By Renée St. Martin Wizeman

Saint Mary Catholic Community in Helena was the most recent parish in the Diocese of Helena to celebrate its centennial. Bishop George Leo Thomas celebrated Mass at the church on Nov. 16, marking the culmination of a year-long celebration in the parish community.

Speaking to a full church, Bishop Thomas recounted the parish’s unique history in his homily.

He began with Pope John Paul II’s description of “the parish as ‘a privileged place where the faithful concretely experience the Church.’ The parish community holds a very special place in our minds and hearts, and a centennial celebration underscores the import and the impact that the parish has on generations of parishioners.”

Saint Mary Parish was formally established by Bishop John Carroll on Nov. 15, 1908, under the patronage of the Blessed Mother. Bishop Thomas said that Bishop Carroll commissioned the famed architect A. O. Von Herbulis, who designed both St. Helena Cathedral and Carroll College’s St. Charles Hall, to design the first parish church on Helena’s east side. Land was purchased from the Northern Pacific Railroad for $5,000.

Highlights and hard times marked the parish’s march through the decades. From the happy occasion of receiving its first full time resident pastor, Father James Nolan, assigned in 1917, to the trials of the Great Depression and the great earthquake in 1935.

“But the community remained undaunted and managed to scrape up the $10,000 needed to refortify the damaged infrastructure of the relatively young church.

“No sooner had the parish retired its debt – in those days a king’s ransom – when the unthinkable happened. Fire erupted in the main body of the building, and swept through the Church’s interior, rendering it a total loss. As the fire brigade fought valiantly to spare the building, parishioners and pastor wept openly as their hard labor and sacrifice went up in flames before their eyes,” Bishop Thomas recounted.

“But in typical St. Mary’s fashion, the parish community regrouped with new resolve,” he continued, noting that the 1940s were better to the parish. The three resident Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth also left their legacy as teachers at St. Mary’s Elementary School in that decade; the sisters had taught at St. Mary’s Elementary School in the Knights of Pythius Hall continuously since 1905.

More faithful pastors contributed to the parish community’s development and emergence, from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, Bishop Thomas noted, including Father Jack Delane, Father James DeGroat, Father Bernard “Bud” Sullivan, who “ushered in the vision brought forth by the Second Vatican Council,” and led the initiative for building a new church, which was dedicated on August 31, 1965, by Bishop Raymond Hunthausen.

And in more recent decades, Fathers Bob Hartman, Joe Byrne and co-pastors Fathers Robert O’Donnell and Ed Hislop made significant contributions. Father Hislop became the resident pastor in 1985.

“Father Hislop’s passion for liturgy and music have left lasting marks in people across the entire Diocese of Helena. His message has been clear and consistent. Good liturgy has the power to form, inform, and transform the hearts of individuals and communities. Such has been the case here at St. Mary’s Parish and in so many venues throughout the Diocese.

“The parish is indebted to Father Jim Connor whose name is so frequently associated with quiet and unsung ministry to those who suffer or are heavily burdened by the cares of life that come at times of sickness, aging and death,” Bishop Thomas continued.

He also noted the contributions of pastoral administrator Deacon Tony Duvernay and his wife Vicki, who have "provided stability and strength in time of transition."

“Father John Robertson, Carl Deitchman and Father Dan Madigan have offered unique and wonderful contributions that have helped deepen the community’s understanding of the mind and mission of the Church,” he said.

Bishop Thomas concluded his homily with five insights drawn from the parish’s 10 decades of existence:

1. Never forget your humble beginnings or the struggles and sacrifices that have led us to this precious moment
2. Remember Fr. Sullivan’s perennial message, that the parish is not a building, but rather the living stones described in the Gospel
3. Continue to cherish the children and youth of this community who have always held a special place in the heart of the community
4. Continue to embrace and embody the reforms of the Second Vatican Council through full conscious and active participation of the laity in the life of the Church, with clergy and laity working collaboratively, ever in communion with your Bishop and with the See of Peter
5. Let your love of liturgy, especially as you gather around the Eucharistic table, be the hallmark of this community! But also remember that well prepared liturgy, thoughtful homilies, beautiful song and music, hospitality and zeal for the Gospel must lead the community into greater solidarity with the homebound, sick, jobless, jailed and poor. Christ is ever present in our midst “as One Who serves.”

Following the Mass, almost 200 people enjoyed brunch in the social center. Displays with historic photographs, vestments, a monstrance, aspergelum, and holy vessels gave a glimpse into decades past. Centennial Committee member Steve McCue, dressed in “1910” garb, provided more parish history. And committee chairwoman Helen Beausoleil led the community in recognizing longtime parishioners in attendance.

Beausoleil listed the many activities for the centennial year celebration, including picnics, a high tea, parish retreat, honoring Mary with art and song, a new centennial logo, a new water well, a garden and dining with past staff, and the creation of a centennial funeral pall, quilted together by parish members.

Liturgy director Jan Wood led a choir, including several children, in song at the brunch.

“Hospitality describes Saint Mary’s community, built around the power of the Eucahrist. Saint Mary is a great flagship of the diocese,” Bishop Thomas concluded in impromptu remarks at the brunch.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 11, November 21, 2008.