About St. Helen · Orangefield, Texas
St. Helen Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Orangefield community of Orange County, Texas, within the Diocese of Beaumont. The parish traces its roots to a mission church built by Father Joseph Berberich in 1938 on Farm Road 105, and was raised to full parish status in 1980 under its first pastor, the Rev. Patrick Turner. Today St. Helen gathers a multi-generational flock of Southeast Texas families on its 22-acre campus along FM 1442 and continues the Catholic life of the Orangefield community with weekly Mass, the sacraments, and parish ministries.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- St. Helen (named in memory of Mrs. Helen Kelly, a benefactress of the Extension Home Mission Society)
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Varghese, CMI (per parish listings); Rev. Michael Strother is identified as the pastor in the Diocese of Beaumont parish history page
- Diocese
- Diocese of Beaumont
Why belong here
St. Helen offers a close-knit, multi-generational Catholic community in the heart of Orangefield, with Sunday Mass, Saturday Vigil Mass, and a midweek Mass that fit working family schedules. The parish has deep local roots — many current families descend from the area's earliest Catholic settlers — and continues a living devotional life centered on the Feast of St. Helen each August 18. Its 22-acre campus with parish hall, meeting rooms, and classrooms hosts faith formation and parish gatherings, and the Diocese of Beaumont identifies it as an active, sacramental parish for the Southeast Texas region.
Mass times at St. Helen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM (per official parish website)
- Saturday 3:30 PM (per third-party listings)
History of St. Helen Parish
St. Helen grew from a small mission of St. Mary, Orange, into one of the Catholic landmarks of Orange County. Father Joseph Berberich began celebrating Mass in an oil shed in Orangefield in 1937, built the first little white church on FM 105 in 1938, and the parish was raised to full parish status in 1980 under Father Patrick Turner. The community relocated to its current FM 1442 campus in 1990, where an original 19th-century bell and the Phelan-family altar were preserved from the old building.
- 1880 — St. Louis mission church in the Oilla community
- 1928–1938 — Mass celebrated in the Shiyou home in Orangefield
- 1937 — Father Joseph Berberich begins Masses in an oil shed
- September 8, 1938 — First Mass in the new mission church (same day as Rainbow Bridge dedication)
- March 22, 1939 — Church dedicated by Bishop Christopher E. Byrne
- 1946 — St. Helen becomes a mission of St. Henry, Bridge City (Father Timothy Cronin)
- 1967 — Remodel and rededication by Bishop Vincent Harris
- 1980 — Raised to full parish status; Father Patrick Turner named first pastor
- August 18, 1990 — Last Mass in the old FM 105 church (Latin Requiem Mass)
- August 19, 1990 — New church on FM 1442 dedicated by Bishop Bernard J. Ganter
- January 25, 2004 — Note-burning ceremony under Bishop Curtis Guillory
- 2008 — Original 1939 building demolished after Hurricane Rita damage
Pastoral Succession
Through the decades, St. Helen has been served by a long line of administrators and pastors — many of them temporarily assigned from St. Mary and St. Henry in the early mission years, with resident pastors beginning in 1973 and full parish pastors beginning in 1980. The Diocese of Beaumont identifies Father Michael Strother as the current pastor; local parish listings identify Father Peter Varghese, CMI.
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) Berberich — founder, 1937–c.1946
- Rev. Timothy Cronin — from 1946
- Rev. Herman Vincent — from c.1951
- Rev. Joseph Dazio — 1969
- Rev. Frank Schanzer — 1970
- Rev. William Kennelly — first resident administrator, 1973
- Rev. Michael A. Jamail — temporary administrator
- Rev. Roland Maarschalkerweerd, OFM — 'Fr. Roland'
- Rev. Thomas E. Phelan — temporary administrator from June 1979
- Rev. Patrick Arthur Turner — first pastor, 1980 (died March 2003)
- Rev. Jude Sivcoski — temporary administrator
- Rev. Timothy E. Deeter — second pastor, 1989
- Revs. Art Morgan and Lewis Delarue — 1996–1997
- Rev. Jim McClintock — 2003 (St. Henry pastor, interim)
- Rev. Philip Neri Payyappilli — 2003–2007
- Rev. George Kidangen, CMI — from 2007
- Rev. Peter Varghese, CMI — current pastor (parish listing)
- Rev. Michael Strother — current pastor (Diocese of Beaumont listing)
Parish Campus and Buildings
The 22-acre FM 1442 campus was assembled from gifts of land by the Granger family and by Paul and Jewel Cormier, and includes the present church, parish hall, meeting rooms, kitchen, offices, and classrooms. Much of the construction labor was donated by parishioners.
- 22 acres along FM 1442 in Orangefield
- Parish hall with meeting rooms, kitchen, and offices
- Classrooms for faith formation
- Historic altar (donated by the Phelan family) preserved in the current church
- Original 19th-century bell carried over from the first mission church
Community and Local Context
St. Helen is the Catholic heart of Orangefield, an unincorporated community in Orange County in Southeast Texas, near Orange and Bridge City. Many current parishioners are descendants of the earliest Catholic settlers in the area, and the parish shares historical roots with the nearby missions of Our Lady of Lourdes (Vidor), St. Henry (Bridge City), and St. Mary (Orange) — all founded or nurtured by the Berberich brothers in the late 1930s.
- Located in the Diocese of Beaumont
- Part of the Catholic cluster founded by the Berberich brothers in Orange County
- Multi-generational parish rooted in 19th-century Orange County Catholic settlers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) Berberich1937–c.1946
Associate pastor of St. Mary, Orange; founder of St. Helen mission; built the original little white church on FM 105 in 1938 with brother Rev. George Berberich (pastor of St. Mary).
- Rev. Timothy Cronin1946–c.1951
Resident pastor of St. Henry, Bridge City; took over responsibility for St. Helen when it became a mission of St. Henry in 1946.
- Rev. Herman Vincentc.1951–c.1969
Later pastor of St. Henry; assumed care of the St. Helen mission.
- Rev. Joseph Dazio1969–1970
Administrator.
- Rev. Frank Schanzer1970–1973
Administrator.
- Rev. William Kennelly1973–c.1979
First resident administrator.
- Rev. Michael A. Jamailduring Kennelly's tenure
Temporary administrator.
- Rev. Roland Maarschalkerweerd, OFMafter Kennelly
Administrator; known affectionately as 'Fr. Roland.'
- Rev. Thomas E. PhelanJune 1979–1980
Temporary administrator; the Phelan family donated the altar still in use today.
- Rev. Patrick Arthur Turner1980–1996 (first stint)
First pastor after parish status in 1980; 'Fr. Pat's' first pastoral assignment.
- Rev. Jude Sivcoskiduring Turner's illness
Temporary administrator during a period of Turner's illness.
- Rev. Timothy E. Deeter1987 administrator; 1989 second pastor–c.1996
Administrator from 1987; named second pastor in 1989; lobbied for FM 1442 extension; celebrated final Mass at the old FM 105 church on Aug. 18, 1990.
- Rev. Art Morgan1996–1997
Day-to-day oversight.
- Rev. Lewis Delarue1996–1997
Day-to-day oversight.
- Rev. Patrick Arthur TurnerJune 1997–March 2003
Returned as pastor; served until his death in March 2003.
- Rev. Jim McClintock2003
St. Henry pastor; stepped in as administrator after Turner's death.
- Rev. Philip Neri Payyappilli ('Fr. Philip')2003–2007
Administrator; oversaw note-burning ceremony on Jan. 25, 2004 under Bishop Curtis Guillory; returned to India in 2007.
- Rev. George Kidangen, CMI2007–c.2010s
Carmelite of Mary Immaculate; succeeded Fr. Philip as administrator.
- Rev. Peter Varghese, CMIcurrent
Pastor per parish listings; member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate.
- Rev. Michael Strothercurrent
Identified by the Diocese of Beaumont parish history page as the current pastor of St. Helen.