About St. Helen · Dayton, Ohio
St. Helen Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Riverside (within Dayton), Ohio, established in 1953 by Archbishop Karl Alter and originally served as a mission of Holy Family Parish. Founded through a $6,000 burse from the Hollenkamp family (in honor of Helen Hollenkamp), the parish grew rapidly, opening its school in 1954 and dedicating its current church building in November 1959. Today, St. Helen is part of the Bread of Life Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, sharing pastoral leadership with Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Mary, Holy Angels, and the Hispanic Ministry of Dayton. The parish remains an active community known for its parish school, faith formation, service ministries, and devotion to the Blessed Mother through an outdoor shrine built by parishioners.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- St. Helen
- Rector
- Fr. Satish Joseph
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Helen is a long-established Dayton-area parish (since 1953) with a strong sense of community, a parish school serving the local Catholic community for more than 70 years, and a deep tradition of lay involvement — from the parishioners who built and furnished the school in 1954 to the Boy Scouts and men who constructed the outdoor Shrine of the Blessed Mother. As part of the Bread of Life Family of Parishes, members benefit from shared priests, wider fellowship across multiple parishes, and bilingual outreach to Dayton's Hispanic Catholic community. A rich calendar of faith formation (Religious Education, OCIA, Vacation Bible School), service ministries (St. Vincent de Paul, Prayer Shawl, St. Vincent Hotel meals, parish garden donating to food pantries), and parish-wide events like the Parish Festival and Parish Picnic make it an active place to live out the faith.
Mass times at St. Helen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM (English) at St. Helen
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 PM (English) at Holy Angels
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 PM (Bilingual) at Immaculate Conception
- Sunday 9:15–9:45 AM (English) at St. Mary
- After 6:00 PM Tuesday Mass (Spanish) at St. Mary
Parish History
St. Helen was founded in 1953 by Archbishop Karl Alter of Cincinnati when the area east of Smithville Road was rapidly developing. Father James Krusling was appointed founding pastor on August 17, 1953 and celebrated the first parish Mass on November 5, 1953 with 607 registered families. The parish school opened in 1954, and the current church was dedicated in November 1959. Major sanctuary renovations followed in 1977 and 2003, the year of the parish's golden jubilee.
- Founded August 17, 1953 by Archbishop Karl Alter
- First Mass: November 5, 1953 (607 families registered)
- Founding pastor: Fr. James Krusling
- Established through the Hollenkamp family burse ($6,000) honoring Helen Hollenkamp
- Mother parish: Holy Family; additional funding from Sacred Heart
- First church dedicated November 1959
- Sanctuary renovated 1977 and 2003
- 50th anniversary celebrated August 2003
St. Helen School
St. Helen School opened on September 7, 1954 with 528 students in ten completed classrooms, taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Enrollment exploded in the 1960s to more than 1,300 students — the school even had to drop first grade temporarily and add a summer session. After tuition was introduced in the 1970s, a Progress Fund was created to assist families. First grade was reinstated in 1974, and the school marked its 25th anniversary jubilee in 1978. In 2003, additional computers, laser printers, and (via grant) acoustic guitars were added for music class.
- Opened September 7, 1954 with 528 students
- Originally taught by Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (6 sisters initially)
- 1966 peak enrollment over 1,300 students
- 1974: first grade reinstated after being temporarily dropped
- 1978: 25th anniversary jubilee
- 2003: technology upgrades for golden jubilee
Bread of Life Family of Parishes
St. Helen is one of six parishes in the Bread of Life Family of Parishes, a collaborative grouping within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati that shares pastoral leadership. Fr. Satish Joseph serves as pastor of the entire family; Fr. R. Patrick Combs and Fr. Jose Benitez serve as parochial vicars. The other parishes in the family are Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Mary, Holy Angels, and the Hispanic Ministry of Dayton.
- Pastor: Fr. Satish Joseph
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. R. Patrick Combs, Fr. Jose Benitez
- Member parishes: St. Helen, Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Mary, Holy Angels
- Hispanic Ministry of Dayton included in family
Service Ministries
St. Helen parishioners are actively engaged in local outreach through the Bread of Life Family of Parishes Social Justice Committee (meeting fourth Tuesdays at 7:00 PM at Immaculate Conception), a Prayer Shawl Ministry, the St. Vincent de Paul Society (emergency relief, food, housing, utility help), a 'Fourth Sunday' team that prepares a monthly dinner at St. Vincent Hotel, a seasonal Parish Garden whose harvest is donated to local food pantries, and a Prayer Chain that circulates weekly prayer intentions.
- Bread of Life Family of Parishes Social Justice Committee
- Prayer Shawl Ministry (knit/crochet shawls for parishioners in need)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — emergency relief, food, housing, utilities
- St. Vincent Hotel 'Fourth Sunday' Team — monthly dinner for the shelter
- St. Helen Parish Garden — produce donated to local food pantries
- Prayer Chain — weekly emailed prayer intentions
Sacraments & Faith Formation
The parish prepares members for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments — Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist (First Communion), Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral Mass — and welcomes those entering the Church through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, formerly RCIA). Religious Education is offered parish-wide, along with Vacation Bible School, 'Pause and Pray' gatherings, marriage and family life ministry, outreach to military families, and opportunities for spiritual direction.
- Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation (contact: Will Marsh)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral Mass
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
- Religious Education program
- Vacation Bible School
- Pause and Pray
- Marriage and Family Life ministry
- Military Families outreach
- Spiritual Direction
Parish Staff & Office
St. Helen's pastoral staff includes two deacons — Deacon Jon Danner and Deacon Ralph O'Bleness (senior status) — plus parish manager Mel McWilliams, religious education coordinator Megan Ranly, Music Minister Jodi Nix, Finance Manager Gayle Hirsch, Facilities Manager Chris Stemley, and Office Assistant Linda Dillon. St. Helen School is led by Principal Christine Walters and Assistant Principal Carol Weimer. After-hours emergency line: 937.272.4898.
- Deacon Jon Danner
- Deacon Ralph O'Bleness (senior status)
- Parish Manager: Mel McWilliams
- Religious Education / Pastoral Associate for Liturgy: Megan Ranly
- Music Minister: Jodi Nix
- Finance Manager: Gayle Hirsch
- Facilities Manager: Chris Stemley
- Office Assistant: Linda Dillon
- Principal: Christine Walters
- Assistant Principal: Carol Weimer
- Office Hours: M–Th 8:00 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
Devotions & Campus
A signature feature of the St. Helen campus is the outdoor Shrine of the Blessed Mother, constructed over eight years by the Boy Scouts and men of the parish and visible on the parish grounds. The parish also maintains the St. Helen Parish Garden behind the St. Julie Center, whose seasonal harvest is given to local food pantries.
- St. Helen Shrine of the Blessed Mother (outdoor shrine built by Boy Scouts and parishioners)
- St. Julie Center (hosts parish garden)
- Parish Garden — seasonal produce donated to local food pantries
Archdiocese & Wider Community
St. Helen is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which serves Catholics across southwestern Ohio. The parish was founded as a daughter parish of Holy Family Parish and shares deep historical ties with neighboring parishes including St. Henry (founded 1960 to the south and west of Riverside) and St. Anthony of Padua in East Dayton. A 1960 dedication booklet for St. Helen's church and school is preserved in the University of Dayton's U.S. Catholic Special Collection Parish Histories archive.
- Member of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Daughter parish of Holy Family Parish
- 1960 dedication booklet held by University of Dayton Parish Histories Collection
- Saint Helen Parish and School Collection — OhioLink archival record
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James KruslingAugust 1953–
Founding pastor; appointed by Archbishop Karl Alter on August 17, 1953 to establish the new parish. Celebrated the first parish Mass on November 5, 1953 and oversaw the construction and 1954 opening of the parish school.