Our Lady Help of Christians and St Helen's Church, Westcliff-on-Sea
| St Helen's Church | |
|---|---|
| Our Lady Help of Christians and St Helen's Church | |
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| Coordinates: 51°32′17″N 0°41′59″E / 51.538097°N 0.699845°E | |
| OS grid reference | TQ8732085592 |
| Location | Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | shwos.co.uk |
| History | |
| Founded | 1867 |
| Founder(s) | Countess Helen Tasker |
| Consecrated | 12 August 1919 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 26 November 2014 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Goodman and Alexander Scoles |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 8 October 1868 |
| Completed | 1903 |
| Construction cost | £1,700 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Southend |
| Diocese | Brentwood |
| Province | Westminster |
St Helen's Church or its full name Our Lady Help of Christians and St Helen's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Westcliff-on-Sea in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. It was founded in 1862 and built in 1867. Further extensions were made to the church from 1898 to 1903, designed by Alexander Scoles. It is situated on Milton Road near to the corner of St Helen's Road, next to St Bernard's High School. It is a Gothic Revival church, the first post-Reformation Catholic church to be built in Southend and a Grade II listed building.
In 1862, the Catholic mission in Southend was founded. It was served by a Fr John Moore. Mass was initially said in his house in Capel Terrace. The main benefactor of the church was Helen Tasker (1823–1888). She resided at Middleton Hall, Brentford in Essex and was made a countess by Pope Pius IX in 1870. She was the daughter and inheritor of businessman Joseph Tasker, of the United Mexican Mining Association.
On 8 October 1868, Helen Tasker laid the foundation stone of the church. The architect was Thomas Goodman and the building firm was Wilkins & Son from Chatham. Goodman designed the church to be in the Gothic Revival style with inspiration from E. W. Pugin. The carvings in the church were done by Thomas Earp. Construction of the church cost £1,700. In October 1869, after the nave, chancel and sacristy were completed, the church was opened by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Manning. As the remainder of the church had not been built, temporary screens were erected to block the view of the rest of the construction being undertaken.
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