The mother of Emperor Constantine, whose pilgrimage to the Holy Land in old age is traditionally credited with recovering relics of the True Cross.

Saint Helena was the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, dying around the year 330 in Rome at about eighty-four. Late in life she traveled to the Holy Land, where tradition credits her with locating relics associated with the crucifixion of Christ and founding churches at significant biblical sites, work that made her one of the most influential women in the early Christianization of the Roman Empire.

Quick Facts

• Born: c. 246, Greece
• Died: c. 330, Rome, Italy
• Venerated as: Empress; Mother of Constantine
• Approximate age at death: 84

Who Was Saint Helena?

Helena rose from relatively humble origins to become the mother of Constantine, the emperor whose 313 Edict of Milan ended Roman persecution of Christians. In her final years she undertook a celebrated pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land, where ancient tradition, recorded not long after her death, credits her with the discovery of relics of the True Cross and the founding of major churches on the sites of Christ’s birth and passion.

Historical Setting

The early fourth century marked the dramatic transformation of Christianity from a persecuted minority faith to an increasingly favored religion within the Roman Empire. Helena’s pilgrimage, undertaken with imperial resources at her disposal, helped establish the Holy Land’s major shrines as pilgrimage destinations that continue to draw Christians today.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Helena

Helena is remembered both for her personal piety, unusual for a woman of her imperial rank and generation, and for the lasting physical legacy of churches and holy sites her patronage helped establish, most famously the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Canonization and Feast Day

As a fourth-century figure, Helena’s veneration predates any formal Roman canonization process; her recognition as a saint rests on ancient and continuous devotion in both the Eastern and Western Churches, among the earliest and most widespread cults of any layperson.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Helena’s decision to undertake a demanding pilgrimage late in life shows that spiritual seeking need not end with age, and that even those with great worldly power can direct it toward genuinely humble and devout purposes.

A Prayer to Saint Helena

Saint Helena, who sought the places made holy by Christ’s own footsteps, help us, whatever our age or circumstance, to keep seeking Christ earnestly, and to use whatever means we have for the good of others. Amen.

Sources

• Eusebius, Life of Constantine
• New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
• Britannica