The Rev. Richard E. Helmer grew up in a small town in Kansas, the son of an Episcopal priest and a technical writer.  Richard pursued chemistry and music as an undergraduate, graduating in 1997 from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance.  He also studied at Northwestern University and the Aspen Music Festival.  In 1999, after answering a call to ordained ministry, Richard attended the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, where he was honored with an Excellence in Ministry Scholarship.  After he graduated and was ordained in 2002 in the Diocese of West Missouri, Richard began serving in the Episcopal Diocese of California.

Richard started serving as Long-term Interim of Church of Our Saviour in August, 2006 and was elected and instituted Rector in 2007. Ordained to the priesthood in 2002, he served previously as Vicar of Christ Episcopal Church – Sei Ko Kai, San Francisco.  He has served in the Episcopal Diocese of California as Coordinator for the Ethnic and Multicultural Strategic Plan Working Group, co-chair of the Stewardship Department, and as an alternate deputy to the 2009 General Convention.  In the Episcopal Church, he served for three years as Secretary of the Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry Council.  He also has a passion for ecumenical, interfaith, and social justice ministries and has served in several organizations in the Bay Area related to these causes for serving the dignity of Christ in all people.  His sermons have been published in Sermons that Work, he writes articles regularly for Episcopal Café, and he posts frequently at his blog: Caught by the Light.

Locally, Richard helped to found and presently coordinates the Youth Addiction and Suicide Prevention Coalition. He also serves as president of the Marin Deanery.

Richard is an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican religious order following a Benedictine rule. He is also a postulant in the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory, a religious community of The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion devoted to service and the apostolic life.

When he’s not up to his ears in work in the Church or behind a keyboard (piano or computer!), he’s spending time with his wife Hiroko, a native of Okayama, Japan, and their son, Daniel. 

Richard continues to enjoy performing and accompanying in the Bay Area, as well as reading, writing, and chess.  He resides with his family in Corte Madera.

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Godly Play Training
Monday, September 6th
8:30 am

Office Closed
Monday, September 6th
9:00 am

Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, September 8th
7:00 pm

Parish Retreat
Friday, September 10th
3:00 pm

Parish Retreat
Saturday, September 11th
8:00 am

Parish Retreat
Sunday, September 12th
8:00 am

Lifecycles Prayer Group
Friday, September 17th
11:30 am

Stewardship Meeting
Sunday, September 19th
9:00 am

Outreach Meeting
Sunday, September 19th
11:30 am

Mt. Carmel Homeless Lunch
Tuesday, September 21st
9:30 am

Community Sunday Meeting
Tuesday, September 21st
12:00 pm

Youth & Family Ministries Meeting
Tuesday, September 21st
1:00 pm

 Monthly Calendar