Parish Shrines

We have THREE main shrines here at St. Helena.  

The FIRST is the patronal Shrine to St. Helena, which was built in the 1980's and is located on the right side altar.  There is a statue of St. helena and above it is a reliquary cross which contains an actual relic of the True Cross. 

A Prayer to St. Helena, for Intercession 

Holy and blessed Saint Helena, with the anguish and devotion with which you sought the Cross of Christ, I plead that you give me God's grace to suffer in patience the labors of this life, so that through them and through your intercession and protection, I will be able to seek and carry the Cross, which God has placed upon me, so that I can serve Him in this life and enjoy His Glory ever after. Amen.

The SECOND is a Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is located  in the middle of our parish parking lot.  The Shrine was constructed in 2000, following the solemn declaration of Mary as Patroniess of the Americas by Pope John Paul II in January 1999.  The Shrine was built over the stump of an old oak tree that dominated the area since the parish church was built in 1941 and had to be removed for safety reasons.  The Shrine was renovated in the fall of 2016.



Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

God of power and mercy,
you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women
to accept each other as brothers and sisters. 
Through your justice present in our hearts 
may Your peace reign in the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, 
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe 

Que se ta de decir todos los dias. Oh Madre amorosisima mia, Maria Santisima de Guadalupe! Bien lo sabeis Senora, bien sabeis que desde mi tierna edad, os he mirado y reverenciado como Madre, como abogada y protectora. Vos habeis querido desde entonces mirarme como uno de vuestros hijos. Cuantas gracias y mercedes he recibido de Dios, conozco haberlas recibido por vuestro medio. Que descuido tan grande el mia ! que infidelidad tan grosera el no haberos servido y obsequiado con una puntualidad y amor igual a vuestra bondad! Mas yo desde hoy prometo honraros, serviros y amaros, como corresponde a un hijo atento, amante y reconocido. No fue otra el fin de vuestra venida a este suelo, sino hacernos presente, traemos a la memoria el amor, cuidado y solicitud que como Madre tienes de nostros pues yo me doy, Senora, por entendido, y recurro a vos como Madre; no sean parte mis maldades para que aparteis de mi los ojos de misericordia. Haced que vive como hijo vuestro, pues no es otro mi deseo sino agradaros y serviros en esta vida, y despues de ella daros en el cielo los agradecimientos de las misericordias que Dios me ha concedido por vuestra intercesion. Amen

The THIRD and newest major Shrine, which is dedicated to St. Anne and is located at the intersection of Olmstead Ave. and Westchester Ave., was a 2017 Eagle Scout Project by Donald Hartnett of St. Helena Boy Scout Troop 65.


PRAYER TO SAINT ANNE

Good St. Anne, you were especially favored by God to be the mother of the most holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Savior. By your power with your most pure daughter and with her divine Son, kindly obtain for us the grace and the favor we now seek.

In addition, we have four smaller outdoor shrines, located on Olmstead Avenue.

One is to St. Francis, which is located in front of the rectory and was first constructed in 2013 as an Eagle Scout Project.  It was renovated in 2016.


PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
 Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 
 Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
 where there is injury, pardon;
 where there is doubt, faith;
 where there is despair, hope;
 where there is darkness, light;
 where there is sadness, joy; 

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 
 to be understood as to understand; 
 to be loved as to love. 

For it is in giving that we receive; 
 it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
 and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 The second to the Divine Child (el Divino Niño), which is located in front of the church;

Prayer to the Divino Niño In Difficult Times

Divine Child Jesus,
In my difficulties:  help me
From the enemies of my soul:  save me
In my errors:  enlighten me 
In my doubts and pains:  comfort me
In my solitudes:  be with me
In my diseases:  invigorate me
When others despise me:  encourage me
In temptations:  defend me
In difficult hours:  strengthen me
With your maternal heart:  love me
With your immense power:  protect me
And, into your arms, when I die:  receive me
Amen

The third is also in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is located at the intersection of Olmstead and Benedict Avenues.


The Fourth and newest shrine is to St. Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648), the founder of the Piarist Fathers.  It is located in front of the parking lot to the left of the Olmstead Ave. entrance to the parking lot.


Prayer to St. Joseph Calasanz

O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Joseph Calasanz
with such charity and patience
that he labored tirelessly
to educate children and endow them with every virtue,
grant, we pray, that we, who venerate him as a teacher of wisdom,
may constantly imitate him,
for he was a co-worker of your truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever. Amen.