About St. Helena (Corpus Christi Parish) · Belgrade Lakes, Maine
St. Helena is a small summer-only mission chapel of Corpus Christi Parish, located at 43 Augusta Road (Route 27/Main Street) in the village of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. Built in 1913 on land donated by the McCormack family and named for their daughter Helene, the rustic wooden chapel has changed little in over a century — it has no heat or insulation, an unfinished-wood interior with crisscrossing rafters, and stained-glass windows that are opened to let summer air flow through. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine and is one of only about a dozen chapels in the state open exclusively during the summer season, drawing overflow crowds on Sunday mornings who sometimes spill out onto the lawn.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- St. Helena (Empress, mother of Constantine) — the chapel is named in honor of Helene McCormack, daughter of the founding McCormack family
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick E. Agbodi, SMA (Administrator of Corpus Christi Parish, appointed July 5, 2023)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
St. Helena offers a one-of-a-kind summer Catholic experience on Great Pond — a tiny, unchanging 1913 wooden chapel whose open windows let the Maine summer in, where overflow congregations spill out onto the lawn and neighbors gather around the altar for generations-old traditions. As one of only about a dozen summer-only Catholic chapels in Maine, it remains a beloved seasonal place of worship for summer residents, lake families, and visitors traveling Route 27. As a mission of Corpus Christi Parish, it is served by the wider parish's priests, faith formation, food pantry, and sacramental ministries.
Mass times at St. Helena (Corpus Christi Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 2:30–3:15 PM at Notre Dame Church, Waterville (enter through the ramp door)
- First Fridays of each month 5:30–7:00 PM at St. John Church, Winslow (enter through the ramp door)
- By appointment — call the Parish Office at 872-2281
- Additional hours during Advent and Lent (announced in the bulletin)
St. Helena Mission Chapel
St. Helena is the summer-only mission chapel of Corpus Christi Parish, tucked at the corner of Route 27 (Main Street) and School Street in the village of Belgrade Lakes. Open from mid-June through Labor Day weekend, it draws overflow crowds to its tiny, rustic wooden interior for Saturday-evening and Sunday-morning Mass.
- Address: 43 Augusta Road, Belgrade Lakes, ME 04918
- Summer Mass schedule: Saturday 7:00 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM (June 15 – Sept. 1)
- Mass is celebrated in English
- No heat, no insulation — worshipers enjoy the open windows and rafters in summer
History of St. Helena
Catholic worship at Belgrade Lakes long predates the chapel itself. Summer Mass was first offered at the McCormack family's camp on Great Pond, where visiting Jesuits from New York's Fordham University said Sunday Mass for campers and travelers on Route 27. Mass was also held for a time at the Belgrade Hotel by Fr. John Kealy of Sacred Heart Parish in Waterville. As summer visitors grew, Fr. Kealy obtained land for a chapel; the McCormacks donated the lot at Main and School Streets, and the chapel was built in 1913 and named for their daughter Helene.
- Before 1913 — summer Mass at McCormack family camp and Belgrade Hotel
- 1913 — chapel built and named St. Helena; McCormack family donated land
- 1927 — responsibility transferred to St. Bridget's, North Vassalboro
- 1961 — attached to St. Theresa's, Oakland when Oakland received a resident pastor
- 2007 — became part of Corpus Christi Parish (union of seven predecessor churches + summer chapel + Colby College Newman Apostolate)
- August 18, 2013 — 100th anniversary Mass celebrated on the Feast of St. Helena
Architecture & Atmosphere
St. Helena is intentionally rustic and essentially unchanged since 1913. The interior is unfinished blond wood, with rafters crisscrossing a peaked ceiling; two ceiling fans stir air that drifts in through blue-and-green stained-glass windows propped open in summer. There is no heat and no insulation, no furniture-polish-and-incense formality — just the 'summer-baked wood smell of camp,' sunlight on the rafters, and a hand-made wooden sign out front.
- Unfinished wood interior and rafters
- Open blue-and-green stained-glass windows in summer
- No heat or insulation
- Small dirt-and-grass parking lot; curbside parking on Route 27 and School Street
- Overflow summer Sundays: pews full, worshipers spill onto the lawn
Corpus Christi Parish — The Wider Community
St. Helena is one of several worship sites served by Corpus Christi Parish, which was established in July 2007 as the union of seven predecessor parish churches, the St. Helena summer chapel, and a Newman Apostolate at Colby College. The parish takes its name from the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and serves the Catholic community of greater Waterville.
- St. John the Baptist Church — 26 Monument Street, Winslow, ME 04901 (Sun 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM; Tue & Thu 8:00 AM)
- Notre Dame du Perpetual Secours Church — 116 Silver Street, Waterville, ME 04901 (Sat 4:00 PM; Sun 9:00 AM; Wed & Fri 12:15 PM)
- St. Helena Church — 43 Augusta Road, Belgrade Lakes, ME 04918 (summer only: Sat 7:00 PM, Sun 9:00 AM)
- Newman Apostolate at Colby College
- Parish Office: 17 S. Garand Street, Winslow, ME 04901 — phone 207-872-2281
Clergy & Staff
Corpus Christi Parish, and therefore St. Helena's summer mission, is led by Rev. Patrick E. Agbodi, SMA, who was appointed administrator of the parish by Bishop Robert P. Deeley effective July 5, 2023. Fr. Agbodi is a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA) and was ordained to the priesthood on July 1, 2000, at St. Patrick Church in Asaba, Nigeria. He previously served in Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania (as director of vocations and vice regional superior), and in Maine at Augusta and All Saints Parish, Brunswick.
- Rev. Patrick E. Agbodi, SMA — Pastor/Administrator (ordained 2000, Asaba, Nigeria)
- Kim Suttie — Parish Office / RCIA / Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (207-872-2281)
- Elaine Gordon — Parish Catechetical Leader (Faith Formation)
- Anne Hodgdon — Director, St. John the Baptist Food Pantry
Sacraments
Corpus Christi Parish prepares parishioners for the full range of Catholic sacraments. Baptism is offered for infants, children, and adults; older children receive Baptism at the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday. Sacramental Preparation for Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Eucharist is a two-year program typically begun around age 7.
- Baptism — call Parish Office; Baptism Preparation Program required
- First Reconciliation, Confirmation, First Holy Communion — 2-year Sacramental Preparation
- RCIA — adult initiation and formation (contact Kim Suttie, 872-2281)
- Marriage — call Parish Office
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Ministries & Outreach
Parish ministries support worship, formation, and outreach to the wider Waterville-area community. The St. John the Baptist Food Pantry, run by Corpus Christi Parish, serves about 100 individuals and families each month from a new location at 11 St. John Street, Winslow (in the kitchen of the former St. John the Baptist School), blessed and ribbon-cut by Fr. Agbodi on May 19, 2024.
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Faith Formation / Sacramental Preparation
- St. John the Baptist Food Pantry — 100+ families served monthly
- Baptism Preparation Program
Visiting St. Helena
Because the chapel is tiny and summer-only, visitors should plan to arrive early. On peak Sundays between the last Sunday of June and Labor Day weekend, the pews fill and worshipers commonly sit on the lawn listening through the open doors and windows. Cars line Main Street (Route 27) and the narrow School Street.
- Located at the corner of Route 27 (Main Street) and School Street
- Small dirt-and-grass parking lot on site
- Curbside parking on Route 27 and School Street
- Open only during the summer season (roughly mid-June through Labor Day weekend)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Kealypre-1913 to 1927
Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Waterville; obtained land for the chapel and originally served St. Helena.
- Pastors of St. Bridget's Church, North Vassalboro1927 – c.1961
Took over responsibility for St. Helena from Sacred Heart.
- Pastors of St. Theresa's, Oaklandc.1961 – 2007
Oakland received a resident pastor in 1961 and St. Helena was attached to it until Corpus Christi Parish formed.
- Fr. Daniel Baillargeonuntil July 2023
Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish before reassignment by Bishop Deeley.
- Rev. Patrick E. Agbodi, SMAJuly 5, 2023 – present
Appointed administrator of Corpus Christi Parish effective July 5, 2023. Ordained July 1, 2000, at St. Patrick Church, Asaba, Nigeria; previously served in Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania (as director of vocations and vice regional superior), Augusta, and All Saints Parish, Brunswick. Member of the Society of African Missions (SMA).