Helen Marie (Williams) Hudson

The Celebration of Life Service for Mrs. Hudson will be live streamed on the Facebook Page of Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor.

FACE MASKS ARE STRONGLY URGED!!!

Helen Marie Williams Hudson, beloved matriarch of Durham’s Holy Cross Catholic Church, passed peacefully and joined the angels, September 1, 2025. A member of Holy Cross for more than 70 years, she was the longest serving member where she was a leader and, also a leader in the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. Throughout the years she was a keeper of Holy Cross’ history and a proponent of ensuring the identity and visibility of African Americans within the Church’s spreading of the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments, and forming our faith community; and she was devoted to Christian principles.

Born April 12, 1931, in Haw Branch, NC to the late Mary Ellen Chalmers and the late Lee Rodgers, her mother later married the late Thomas Williams, her stepfather. When Helen was twelve, her mother passed and she was raised by her aunt, the late Bell Banner and her uncle, the late Jesse Banner in Carthage, NC. Helen graduated from Carthage’s Pickney High School in 1948 and enrolled in North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Initially, she was interested in library science but later decided to major in education. It was during this time that she began attending Mass at Holy Cross before the construction of the original Holy Cross which now has a home on NCCU’s campus. Helen often relayed the story of Holy Cross’ beginnings. Before the original Holy Cross’ construction, parishioners met in the dental office of the late Dr. Norman Cordice and then in the church’s rectory. This was during segregation when Black Catholics were prevented from participating in the whole of the Church and sharing their cultural expressions of faith, and simultaneously, were discouraged from attending Mass where white people were the majority. From the beginning, Helen seriously honored the Church’s sacraments, eventually converted to Catholicism in 1951, and entered a lifelong devotion to the Church’s teachings. Importantly, she fought for inclusion of Black Catholics in all aspects of the Church; and was devoted to Holy Cross’ mission. She witnessed Holy Cross’ elevation from a “mission” church to a self-supporting parish in 1966, and construction of the new Holy Cross sanctuary in 2007.

On June 29, 1963, Helen was united in Holy Matrimony to the late Haskel Alexander Hudson according to the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church at the then Holy Cross Mission Church. Officiating was the late Rev. John A. Risacher, S.J. (founding priest of Holy Cross) and witnesses were the late Robert and Anne Duncan and Luther D. Hudson.

Helen was blessed with the birth of one daughter, Mary Ellen Joyner who preceded her in death, May 19, 2019. After raising her daughter and after the passing of her husband, Helen returned to NCCU and in 1980, received the B. A. degree in French. She was an English teacher at Ralph Bunche High School in the Weldon City School District and then taught English in the Apex City School District for seven years. Following this, she transferred to the Durham City Public School System (DCPSS) where she taught Spanish at Carr Junior High School and at Durham High School where she taught English. Simultaneously, Helen also served as a part time librarian for the DCPSS. Helen also taught school in Halifax County and Wake County School Systems. After many successful years of teaching Helen retired in 1991. Her retirement was marked by many tributes for her excellent teaching service in Durham City Public Schools and notably among them were a citation of appreciation for her years of dedicated service to Durham City Schools.

Once becoming a member of Holy Cross, Helen entered a lifetime of Catholic service. From the Diocese of Raleigh, she received Diocesan Certification, Master Level in Formation of Catechetical Leadership and following retirement, she was Holy Cross’ Director of Religious Education for several years. Helen also completed the Diocesan Training and Preaching Practicum, which qualified her to evangelize and this she did. She used her gifts as Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults facilitator, Sacristan coordinator, and Eucharistic minister throughout her years of service to provide insights into church doctrine and tradition. In 2005, Helen received the Mother Teresa award from the Knights of Columbus and Holy Cross. Helen was awarded the Lay Ministry Lifetime Achievement Award for over 50 years of dedicated and diverse services to the Church by the Diocese of Raleigh in 2016. She served on the Parish Council and was a long-time member of the Altar Society and the African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization Network (AAMEN), an area-wide diocesan organization, made up of several chapters. AAMEN fosters the mission of the Roman Catholic Church by creating an atmosphere where individuals of African ancestry can maintain their identity, heighten their visibility and enhance their lives as Catholics. Through AAMEN, Helen worked to develop and to coordinate diocesan activities that promoted AAMEN’s mission. Nationally, Helen attended and promoted the missions of Black Catholic national gatherings that included the annual Lyke Conference, The National Black Catholic Congress and the Sisters Conference.

As a student at NCCU she was initiated into the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and later became a member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter. Devoted to Delta for over 70 years, Helen has served as the Chapter’s First Vice-President, Chaplain and chaired and served on many chapter committees. Among her many accolades from the Chapter include the Merrick -Fisher-Spaulding Award, the highest honor that the Chapter bestows on a member in recognition of outstanding public service in the community, for her faith in youth, compassion for her fellow man and dedication to Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.

Helen was also a member of the Senior Crusaders, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Lucky Chips Club; and she was a volunteer for Durham’s The Read Seed Program and Family First. Helen lived a life of service and giving.

In her final years, Helen’s granddaughter, Jilliene, and her great-granddaughter, Javiah, were the principal care providers for her. Through the years, Helen was close to her baby sister, Billy Kate Williams. Billy Kate and her brother, Eugene, both preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn, her sister, Josephine Jones (James); one brother, John Thomas Williams (Rose); granddaughter Jilliene Brown (Victor); great granddaughter, Javiah Brown; a host of cousins, nephews, nieces; and many longtime friends and associates. Helen will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.

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