10. SAINT HELENA’S

Saint Helena’s is one of the few churches still in operation in the Combat Zone.   It is run by two priests and a nun, all with experience as  missionaries in 3^rd world hot spots.  The senior priest Father Benedict Mallory, known to most of his parishioners as Father Benny, has served as a missionary in Haiti, Rwanda, the Congo, and Burma.  When he last returned to America in 2016 he was amazed and distraught to see that there were areas in the country that were every bit as bad as the worst of his travels.  He volunteered for a church in “the worst area in the country” and was assigned to Saint Helena’s.  Things got progressively worse over the years though he did his best, assisted by the younger priest Father Steve Blake and Sister Marjorie.  The three not only stayed with the church throughout Carnival, but opened it up as a sanctuary to neighborhood families who could not escape.  They were aided by members of the bar across the street, the group who would come to be known as Hard 8. 

Since Carnival, Saint Helena’s has been a major force in the Zone, providing aid, shelter, and support.  Both Slaughterhouse and Stomp have declared a “hands off” policy to the church and it is rumored that the leadership in both gangs, in private meetings with Father Benny, have assured him that if a pr

oblem arises that Hard 8 can’t handle, that they can be called in as support.  It is unlikely that either gang is aware of the offer.  Whether this is true of not, both gangs have assured that representatives of Saint Helena’s may travel freely under the protection of the gangs in their own territories.

                                               The church structure itself makes the building a veritable fortress.

Written By Deric Bernier

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