Think of a place where Shakespeare might have pondered his plays. That place is very possibly Saint Helen’s Catholic Church. This isn’t just any church. It is a City of London landmark with a story etched in its stones.
Saint Helen’s Catholic Church stands proudly as the largest surviving parish church in the City of London. People call it the Westminster Abbey of the City because of its many monuments. Its history stretches back centuries.
The story of Saint Helen’s Catholic Church begins in the 13th century. A priory of Benedictine nuns was founded here in 1210. Unusually the church was designed with two parallel naves creating a wide interior. Until 1538 a partition divided the church in two. The nuns occupied the northern half and the parishioners used the southern half. Today it is the only surviving building from a nunnery in the City of London.
The priory once had extensive monastic buildings. The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers used its hall until demolition in 1799. A crypt extended north from the church under the hall.
Remarkably Saint Helen’s Catholic Church survived both the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz during World War II. However the IRA bombings of 1992 and 1993 badly damaged the church. The roof lifted. One of the City’s largest medieval stained glass windows shattered.
The church has been fully restored since then. However many older monuments were entirely destroyed. Quinlan Terry an enthusiast of Georgian architecture designed the restoration. He followed Reformation lines.
William Shakespeare himself frequented Saint Helen’s Catholic Church during his time in the area in the 1590s. Imagine the Bard absorbing the atmosphere. He could have been finding inspiration for his timeless works. Sir Alberico Gentili a prominent jurist was buried in the church in 1608. Robert Hooke the natural philosopher was also buried here. The exact location of his grave is unknown.
Today Saint Helen’s Catholic Church continues as a vibrant place of worship. Over the years parish consolidation has led to a long name. It is now called St Helen’s Bishopsgate with St Andrew Undershaft and St Ethelburga Bishopsgate and St Martin Outwich and St Mary Axe. The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors are the patrons of the benefice.
Saint Helen’s has been involved in many evangelical church planting initiatives recently. Some are within the Church of England and some are outside of it.
The organ dates back to 1744. Thomas Griffin installed it then. Since then it has undergone several restorations. Builders like George Pike England and J. C. Bishop and Son worked on it. The British Institute of Organ Studies has awarded it a Grade II* listing.
Saint Helen’s Catholic Church stands as a testament to resilience. It is a survivor of fire war and terror. It is a place where history whispers from every corner. As you leave Saint Helen’s Catholic Church remember its long history and the famous figures who once walked through its doors. Consider how this remarkable building continues to serve as a spiritual center in the heart of London.