 n Catholic times Helgen was an independent parish with its own priest. The vicarage was the nearest farm, just across the road from the church, where Aase Helgen live today. The Stave church, which stood on the site of the present church in those days, seems to have been a small but beautiful building and the villagers took good care of it.
 t the Reformation all churches became the crown property and therefore the people of Helgen didn't feel the responsibility of maintaining it was theirs since it had been taken away from them. This was no doubt the significant factor in the decay of the building, which was subsequently demolished and the current building put up in 1735.
 he new church in Helgen has changed through time to become the building it is today. The last major event in its life was the acquisition of an organ that had previously seen service in a church in Sweden - an excellent small instrument! The churchyard has also been extended and developed and an outhouse has been built.
 elgen's church today is a part of the Holla parish and hosts a service on average every third Sunday in addition to Holy days, National day and Christmas Eve.
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