Charles Herman Helmsing

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Most Reverend Charles Herman Helmsing

Charles Herman Helmsing was born to George and Louis Helmsing on March 23, 1908 in Shrewsbury, Missouri. After hearing God’s call to the priesthood, Helmsing entered St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and then went on to Kenrick-Glennon Seminary before being ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on June 10, 1933. His priestly example and faithful service earned him the appointment as papal chamberlain (monsignor) on February 15, 1946. Soon after he was consecrated auxiliary bishop of St. Louis under Cardinal Ritter on April 19, 1949. He took a marked interest in the propagation of the faith, the instruction of converts, the work of the Legion of Mary, as well as both foreign and home missions. His work as secretary and master of ceremonies for Cardinal Ritter and took on a number of other positions including Director of the Diocesan Society for the Propagation of the Faith. In 1956, when Pope Pius XII divided Missouri into four distinct dioceses, Bishop Helmsing was appointed first bishop of the Diocese of Springfield – Cape Girardeau. He was installed as bishop there on November 28, 1956.

After the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph was left vacant upon the appointment of Bishop Cody as coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Archdiocese of New Orleans, Pope John XXIII looked south for his successor. Bishop Helmsing was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph on January 31, 1962. In his installation homily on April 3, 1962, Bishop Helmsing explained his motto:

"In the sacrifice of the Cross, Christ our Lord identified Himself with the Old Testament servant of Yahweh, the slave of Almighty God, foretold by the prophets. It was this realization that impelled me to take as the motto of my life and work as a Bishop, the inspired words of the 115th Psalm,
Servus tuus, filius anciliae
“O Lord, I am Thy slave and the son of Thy handmaid”.
It is in this spirit that I come to you with humble determination aided by our Lord’s grace to imitate Him as the slave of the Lord Who became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross; and also in imitation of His Mother, Mary, who when the greatest possible task was given to her of mothering the Son of God, referred to herself “Behold the slave-girl of the Lord”.

Bishop Helmsing served the Lord by pastoring the faithful of the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph and ministring His Church. At the time of his installation, Bishop Helmsing was already making preparations for his participation in the Second Vatican Council which was to convene for its first session that coming Fall. Taking with him his Fr. William Baum, who was vice chancellor at the time, as a peritus (expert), Bishop Helmsing took part in all five sessions of the Second Vatican Council and was most influential in the composition of the Decree on Ecumenism(Unitatis Redintegratio).

Back in Kansas City, Bishop Helmsing lead the diocese through one of the most influential periods of its half a century history. He helped to usher in the era of civil rights for Americans of any color. He brought home the documents of the Second Vatican Council and was responsible for implementing them in the diocese. He was dedicated to easing tensions between Catholics and separated Protestant brethren. And he was a loyal son of the Church who found obedience and humility as the ways to sanctity.

Bishop Helmsing served as bishop of Kansas City – St. Joseph until 1977. He died December 20, 1993.

In the fall of 2006, the Most Reverend Robert W. Finn, the current bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, named a new adult faith formation initiative of his diocese after Bishop Helmsing. The Bishop Helmsing Institute offers a three year faith formation program and has four fulltime instructors.