Saint Helena of Constantinople
| Saint Helena | |
|---|---|
Coin of Flavia Iulia Helena, mother of Constantine I. Æ Follis (19mm, 3.45 gm). Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck 325–326 AD.
|
|
| Empress; Mother of Constantine the Great | |
| Born | c. 246/50 possibly at Helenopolis Bithynia, Asia Minor |
| Died | c. 327/30 Rome |
| Venerated in | |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Major shrine | The shrine to Sain Helena in St. Peter's Basilica |
| Feast | 18 August (Roman Catholic Church); 21 May (Orthodox, Anglican, and most Lutheran Churches); 19 May (some Lutheran Churches); 9 Pashons (Coptic Orthodox Church) |
| Attributes | Cross |
| Patronage | archaeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses, Saint Helena island, new discoveries |
Helena, or Saint Helena (Greek: Ἁγία Ἑλένη, Hagía Helénē, Latin: Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta; c. 250 – c. 330), was an Empress of the Roman Empire, and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Born in Drepana, Bithynia in Asia Minor, she became the of the future Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus (reigned 293–306) and the mother of the future Emperor Constantine the Great (reigned 306–337). She ranks as an important figure in the history of Christianity and of the world due to her major influence on her son. In her final years, she made a religious tour of Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem, during which she allegedly discovered the True Cross. Pious beliefs also associate her to the foundation of the Vatican Gardens.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Communion revere her as a saint; the Lutheran Church commemorates her.
...
Wikipedia