouse that now serves as the church “was converted almost single-handedly by the efforts of Fr. Luetmer,” who was pastor from 1943 to 1950.

The book contains many historic photos that sparked memories of summer religious education classes and the religious sisters for Aldon Rachele, who grew up in Roosevelt and recalls being unable to participate in the social activities sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so those who attended St. Helen’s events  “was our group,” he said. 

One of the oldest parishioners, Cam Harmston, recalled arriving in Roosevelt to visit her in-laws “with a hat box and three hats” because “at that time, you wore a hat to church.” 

After she and her husband moved to Roosevelt, Harmston and other parishioners regularly played bridge with the Most Rev. Duane G. Hunt, fifth Bishop of Salt Lake, she said; when the Most Rev. George Niederauer became bishop in 1995 he joined the group. 

Harmston’s son Gordon and his wife, Kay, continue to be active at St. Helen Parish; most recently they spearheaded the fundraising for the landscaping that was installed the Wednesday prior to the anniversary Mass.

The Harmston family is deeply rooted in Roosevelt; the city’s first mayor was Gordon Harmston’s great-great grandfather, and his great-great-grandmother donated the land for the Catholic church.

“Thank God we had it,” said Kay Harmston. The couple has been in the parish for 46 years and raised their three children in the faith; their 10 grandchildren also are all baptized and First Communion, she said. “If I hadn’t taken my kids to church every week at St. Helen’s, I don’t know if that would have happened.” 

As the parish looks forward to the future, “I just keep praying we continue to have a priest,” said Sheila Landry, who organized the 75th anniversary event. A parishioner since 1976, she reflects sadly that they have lost many of the older parishioners, but she has many favorite memories, particularly of the various priests and religious sisters who served the parish. “They were there for us, spirituality,” she said.