St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church
From Materials Provided by the Church Office:
(Written for the Oracle Home Tour 2004)
In the mid-nineteenth century, Oracle was a small Indian village known as Summit Springs. In 1870 two prospectors, Alex Mckay and Jimmy Lee, came to the area. It was Jimmy Lee who gave Oracle its name, after a ship owned by his uncle, which had navigated around the Horn.
The Catholic community in Oracle dates back to at least the 1890’s. Mass was celebrated every month or two, on Saturdays, in the ballroom of the old Mountain View Hotel (presently the site of the Oracle Baptist Church) by Father Basilio Delgado, a Carmelite priest from Assumption Church in Florence. He was succeeded as pastor in Florence by Father Jose Domingo Jaquez, who visited Oracle every two weeks to minister to the spiritual needs of its Catholic residents.
St. Helen Catholic Mission, with its beautiful Spanish design and unique stained glass windows has been a landmark in Oracle since 1927. it was built through the generosity of Charles and Helen Gilliland, who also donated the sacred vessels, vestments, and church furnishings.
Charles was an annual visitor to Arizona since 1901. He met Helen F. Galey on his first visit to Oracle. They were married in 1908. Helen was the daughter of William Thomas Galey, founder of the Aberfoyle Manufacturing Company, a textile company in Chester, Pa. Charles served as treasurer for Aberfoyle, and later founded the Cotton Products Company in Philadelphia. He aided the government in the arbitration of labor disputes during WW1, and devoted himself toward correcting child labor, night employment of women and living conditions among textile workers. In 1923, he purchased Phoenix Date and Citrus Properties, which became Gilliland Groves. In addition to St. Helen’s Catholic Chapel, he built and developed a palatial residence, EI Rancho Robles in Oracle. In 1936, Charles resigned his business interest in the East and made his home in Arizona.
The land on which St. Helen’s was built was donated by John Lawson [of the “Terry and Lawson Store; the Lawson house is nearby- see separate document- EJA] Henry O. Jaastad was the architect. the construction was done by John P. Steffes. The church was dedicated in April of 1927 by His Excellency, Daniel James Gercke, Bishop of Tucson.
Following the dedication, mass was celebrated twice a month by the priest from Florence, until 1954 when Bishop Gercke founded St. Bartholomew parish in San Manuel, and appointed Father Francis 1. O’Reilley as its first pastor. From that time on, mass was celebrated by Father O’Reilley at St. Helen every Sunday morning.
In 1963, a meeting hall and catechetical center was built adjoining the original church. A Spanish architectural style to complement the existing building was maintained in the new addition, resulting in a striking and charming presence in its Santa Catalina Mountain setting. It has been the site of baptisms, first holy communions, confirmation, marriages and funerals for several generation of Oracle parishioners.
[According to Gloria Acosta, church secretary until 2021, in 2006-2007, the parish and priests office was built in the same style, Manny Trujillo having designed it.
Amalia Clark, a long-time resident and parishioner of St. Helen wrote, on the occasion of the first St. Helen’s Fiesta in 1989:
… This church holds many memories of numerous Oracle families who have found
solace, comfort and joy within its sacred walls. May we continue to contribute and
to share in the upkeep of our beloved St. Helen’s church. may God bless us and
may He, through the intercession of St. Helen our patroness, continue to guide us in
our spiritual lives.
Here are the descriptions of some of the artifacts and sacramentals that make our church so lovely and unique:
The Tabernacle is located in the center of the back altar. In the early Christian Communities, the consecrated hostlbread, which we Catholics believe is the body of Christ, was originally reserved in a box-like container to be made available for members of the faithful who were unable (for grievous reasons) to attend the ‘Eucharistic Celebration (Mass) This ornate receptacle (or box) is called the Tabernacle. It is a customary sign of reverence and respect to God to genuflect towards the Tabernacle as you enter the church especially when the Sanctuary Lamp is lit. The
lighted lamp signifies that the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Tabernacle, which means that Christ is truly, substantially present in the church.
Our Lady of Guadalupe painting on the right wall, to the rear of the church, was donated y Mercedes Torros, dated 1959.
The Samaritan Woman painting on the left wall, to the rear of the church. It depicts the Samaritan Woman offering water to Jesus. The donor of the painting was a art collector. her or his name is unknown.
The stained glass windows depict significant scenes of importance of the life of Christ. The names of individual donors are inscribed at the bottom of the windows. [You are invited to go and write down the names (and wall on which is found) each donor – EJA]
The large wooden Crucifix above the altar was crafted in Mexico and donated by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Clark in 1992.
The St. Helen Fresco, which you see on the wall behind the altar, is an artist’s interpretation of our patron saint, St. Helen. It was originally painted in 1992 by Edna San Miguel and restored in 2002 by Pat Lasch.
The Ambry, a built-in receptacle in the wall to the left of the altar, contains the Holy Oils, which are consecrated by the bishop during Holy Week. These are: The Oil of the Catechumen, used to anoint infants and catechumens who are preparing to receive baptism. The Sacred Chrism is used to anoint those who receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. The Oil of the Infirm is used to bring healing, strength and forgiveness to those who are ill or dying.
The Baptismal Font is also located tot he left of the altar, It is a basin that is used for holding the baptismal water.
The Easter (or Paschall) candle is the tall candle standing at the altar. It represents the light of Christ. It is lit during the Easter season and also during special occasions, such as baptisms and funerals.
The Stations of the Cross on the walls are representations of Christ’s passion [death by crucifixion as an act to save all His followers-£JA]. The Stations of the Cross is a devotion consisting of meditations before each of the 14 crosses or images set up in a church or along a path, commemorating the journey to Calvary.
The new, modern lighting was recently donated by John & Dianna Herbst and Bob & Marilyn Sommers. [These documents were for the Oracle home tour in 2004- EJA]
This is a photo of a postcard from about 1911.
It shows the Oracle Mercantile at the far left, the Estill house (the big 2-story one)
between the two and to the front by Oracle Road/American Ave. are the boulders that are still there.
The house to the right (west) of the Estill house might be the Lawson house.
