With sadness, we announce the news of the death earlier today, 7th April, of Fr John William Helm. Fr John died peacefully at home, in Nazareth House, Hammersmith.
Born on 6th June 1936 and ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Westminster on 7th April 1962, today is the 58th anniversary of his ordination.
Sympathy is extended to Fr John’s family and friends, and to the clergy and parishioners of his former parishes in the diocese and to the sisters and residents at Nazareth House.
We give thanks for the years of Fr John’s faithful ministry. The Communion Antiphon for the Mass of the anniversary of ordination:
The chalice of blessing that we bless
is a communion in the Blood of Christ;
and the bread that we break
Is a sharing in the Body of the Lord.
Obituary
Fifty-eight of Fr John Helm’s years were lived as a much respected and loved priest of the Diocese of Westminster. His death, peacefully at Nazareth House on 7th April 2020, was on the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. To have been ordained in 1962, the year Vatican II began, would have meant a radical change in the way the life of the Church was lived and the pattern of ministry for priests and the pattern of involvement in the Church’s ministry and mission by the laity. Fr John Helm embraced this adventure, and he set about applying the teachings of the Vatican Council, 1962-65, as presented in the Constitutions, Declarations and Decrees gifted to the Universal Church. Fr John’s priesthood was a gift to the parishioners of the parishes of Willesden, Welwyn Garden City, Archway, Harefield and Golders Green, and to those who benefited from his ministry while he served as a Chaplain in the Royal Navy.
John William Helm, born on 6th June 1936, grew up in Fulham. His family – parents and four children – were practising Catholics and the young John was an altar server. He went to school at the London Oratory and then St Edmund’s College, Ware before going to the English College in Lisbon. While in Lisbon John was diagnosed as having tuberculosis, a serious bacterial infection affecting the lungs and other organs. He had to return to the UK for treatment. This was successful and he returned to Lisbon to resume formation for the priesthood. It was in the college chapel at Lisbon that John was ordained to the priesthood on 7th April 1962 by Archbishop Manuel dos Santos Rocha. Fr John retired from active ministry in 2012, leaving his beloved parish of Golders Green to live independently in Welwyn Garden City and giving assistance to local Parish Priests. Since 2015 the burden of ill health prevented further public ministry. With characteristic calm and graciousness Fr John accepted the limitations occasioned by the advancing years. He was well supported by friends and by the Diocese and he was grateful for this. For the last three months of his life Fr John could no longer manage and he went to live at Nazareth House in Finchley and, since January, in Hammersmith with enhanced care, receiving the medical care now needed from the Sisters and staff and from close friends.
On his return to England from Portugal in 1962 Fr John was appointed Assistant Priest to the parish, now the shrine, of Our Lady of Willesden where he remained until 1967. He then served as a Chaplain in the Royal Navy, his ministry included time on two aircraft carriers, HMS Eagle and HMS Hermes. His next appointment was to Queen of Apostles parish, Welwyn Garden City as Assistant Priest for five years. Further experience of priestly life and ministry was gained in the parish of Archway, where Fr John was Assistant Priest for a year before being appointed Parish Priest at Harefield in 1977. After seven years at Harefield Fr John was appointed to Golders Green where he served as Parish Priest from 1984 until his retirement after 28 years in NW11.
At both Harefield and Golders Green Fr John attended to major refurbishment projects, ensuring the fabric of the churches were in good repair and well decorated. He had an artistic flair and a creativity that he brought to these projects. But it was his love for his parishioners that endeared him to them, and they responded to his pastoral care and his desire to celebrate the Church’s liturgy inclusively. He was generous with his time and compassion. He cared for the poor and needy, and enabled others to share in this vital aspect of the Church’s mission and ministry. His gifts included the ability to attend to repairs and odd jobs in the church, hall and presbytery and doing the gardening. He was adept at cooking and cleaning, and he enjoyed reading, sailing, painting and playing golf. Fr John also enjoyed travel, both for pilgrimages and holidays. Pilgrimage destinations included the Holy Land, Lisieux, Lourdes and Rome with parishioners whom he came to know in new ways, as they did him. With Fr John what you saw was what you got – a straightforward man and priest who was kind and gentle, generous and humble. He modelled contentment.
As a boy growing up in Fulham John served at the altar at Mass and this, and other factors, sowed the seeds of his vocation to the priesthood. Another boy served at the altar in Golders Green while Fr John was Parish Priest. He is now a Parish Priest in the Diocese. Fr John inspired and supported his parishioner’s vocation, and that of another parishioner who became a permanent deacon, serving in his home parish and in the Diocese. Fr John’s outreach to his parishioners made Golders Green a warm and welcoming parish with lively yet solemn liturgy, pastoral care and social engagement hallmarks of the parish. In 2009 the parish celebrated its centenary, with Fr John at the heart of the celebrations. He wrote the forward to the souvenir book, including a message to those who would read it: ‘…what goes into the next Centenary History of the parish is up to you. It will be your history recorded’. This obituary records something of the life of Fr John Helm whose priestly ministry enhanced the lives of so many people over so many years.
Fr John died peacefully at Nazareth House, Hammersmith on 7th April.
Fr John’s graveside funeral took place on 11th May at Hendon Cemetery with Bishop John Sherrington presiding.
May this faithful priest rest in peace and rise in glory.
