As the Howard Beach community grew, so did St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church.
Now in its 50th year, the parish has become the cornerstone of the Catholic community in New Howard Beach.
St. Helen’s was founded in 1960 in response to a group’s growing need for its own parish, according to Monsignor Al LoPinto. After receiving permission from the Bishop of Brooklyn, St. Helen’s began in Lindenwood and Father Dooley was named first pastor.
“I think at that point the streets weren’t even paved in Lindenwood,” said LoPinto. “It was a sign of the people here and those moving into the area – it was a suburban community growing up in the confines of New York.”
St. Helen’s school soon followed, and in 1979 the new church was built, where it stands today at 157-10 83rd Street.
“It’s always been a very tight community,” LoPinto told The Courier. “The church has always been at the center of life of the Catholic community in New Howard Beach.”
The Monsignor explained that a lot of the original parishioners still attend Mass with, in many cases, their children and grandchildren.
“It’s a place with deep roots.”
And as those roots get deeper over the coming decades, said LoPinto, “We will continue to work on strengthening the community and to become central players in the stability and growth of the Howard Beach community” through outreach to seniors and welcoming new members.
The year-long 50th anniversary of St. Helen’s kicked off on Sunday, September 12 with a Mass; in will culminate will a gala celebration in June. On October 24 they will celebrate United Nations Day; November 13 there will be a parish baby shower for needy moms-to-be and their babies; and in December there will be an outdoor tree lighting and Christmas festival.
For more information on St. Helen’s, call 718-738-1616 or visit www.sthelen.org.
