Saint Helena | August 18

Saint Helena (Empress Helena, Mother of Constantine)

Feast Day: August 18 (Western Church)
Died: circa 330 AD
Patronage: Archaeologists, converts, and the discovery of the True Cross

Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, stands as one of the great Christian women of antiquity. Her conversion inspired her son’s embrace of the Faith and the end of Roman persecution. In her later years, Helena undertook a sacred pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where, guided by divine inspiration, she discovered the relics of the True Cross and built basilicas over the sites of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.

Helena’s reverence for the sacred places of Our Lord’s life rekindled devotion among the faithful and gave rise to the veneration of relics in the Church. Her relics are honored in several churches across Europe, a sign of her enduring influence on Christian piety. Through her zeal, the faithful are reminded to seek the Cross as the sure path to eternal life.