About St. Helena Catholic Church · Saint Helena, California
St. Helena Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the City of St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, founded in 1866 by Father Peter Deyaert and dedicated to Saint Helena of Constantinople, mother of Emperor Constantine I. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Santa Rosa and worships in a landmark English Medieval stone church built 1889–1890 that is the only entirely stone church still standing in Napa County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today the parish is led by Father Manuel Chavez and serves a bilingual English- and Spanish-speaking community with daily Mass, Sunday and Saturday Vigil liturgies, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a long tradition of outreach — from the historic Holy Cross Cemetery and St. Vincent de Paul food pantry to a Kairos retreat ministry at San Quentin.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- Saint Helena of Constantinople (mother of Emperor Constantine I)
- Rector
- Father Manuel Chavez
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Helena Catholic is a small, bilingual parish with deep roots in the upper Napa Valley and a church that has welcomed generations of worshippers since the Civil War era. Members can celebrate Mass in English, Spanish or bilingual settings, spend Thursdays in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and serve through well-defined ministries like St. Vincent de Paul outreach, the Kairos retreat at San Quentin, Eucharistic ministry to the homebound, lectors, altar servers, choir, children's religious education, and the Altar Society. It is also one of the few parishes in the country whose church is a Registered National Historic Landmark — a quiet stone sanctuary that still belongs to everyone in the community.
Mass times at St. Helena Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 pm (per parish/masstime.us)
Adoration times
- Thursdays 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (Adoration of the Holy Sacrament)
About the Parish
St. Helena Catholic is a welcoming Roman Catholic parish in the City of St. Helena that serves the upper Napa Valley with Mass in English, Spanish, and bilingual settings, daily weekday liturgies, Saturday Confession and a Thursday day-long Eucharistic Adoration. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Santa Rosa and traces its mission to 'welcome all God's family to pray and worship, to learn, to serve others and to participate fully in our community filled with the Holy Spirit.' Current pastor Father Manuel Chavez invites visitors and neighbors to make the parish home — or to stop in and pray whenever they visit Napa Valley.
- Mission: Welcome all God's family to pray, worship, learn, serve and participate in our Spirit-filled community.
- Patron: Saint Helena of Constantinople, mother of Emperor Constantine I.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa.
- Pastor: Father Manuel Chavez.
- Office Manager: Gladys DeHaro.
Parish History
The parish was born in 1865 when Mr. and Mrs. Tainter donated the corner of Oak Avenue and Tainter Street to Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany. The next year Father Peter Deyaert — Napa's first priest — celebrated the first Mass in a converted private home and formally dedicated the parish to Saint Helena. A wood-frame church followed, and in 1889 Pastor Father Renatus Becker began building the present stone church, completing the exterior before his death in 1892. Father Patrick Blake, his Irish-born successor, finished the interior and went on to found Holy Cross Cemetery in 1901 and encourage the Ursuline Sisters' Elmhurst Academy in 1904. A 1945 fire gutted the interior but spared the stained glass; the church was restored with the iconic Gothic bell-tower cresting and seven stone buttresses we see today. In 1970 Monsignor William N. Serado began a community-supported reconditioning of the historic stonework that culminated in the church's 1978 listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1865 — Tainter family donates the church lot to Archbishop Alemany.
- 1866 — Father Peter Deyaert founds the parish; first Mass in a converted private home.
- 1889–1890 — Present stone church built under Pastor Father Renatus Becker (architect/contractor).
- 1892–1921 — Father Patrick Blake completes the interior, founds Holy Cross Cemetery (1901) and encourages Elmhurst Academy (1904).
- 1945 — Fire destroys the interior; all original stained glass survives; restoration adds buttresses, sacristies, and a remodeled Gothic tower.
- 1970 — Monsignor William N. Serado begins exterior stone reconditioning supported by the wider community.
- May 23, 1978 — Church added to the National Register of Historic Places; the only entirely stone church still standing in Napa County.
Architecture & the Historic Church
The parish church is a textbook English Medieval parish church in local volcanic stone, with a tall perpendicular Gothic bell tower topped with crenellations, tall narrow lancet windows, and an open timber Jacobean roof. The 1889–1890 design came from the parish's own pastor, Father Renatus Becker; matching stone for the 1945 restoration came from a Conn Valley winery that was being demolished. Measurements of the finished building are roughly 108'10" long by 40'8" wide, with the nave rising about 43'4" and the tower 48'4" above it. The original construction cost around $9,000.
- Style: English Medieval parish church with a perpendicular Gothic bell tower.
- Materials: All local stone; surviving original stained-glass windows.
- 1945 restoration: seven buttresses, two sacristies, remodeled tower under Pastor Father Timothy O'Connor and architect Martin Rist.
- Historic landmark: National Register of Historic Places, May 23, 1978.
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish depends on its members to keep its ministries and outreach running. Most groups meet through the parish office, and visitors are invited to the First-Sunday Coffee Fellowship in the Parish Life Center as a friendly entry point.
- St. Vincent de Paul — community outreach for those in need year-round and during the holidays.
- Kairos — Christian fellowship retreats at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center twice a year.
- Marian Visitors — Eucharistic ministers bringing Communion to the homebound.
- Altar Servers — assisting the priest at every Mass.
- Lectors — proclaiming the readings and Gospel.
- Musical Fellowship — song and instrumental music at Mass.
- Children's Religious Education — First Communion and Catechism classes.
- Altar Society — cleaning and decorating the church; linens.
- Greeters and Ushers — the welcoming face of the parish.
- First-Sunday Coffee Fellowship — Parish Life Center hospitality.
- Finance Committee — parish financial management under the pastor.
Sacraments & 'Passages'
The parish prepares families for the seven Catholic Sacraments — Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), Healing (Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick) and Vocation (Matrimony, Holy Orders) — and also helps coordinate the cultural passages that mark parish life. Families contact Office Manager Gladys DeHaro at the parish office to make an appointment with Father Chavez.
- Baptism.
- First Communion and First Reconciliation.
- Confirmation and RCIA.
- Quinceañera.
- Wedding / Matrimony.
- Funeral.
- Anointing of the Sick (in emergencies, call the parish office at 707-963-1228).
Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, adjoining the parish's mission, has served Napa Valley Catholics since 1901 when Father Patrick Blake purchased five acres from F. W. Kroeber with a donation intended for his Holy Land pilgrimage. The stone St. Mary's Chapel at the cemetery was built from the same local quarry that supplied the parish church and was restored in 2005–06, with stained glass releaded and historic German pews installed.
- Founded 1901 by Father Patrick Blake.
- Five acres purchased from F. W. Kroeber.
- St. Mary's Chapel built from the same quarry stone as the parish church.
- Restored 2005–06 with stained-glass releading and historic German pews.
- Annual Memorial Day Mass held at the cemetery.
Visit, Contact & Get Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. Mass attendees can pick up prayer-request forms, sign up for parish registration, or volunteer through the website — the parish will connect newcomers with the ministry leads and match newcomers with the Mass they attend. The contact page lists separate channels for general inquiries, sacramental planning, and emergencies (Anointing of the Sick).
- Church: 1340 Tainter Street, St. Helena, CA 94574.
- Parish Office: 1255 Oak Avenue, St. Helena, CA 94574.
- Phone: 707-963-1228 — Fax: 707-963-2894.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: http://sthelenacatholic.com/.
- Parish registration: email contact info and how the parish can help.
- Prayer requests: form on the Contact page to Father Chavez.
- Volunteering: contact form directs parishioners to ministry leads (indicate which Mass you attend).
- Emergencies / Anointing of the Sick: call 707-963-1228.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Deyaert1866–
Founding pastor; first priest serving St. Helena's Catholics and all of Napa County; converted a private home on the donated Tainter Street lot into the first church in 1866.
- Father Mulverhill
Succeeded Father Deyaert.
- Father Slattery
Succeeded Father Mulverhill.
- Father Buckholzer
Succeeded Father Slattery.
- Father Melvin
Succeeded Father Buckholzer.
- Father Renatus Beckerd. 1892
Credited as architect and contractor of the present stone church (begun 1889). Died suddenly before the interior was completed.
- Father Patrick Blake1892–1921
Irish-born, ordained in San Francisco 1883; completed the church interior; founded Holy Cross Cemetery (1901); encouraged founding of Elmhurst Academy by the Ursuline Sisters (1904). Died Good Friday, March 25, 1921; buried in the cemetery he created.
- Father Timothy O'Connor
Led the post-fire restoration in 1945 with architect Martin Rist, adding buttresses, two sacristies and the remodeled Gothic bell tower.
- Monsignor William N. Serado1970–
Began an extensive reconditioning of the exterior stonework in 1970 — re-mortaring, sandblasting and sealing — funded by the wider community.