St. Helen Parish History
IMPORTANT DATES/MILESTONES for ST. HELEN PARISH
Aug 12 1953 Fr. James Krusling appointed Pastor
Aug 27 1953 Organization meeting (260 in attendance)
Sept 10 1953 First Census completed 607 families in the parish
Nov 5 1953 First Mass celebrated at Page Manor School.
Holy Family Parish donated half of their festival profits ($11, 620.00) to St. Helen Parish
Mar 14 1954 Construction of School began
June 6 1954 First Festival (raffled a house) netted $43,217.00
1954 Sisters of Notre Dame arrive at the parish
Sept 7 1954 Opening of St. Helen School 526 pupils, maximum capacity was 500 students – in August 600 were registered.
1954 $10,000 pipe organ was donated by a private club
Nov 28 1954 Archbishop Alter Dedicated St. Helen School
1955 A farm house at 5101 Burkhardt was purchased for the rectory but it was later decided to make it the convent.
Sept 1955 School year started with 658 students, the first floor of the convent which was part of school was converted into classrooms
Oct 1 1955 Purchased a house at 5123 Burkhardt for the Rectory. Fr. Krusling moved in on November 1.
1955 Three lots were purchased at the corner of Burkhardt and Granville.
March 1 1956 Construction began for an addition to the school
Sept 7 1957 School year started with 898 students
March 1957 Purchased Smith Bldg and made into 3 classrooms and lunchroom
May 1957 Purchased 2 homes on Burkhardt for Rectory and Office
Sept 1957 School year started with 1014 students
1957 Permission granted for building a church, with seating for 1100, plus classrooms on the ground floor. Cost - $310,385.
Sept 1958 School year started with 1127 students
Oct 5 1958 Groundbreaking for new church
1958 School blessed privately by Fr. Krusling
Sept 1959 School year started with 1203 students
Nov 8 1959 Bishop Leibold dedicated and blessed St. Helen Church
1959 Construction of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin
Sept 1960 School year started with 1220 students
1960 1 st grade was dropped due to lack of funds and space
March 1964 Construction begins on new convent – completed in Oct - Cost - $137,364.00
Sept 1964 School year started with 1235 students
1965 Work begins on rectory, cost now $122,506
Sept 1965 School year started with 1301 students
Dec 1965 Rectory completed
May 1966 Parish Council, School Board and Finance Committees established
Sept 1966 School year started with 1354 students
1967 Construction of the Blessed Virgin Shrine completed
Sept 1968 School library completed, cost $2,000
1968 Statue of St. Julie, Foundress of Sisters of Notre Dame was completed.
1970 First lay distributors were installed, 4 laymen and 2 sisters
Sept 1973 First grade was reestablished
Sept 1973 Susanno Mascarro, our first Deacon was assigned
Dec 16 1973 First Son of the Parish was Ordained, Fr. Richard Wolff
Aug 1976 Fr. James Krusling retires as Pastor
Sept 1976 Fr. Robert Amann appointed as second pastor
Sept 14 1977 St. James Chapel Dedicated
Oct 1977 Main sanctuary in church remodeled
Oct 1977 Stained glass windows installed
Aug 20 1978 Archbishop Bernardine celebrated parish's 25 th Anniversary
1981 Pieta donated – Art Woodall
July 1 1983 Fr. Robert Amann transferred to Holy Angels in Cincinnati
July 1 1983 Fr. Paul Poeppelman appointed third pastor
1985 Remodeling of Smith Building as a parish meeting room
1985 Construction of new maintenance building
June 1987 New organ installed
Oct 23 1988 35 th Anniversary of Parish Celebrated
1988 New Crib Set purchased for inside church
Feb 17 1992 Fr. Paul Poeppelman died
June 1992 Fr. Paul DeLuca appointed fourth pastor
April 30 1993 40 th Anniversary of St. Helen Parish
1993 Upgrade of school gym
1996 Donation of Grand Piano – Barbara Heckman Estate
1996 Convent Kitchen Remodeled
1996 Dedication of St. Joseph Statue
1997 Renovation of School Kitchen
April 27 1997 Fr. James Krusling’s death
1997 New outside crib set purchased
April 18 1999 Dedication of the St. Julie Shrine
1999 Entrance to School remodeled
June 1999 Rectory Kitchen remodeled
1999 New School Fire Alarm System Installed (purchased with revenue from the Certificate program)
1999 Helen Society founded to assure the future through planned giving
Aug 29 2000 Dedication of school statues from the Adducchio Family
Oct 1 2000 Resetting of the Church Cornerstone
2000 Church entrance remodeled
2000 Technology update for school began first of three phases
2000 40th Anniversary of Leisure Club
2001 Upgrade of parish electric system
April 27 2003 Church Closed for Renovation with a Celebration of Leave- taking, Masses then took place in the school gym
Aug 17 2003 Dedication of the Church and Altar by Archbishop Pilarczyk
Nov 2003 Commissioned Hymn in honor of St. Helen, composed by Jeff Powell and performed by the "Miami Valley Catholic Church Musicians"
June 30 2004 Fr. Paul DeLuca is reassigned to Church of the Nativity in Cincinnati after 12 years at St. Helen
July 1 2004 Fr. David Brinkmoeller arrives at St. Helen Parish as our 5 th Pastor
July 2004 New tile is laid in the school hallways in the main building. Funds came from ARS ($10,000) and Certificate Fund
