Kasey and Tyler Helms pose with their painting of St. Pius X Church. The painting was created live, on-the-spot, by renowned local artist Chip Holton and auctioned off at a parish fundraising gala last month. (Georgianna Penn | Catholic News Herald) GREENSBORO — More than 280 people gathered for the 2023 St. Pius X School Biennial fundraising gala at Greensboro Country Club March 18. Celebrating a sports theme with live music, live and silent auctions, great food and fellowship, the gala was a huge success in raising funds for the school.
“More than anything, it was just a great celebration of our school and our school community,” said Principal Chris Kloesz. “This was such a feel-good event ...
Enrollment is up and people feel really good about our school. Everybody makes it happen.”
Having not hosted the gala since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s gala was especially a cause for celebration. One main attraction of the event was a live painting of the inside of St. Pius X Church by renowned local artist Chip Holton.
Holton, who painted spontaneously from a reference photo of the moment of Consecration during a Mass at St. Pius X Church, is the Artist in Residence at O.Henry Hotel in Greensboro and has painted unique murals for the Catholic community in the Triad. Most notably, Holton painted the large mural of Ireland’s famous Gap of Dunloe inside the Irish Village section of Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point, celebrating the homeplace of the religious sisters who founded Pennybyrn.
One lucky couple got to take the painting home.
“We never thought we’d leave with the painting,” said parishioner Tyler Helms, who enjoyed the thrill of out-bidding friends for the very special painting of St. Pius X Church. “This is our church, this is our faith, this is our life.”
“Watching the artist paint each part of what is the centerpiece of our lives and being able to have that visual in our home is very special,” added Kasey Helms.
With close ties to the school and parish, Kasey and Tyler Helms seem the perfect recipients of this unique live auction treasure. Tyler Helms grew up at St. Pius X Parish, played basketball and graduated from St. Pius X School.
“I remember the old church and watched our new church being built,” he said. “So many memories and moments.”
Kasey and Tyler were married at St. Pius X in 2019, and in 2020 Kasey completed her RCIA journey and was confirmed into the Catholic Church. In 2022, the couple celebrated their daughter Lindley’s baptism at the church. With a baby sister now on the way for Lindley, St. Pius X Parish is not only their past, but the growing family’s present and future.
And for the Helms, what better way to tell their story than through this picture?
In addition to their vocation as parents and spouses, Tyler and Kasey Helms are co-owners of Point200, capturing pinnacle moments of young couples on their wedding day and more. During the pandemic, “we were able to tie in our talents with our faith,” said Tyler Helms.
The couple was invited by Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X, to create video messages of Liturgy of the Word and special messages from the pastor at the time to share with the parish through social media and their digital communication platform, REALM.
“It was a time when we felt most holy,” Helms recalled. They were able to use their talents for the Church, during such a challenging time when there was such a great need to connect.
“Using our gifts for the Church blessed our lives and our faith,” he added.
In addition to moments captured and shared at St. Pius X, it is the moment captured in the painting that truly speaks to the Helmses. During her RCIA journey, Kasey remembers a time when Monsignor Marcaccio shared a story about a little girl who witnessed angels coming down during the Consecration.
“Looking up at Jesus on the cross, when receiving Communion – that’s what stands out, that’s what resonates with me,” Kasey said. “And now when I look up at the painting, and be able to have that visually all the time in our home, through the painting, that is special.”
“The moment of Consecration – that’s the whole purpose of the Mass,” added Tyler Helms. “The apex, the pinnacle of Mass and of our lives.”
— Georgianna Penn