Parishioners at Saint Helen’s in Westfield celebrate new church
Parishioners at Saint Helen’s in Westfield haven’t just been celebrating the rebirth of Jesus this Easter season. They’ve also been celebrating their new church.
Holy Week marked the crescendo of a church rebuilding effort that began in 2015 under one pastor and was taken through the finish line by another.
“It’s a lot of excitement as we open our new church right before Easter,” said Msgr. Thomas Nydegger, pastor of Saint Helen’s. “As a matter of fact, the first Mass is to be celebrated after the dedication will be Palm Sunday.”
Msgr. Nydegger took over as pastor of Saint Helen’s in July 2020 after Father Michael Saporito was named an auxiliary bishop and was reassigned. Msgr. Nydegger previously served as vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Archdiocese of Newark and served as a weekend assistant at Saint Helen’s.
Reconstruction of the parish began in 2015 under Bishop Saporito and included an advisory committee and a capital fundraising campaign. Actual construction started about two-and-half years ago.
“This project was a community effort,” said Bishop Saporito. “The planning, raising of money and construction was a team effort. I am, of course, extremely excited for the people of the parish. The new church leads St. Helen’s into the future and preserves its past.”
The original plan was to renovate and improve the church because of deteriorating conditions. But then structural engineers discovered roof damage that suggested significant hidden water damage from many years of leaking water.
“The decision to take down the old church to its foundation was no easy one,” Bishop Saporito said. “There were a lot of sleepless nights about bringing that to the people. But I sought their input and collectively decided to go forward. It was a great decision in retrospect.”
The new church is airy with high ceilings and plenty of windows for light, including a Holy Spirit window high over the altar.
“It is bright, hopeful, and definitely a church prepared for the 21st century,” said Bishop Saporito. “New stained glass windows denote the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and speak to the tremendous dedication of service and outreach undertaken by the parish for many years. Since the parish was established after Vatican II, modern saints were selected to exemplify the works of mercy.”
There’s a new chapel for weekday Masses down the hall from the main space that also serves as an overflow area with projection screens. It contains a new crucifix, and parishioners will recognize statues of Joseph and Mary from the old church on the back wall. The stone wall behind the original church’s main altar is located in the new chapel.
Msgr. Nydegger said one of the most beautiful aspects of the project is it maintains characteristics of the original church. Historical pieces from the prior church, finished in 1972, include the Corpus Cross over the main altar, the tabernacle, stained glass windows, and the Stations of the Cross.
“It’s an incorporation of the new, but a maintenance of the old and the tradition that has been a part of Saint Helen,” he said. “It enables the parishioners to realize where they’ve come from and where we’re going.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held March 22 outside Saint Helen’s and was attended by town officials and parishioners. Later that week, Bishop Saporito returned to the parish as the main celebrant at the dedication Mass for the new church.
“While the Church itself is beautiful, the mission of bringing Jesus Christ to others is most important,” Bishop Saporito said. “The Church will provide people with a place to encounter Christ in word and in the sacraments, but it is the people of God gathered together filling the body that will bring Christ alive to those who enter and open their hearts.”
