Saint Helena (Helena), Roman Empress, was the mother of Constantine I, the emperor who stopped the persecution of Christians and granted them freedom of worship within the borders of the empire. TO Saint Helena He is credited with the discovery, in Jerusalem, of the Holy Cross on which Christ died.
Saint Helena is also known as ‘Helen of Constantinople’ or ‘Saint Helen of the Cross’. Faithful Christians turn to her when something or someone has gone missing, so that with her help what was lost can be found.
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Rejected by her husband, she found the true God
Elena was born around the year 246, in Bithynia, a former province of the Roman Empire located northwest of Asia Minor, southwest of the Black Sea (modern Turkey). Although her origins were humble – it is said that she was the daughter of a servant – she was married to Constantius Chlorus, who would become emperor with the name Constantius I. Both were the parents of Constantine I the Great.
In the time of Emperor Maximian, Constantius Chlorus was already recognized as an outstanding military man. When the emperor realized his ability, he invited him to be his closest collaborator, but on one condition: that he repudiate his wife, Elena, and marry his daughter. Letting himself be carried away by ambition, Constantius repudiated Elena.
The saint would suffer, as a consequence, humiliating abandonment for 14 years. However, in the midst of loneliness, she met God and converted to Christianity, most likely under the influence of her son, the future emperor, who embraced Christianity before her.
The rise of Constantine
Upon the death of Constantius Chlorus, Constantine was proclaimed emperor by the Roman army.
While in the military camp on the Milvian Bridge in Rome, before the battle of Saxa Rubra (year 313), Constantine had a dream in which Christ showed him the cross and told him: “With this sign you will win.” The next morning, the emperor ordered a cross to lead the formation of his host. This was done during the combat and Constantine achieved victory.
After that triumph, Constantine decreed the free profession of Christianity – the Catholic religion – and, having embraced that faith himself, he set out to help make it grow throughout the empire.
He sought and found: the Cross
Constantine loved and respected his mother, Helena, immensely, and named her “Augusta” (empress). She ordered coins to be minted with her face, and gave her full powers to use the empire’s money in whatever charitable works she wanted.
Elena, committed to the Christian cause, decided to undertake a trip to Jerusalem with the purpose of recovering every vestige left by Jesus of Nazareth. Thus, moved by devotion to the God who dies for love of men, she set out to find the Holy Cross of our Lord. For this undertaking she took with her a large group of workers who carried out excavations on Mount Calvary, where according to tradition the holy wood was found.
Holy Staircase
Later, in the year 326, Saint Helena ordered the “Holy Staircase” (Scala sancta) to be brought to Rome from the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. The Holy Staircase was later transported in its entirety.
According to tradition, Christ climbed that staircase on Good Friday to the place where he would be judged; and on her she shed his blood. Today, the staircase is located in front of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in the Eternal City.
In 1723, the “Scala” was covered with walnut wood as a way to preserve it from wear and tear. Naturally, thousands and thousands of pilgrims come to the place where it is located today with the intention of venerating it. Over the centuries, the custom of climbing it on one’s knees as a sign of heartfelt devotion has been established.
A humble and strong-willed woman
Saint Ambrose of Milan, in the 4th century, referred to Saint Helena, highlighting that, despite being the mother of the emperor, she dressed simply, mingled with the poor and used the wealth that her son gave her to help them.
Saint Helena had three temples built in the Holy Land: one on Mount Calvary, another on the Mount of Olives and the third in Bethlehem.
She is considered the patron saint of the societies or brotherhoods of the True Cross and her intercession is requested when an important object is lost.
Saint Helena of the Cross died around the year 330 AD.
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If you want to know more about Saint Helena, we suggest this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Santa_Helena.
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