St. Helena's is a small, supportive
Episcopal (Anglican) community that
reaches out to the aged, the hungry, and the homebound. We sponsor
all levels of Scouts. We are also affiliated with the
Spirituality Network of Chicago,
an ecumenical group that offers retreats, spiritual direction, and quiet days. We
are located
on five serene acres in Burr Ridge, IL, near the intersection of I-55
and I-294, in the often-hectic southwest suburbs of Chicago. We like to
think of ourselves as centrally isolated.
Feel free to wander our grounds, walk our
labyrinth, see
the
Vacant2Vegetables™ garden that provides fresh produce to area food
banks, observe the
beehives, and leave a few cans of food for the needy in our 24/7
drop-box.
If the spirit moves you, join us for
Sunday Mass
at 9:30 a.m. Our Eucharist is "catholic" in character, with lively music
and bells and incense on special occasions. We have an excellent small
choir and a talented
organist and choirmaster. On Wednesdays, we also
offer Morning Prayer at 9 a.m., followed by breakfast at a local eatery,
and an intimate Eucharist at 6 p.m.
St. Helena's is a parish of the
Episcopal Church
in the Diocese
of Chicago, part of the worldwide
Anglican Communion. But we do not let denominational boundaries
restrict our mission and ministry. One of our companion parishes in the
area is St. James
Lutheran Church in Western Springs - a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church's full
communion partner. We also have a companion relationship with
All Saints
Episcopal, Western Springs. These affiliations allow us
to do far more together than we could separately.
Our people include a variety of ethnic backgrounds and political
perspectives. Our lay
leadership is strong. We work collaboratively as a community where
Christ's calling to each is recognized and
God's gifts to all are used to benefit the world and the Church. We
believe that the Baptismal ministry all Christians are called to is
the heart of the Church. The essence of this life of service and faith
is captured in the
Baptismal Covenant.
We welcome you regardless of who you are or where you find yourself
on your faith journey. Our main objectives are to know and love God, to
love and serve others as Christ loves and serves us,
and to listen to the Spirit working in our lives. Our theology is broad
and tolerant of differences, though we preserve allegiance to core
Christian doctrine. We have no litmus test for membership; one can belong at St. Helena's before one
believes.
