The parish remembers the first vicar general of the diocese and its former pastor 40 years after his death.
As a boy, Father Thomas J. Lehning was a parishioner of St. James Church in Falls Church. The future priest got to know his pastor, Msgr. Paul V. Heller, when he stopped by religion classes at St. James School or when he altar served at the Masses Msgr. Heller celebrated. “I remember Msgr. Heller very clearly,” said Father Lehning, pastor emeritus of St. Clare Church in Clifton. “He was a holy man. If there’s a priest that I’ve known in the Diocese of Richmond/Arlington who deserves to be canonized, it’s Paul Heller.”
Forty years after his death, St. James is celebrating Msgr. Heller thanks to a gift of a deceased parishioner, Sangaroon Alexandra Choopun. Msgr. Heller meant a lot to Choopun, explained her son Al Pavot, Jr., who goes by Niki. “My mother immigrated from Thailand to the United States in 1958 to study nursing. Mom was a 28-year-old single mother when she moved from D.C. to Falls Church in 1966. She had just split up with my dad, she had no friends or family in this country, English was not her primary language, and she needed to find housing and a job and daycare to support her 2-year-old son — me.
“Msgr. Heller found her an affordable apartment, daycare for me at St. Joseph nursery school, and a job at a dentist office near the church. Everything was in walking distance, which was important since (my) mother did not have a car. At Christmas, Msgr. Heller would arrange for a Christmas tree and bagged groceries to be delivered to our apartment. He also provided financial assistance so I could attend St. James School and O’Connell High School. I am not sure we could have made it without his help. Nearly 40 years after his death, my mother still talked about the kindness he bestowed on us.”
Choopun died April 8, 2020, and left a generous bequest to St. James with a request that a plaque be installed in Msgr. Heller’s honor. Inspired by her gift, the parish is celebrating a special Mass on the day of his death, Sept. 18, and is rededicating Heller Hall afterward. For weeks, the parish bulletin has included stories of Msgr. Heller’s life and legacy. Here are excerpts from a few:
Paul Vincent Heller was born Oct. 10, 1901, in Martinsburg, W.Va., to Henry, a carriage maker, and Minnie Heller. He had a younger sister, Margaret. He attended St. Joseph’s Parochial School run by the Daughters of Charity to whom he attributed his vocation. He worked as a bookkeeper and teller at a bank for five years before entering the seminary.
Msgr. Heller attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. He was ordained June 3, 1933, for the Richmond diocese, which until the establishment of the Arlington diocese in 1974, comprised Virginia and parts of West Virginia.
After this, Msgr. Heller’s first assignment was Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester, where he also ministered to four Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1934, Msgr. Heller was transferred to Sacred Heart Church in Norfolk.
While there, Msgr. Heller became concerned about the growing number of abandoned and orphaned children in Norfolk during World War IÍ and decided to create a home for them. Msgr. Heller was the founder and director of St. Mary’s Infant Home which opened its doors Dec. 8, 1944. Now called St. Mary’s Home, it is a private nonsectarian organization that continues to serve those in need of special care.
In 1953, Msgr. Heller became the fifth pastor of St. James Church in Falls Church where he would serve until his retirement in 1977. During his tenure he led the parish through many construction projects, including building a new convent, installing air conditioning in the church and adding restrooms on either side of the vestibule.
When Msgr. Heller arrived, St. James School had 2,000 students and he decided the school needed to be expanded. This new wing of the school became known as the primary building and included nine classrooms and an auditorium, renamed Msgr. Paul V. Heller Hall in his honor. The addition also included the breezeway connecting the new primary wing to the standing school and the space for the statue of the Virgin Mary.
Msgr. Heller was an early supporter of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington and the first year of classes convened in 1957. He served for many years on O’Connell’s Board of Governors.
However, at the spring board meeting in 1971, the school administrator announced that the school would be closing at the end of the spring term. Long-time principal at O’Connell Al Burch recounted what happened: “Everyone in the room was shocked and stone-silent, until Msgr. Heller stood up and declared, ‘This school will never close.’ ”
The following school year, O’Connell became fully co-educational, with (Msgr. James W.) McMurtrie as principal of the entire school. Years later, when O’Connell’s first classroom chapel was completed, students voted overwhelmingly to name it “St. Paul’s Chapel” in Msgr. Heller’s honor.
In 1974, the first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Arlington, Bishop Thomas J. Welsh, appointed Msgr. Heller as the first vicar general of the new diocese. On Msgr. Heller’s 75th birthday, Bishop Welsh marked this occasion with the following remarks: “Any celebration honoring Monsignor Heller runs the risk of becoming a bit disorderly when so many people have valid reasons for wanting to be the first to praise him. I would like to claim the privilege of being first as my own.
“Two summers ago, Msgr. Heller was every priest’s choice for vicar general. Many times since it has come to my mind how grateful I am that he is my vicar general. Some people have been kind enough to say I look like him. I take it as much more a challenge to be like him. If you want an easy way to pray for the future of the diocese, pray for good health for Msgr. Heller and for many priests just like him. “
In 1977, when Msgr. Heller was close to retirement, parishioners surprised their pastor with three tuned musical bells, named for Msgr. Heller and his parents. Before the 9 a.m. Mass Oct. 16, 1977, Msgr. Heller rang the bells for the first time.
Msgr. Heller died of a heart ailment at Georgetown University Hospital at age 80 Sept. 18, 1982. He is buried with his parents in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Martinsburg, W.Va.
Maraist can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @zoeymaraistACH.
Celebrate Msgr. Heller
There will be a rededication of Heller Hall followed by a reception after the noon Mass Sept. 18 at St. James Church in Falls Church.
