Icon of St. Helen - 00STHE01

Feast Day/Commemorated: Mar 19/June 3

The Life and Imperial Veneration of Saint Helen

Saint Helen, mother of Saint Constantine the Great, was likely born in Drepanum (Helenopolis) in Asia Minor, to humble parents. She married Constantius Chlorus, and their son Constantine was born in 274. Though Constantius later divorced her for political advancement, Constantine, upon becoming emperor, bestowed upon his mother the imperial title "Augusta," showing her immense honor and respect. Following his consolidation of power in the Western Roman Empire, Constantine issued the pivotal Edict of Milan in 313, granting religious tolerance to Christians, a decision possibly influenced by Saint Helen, who was a devout Christian. When Constantine became sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire in 323, he extended these provisions to the Eastern half, thus ending three centuries of Christian persecution.

The Discovery of the Life-Creating Cross

Deeply revering the Sign of the Cross, Emperor Constantine commissioned his mother, the holy Empress Helen, to journey to Jerusalem to find the true Cross upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Granted significant power and resources, Saint Helen, with the assistance of Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem, commenced the search. Through divine providence, the Life-Creating Cross was miraculously discovered in 326. The account details that after questioning locals, an elderly Hebrew named Jude revealed the Cross's burial site beneath a pagan temple of Venus. Saint Helen ordered the temple demolished and the site excavated, leading to the discovery of Golgotha, the Lord’s Sepulchre, three crosses, Pilate's inscription, and the four nails.

Confirmation, Building Churches, and Holy Repose

To ascertain which of the three crosses was Christ's, Patriarch Macarius miraculously used a dead man being carried to his grave; upon contact with the True Cross, the man was immediately restored to life, convincing all present of its authenticity. With immense joy, Empress Helen and Patriarch Macarius uplifted and displayed the Life-Creating Cross to the assembled crowds. While in Palestine, the holy empress dedicated herself to purifying holy sites of pagan influence and commanded that magnificent churches be built at places connected with Christ's earthly life and that of the Theotokos. Emperor Constantine ordered a glorious Church of the Resurrection built over Christ’s tomb. Saint Helen entrusted the Life-Creating Cross to the Patriarch for safekeeping, taking a portion of it and the Nails with her for the emperor. After her tireless efforts and generous almsgiving, the holy Empress Helen returned to Constantinople, where she reposed in the Lord in 327, earning the revered title "Equal of the Apostles" for her monumental service to the Church and her pivotal role in finding the Life-Creating Cross.

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