About St. Helena · San Antonio, Texas
St. Helena Catholic Church is a large, active parish in northeast San Antonio, Texas, founded on September 15, 1974, and belonging to the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Itself established to serve the rapidly-growing suburbs of the city's northeast side, St. Helena has grown to more than 3,500 families under the parish motto 'People Helping People,' offering daily and Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, a full faith-formation program for youth and adults, vibrant music and youth ministries, and ongoing efforts to expand its campus with a new 7,000-square-foot Religious Education Building. The parish is led today by Polish-born pastor Fr. Marcin (Martin) Czyz and serves as both a spiritual home for its diverse community and a hub of ministries, charitable outreach, and lifelong Catholic formation.
- Established
- 1974
- Patron
- Saint Helena
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Marcin (Martin) P. Czyz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Helena is a large, family-friendly parish where the daily Eucharist, perpetual Adoration, and active sacramental life are matched by a robust lay ministry culture—over 3,500 families and hundreds of lay ministers make it easy to find your place. Bilingual (English/Spanish) Masses every Sunday, a dedicated young-adult group (YALL), a strong K-12 and adult faith-formation program (including RCIA), plus outreach through parish ministries and community events make it a fitting spiritual home for both longtime Catholics and newcomers exploring the faith.
Mass times at St. Helena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
- Saturday 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
- Tuesday–Thursday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
- Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
About St. Helena Catholic Church
St. Helena is a large, bilingual parish in northeast San Antonio founded in 1974 to serve the rapidly-growing suburban community along Edgemont Street. Today it counts more than 3,500 registered families and lives by the parish motto 'People Helping People,' reflecting the generosity and active involvement of its lay faithful. Hundreds of lay ministers assist at liturgies, while dozens more serve faith formation, outreach, and parish organizations, retreats, and service projects.
- Founded September 15, 1974 in the Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Motto: 'People Helping People'
- 3,500+ registered families
- Hundreds of lay ministers involved in liturgy, formation, and outreach
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Helena offers an unusually full Sunday schedule with five Masses — four in English (8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 8:00 PM) and one in Spanish (6:00 PM) — plus a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel; if no priest is available, a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion is held instead. Holy Days and Ash Wednesday carry expanded, multi-service schedules (eight services on Ash Wednesday in a recent year).
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday: 8:00 / 10:00 / 12:00 / 8:00 PM (English) and 6:00 PM (Spanish)
- Weekday: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- Holy Day and Ash Wednesday schedules as posted
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Parish faith formation at St. Helena spans the full age spectrum: sacramental preparation for First Eucharist (typically 2nd grade) and Confirmation (middle and high school), ongoing faith formation for school-age children, youth ministry for middle- and high-school students, RCIA for adults preparing to receive sacraments, and adult formation opportunities. The 2025 groundbreaking of a new 7,000-square-foot Religious Education Building — with eight classrooms and a gathering space — is intended to give every one of these programs dedicated, modern space.
- Children's sacramental preparation (First Eucharist, Confirmation)
- Middle-school and high-school youth ministry
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Adult faith formation
- New 7,000 sq ft Religious Education Building under construction
Young Adults Loving the Lord (YALL)
St. Helena's young-adult ministry — known as YALL — welcomes adults ages 18 to 35 for weekly meetings on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM in the Dolan Center. The group gathers to pray, learn, and grow together, supplementing regular meetings with archdiocesan leadership training and trips to events like SEEK (FOCUS) in Dallas. YALL also builds community through shared Thanksgivings, Christmas gatherings, birthdays, going-away parties, and graduations, and supports the parish through fundraisers such as the Fall Festival and Bingo nights.
- Meets Thursdays 7:00 PM in the Dolan Center
- Ages 18–35
- Bible study, community, and service
- Fundraisers include Fall Festival and Bingo
Music & Sensory-Friendly Ministry
St. Helena's Music Ministry is led in part by Drew and Jess Oswalt, husband-and-wife team who have served in music ministry across the Archdiocese of San Antonio since 2010. They lead cantoring, catechetical music, and the parish's pioneering Sensory-Friendly Mass, a celebration designed to be welcoming to individuals with sensory, physical, or developmental disabilities — a ministry that has become a particular passion of theirs since the first such Mass at St. Helena in 2025.
- Cantors, choirs, and ensemble music
- Sensory-Friendly Mass (launched in 2025)
- Music ministers Drew & Jess Oswalt
Capital Project: Religious Education Building (2025)
In spring 2025 St. Helena broke ground on a new Religious Education Building behind the existing church, designed by Fisher-Heck Architects of San Antonio. The 7,000-square-foot facility includes eight classrooms and a gathering space, with a projected budget of $4.2 million including furnishings; about $3.2 million had been raised through parish giving and ministry fundraisers at the time of groundbreaking. The new building will free up space in the Dolan Center for ministry gatherings and social events while giving religious-education programs dedicated, modern classrooms.
- Architect: Fisher-Heck Architects
- Cost: ~$4.2M; raised: ~$3.2M
- Eight classrooms + gathering space
- Site behind the existing church on currently vacant land
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Helena is led by pastor Fr. Marcin (Martin) P. Czyz, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio originally from Trzebnica, Poland. Ordained in 2009, Fr. Martin served in Mexico (2009–2016), Scotland, and Poland, before arriving in the United States in 2018 as parochial vicar at St. Monica in Converse, Texas; he later served as pastor of St. Patrick in Sabinal (and its missions). Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S. formally incardinated him into the Archdiocese on October 17, 2022. Parish operations are supported by parish staff including music ministers, faith-formation leaders, and a parish office team reachable at (210) 653-3316 / [email protected].
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Marcin (Martin) P. Czyz
- Originally from Trzebnica, Poland; ordained 2009
- Assigned to St. Helena November 2021
- Incardinated into Archdiocese of San Antonio October 17, 2022
Visiting & Newcomer Information
All visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Helena. The parish encourages newcomers to register online through the parish website so they can be contacted with information about activities, formation registration, and ministry opportunities. The parish promises that each parishioner, friend, or guest will be treated with respect and kindness, given complete and up-to-date information about activities, offered appropriate direction and training for any role, and recognized for their contributions to parish life.
- Register at sthelena.org
- Office: (210) 653-3316
- Email: [email protected]
- Livestream available for the homebound
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Marcin (Martin) P. CzyzNovember 2021–present
Polish-born priest from Trzebnica; ordained 2009; served in Mexico (2009–2016), Scotland, and Poland; arrived in the U.S. in 2018 as parochial vicar at St. Monica, Converse; pastor of St. Patrick, Sabinal (and missions) 2019–2021; assigned to St. Helena in November 2021; formally incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio on October 17, 2022 by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller.