FREE SAINT HELENA AND THE TRUE CROSS PDF Louis de Wohl | 190 pages | 01 Feb 2012 | Ignatius Press | 9781586175986 | English | San Francisco, United States True Cross | History & Facts | Britannica Very little is known about Helena's early life, but it is believed she is from Drepanum later known as Helenopolis in Asia Minor and born into a poor family and lower class in the Roman culture of the day. Ambrose described Helena as a "good stable-maid. Despite her background, Helena married Constantius Chlorus. With him she birthed her only son, Constantine. Nearly two decades later inConstantius, now co-Regent of the West, got swept up in his rising stature and divorced Helena for Theodora, the step-daughter of Emperor Maximinianus Herculius. It is believed he Saint Helena and the True Cross this to advance his own reputation and advance his standing in the Roman society. Constantine was forever loyal to his dear mother, whom he loved very much. As he grew and became a member of the inner circle, he never left Helena's Saint Helena and the True Cross. Following the death of Constantius inConstantine became Saint Helena and the True Cross and summoned his mother back into inner circle and the imperial court. Helena received the title of Augusta. Constantine ordered all to honor his mother. Saint Helena and the True Cross even had coins minted, bearing her image. Through her son's influence, Helena began to embrace Christianity. With her title of Augusta Imperatrix, Helena was given free reign over the imperial treasury. She was tasked with locating relics of Christian tradition. During her journey, Helena had many churches constructed, including the one at the site of Jesus Christ's birth - the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem and another at the site of his ascension - Church of Eleona on the Mount of Olives. During this time Jerusalem was still being rebuilt after Titus' destruction. Around the yearEmperor Hadrian had a temple built over the site of Jesus' death. This temple was believed to be dedicated to Venus. Helena had this temple destroyed and chose a site in this location to be excavated. This led to the discovery of three crosses. Tradition says Helena brought a woman near death to the crosses. There she had the woman place a hand on all three crosses. Nothing happened when she touched the first two crosses, but when she placed her hand on the third cross she suddenly recovered. Helena declared the third cross to be the True Cross. At this site, Constantine ordered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be built. Theodoret of Cyrus, an influential theologian, wrote that that during her search, Helena also discovered the nails of the crucifixion. She had one of the nails placed in Constantine's helmet and one Saint Helena and the True Cross the bridle of his horse to aid him with their miraculous powers. Churches Saint Helena and the True Cross built at these sites, as well. Several of the relics believed to be found by St. Helena are located in Cyprus. Among these are parts of Jesus' tunic, pieces of the holy cross, and pieces of the rope used to tie Jesus to the cross. When Helena returned to Rome from Jerusalem inshe brought parts of the True Cross back with her. She stored these in her palace's chapel. They can still be seen to this day, though her palace has been converted to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Saint Helena and the True Cross. Helena died around with her dearly devoted son by her side. She was then buried in the Mausoleum of Helena outside of Rome. Her sarcophagus can be seen in the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum. Helena was renowned for helping not only individuals, but entire communities through her works of charity. She often sought out to help the poor and destitute. She would visit churches and leave them with rich donations. Helena was a very devout servant of God, so much so that one would easily believe her to have been a follower of Jesus Christ from birth. Through her influence and work, Christianity continued to spread throughout the known world. Copyright Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Federal Tax Identification Number: Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Toggle navigation. Search Catholic Online. We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Thank you. All Saints Day Free Class. All Souls Day Free Class. Francis of Assisi FlashCard. Continue reading about St. Helen St. Sterling Silver Oval St. More Saints Search Search Saints. Trending Saints: St. Francis of Assisi St. Patrick St. Catherine of Siena. We ask you, humbly, to help. Never Miss any Updates! Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. Email Address. Popular Saints. True Cross - Wikipedia In my parish, we have a stained glass window which shows St. Helena holding a cross. When I asked another parishioner "why? What is the reason? Helena is often depicted holding a cross because tradition maintains she found the true cross in Jerusalem. Before delving into this matter further, some background information is necessary. While Jerusalem remained mostly in ruins because of the revolt in A. While regarding Judaism as insurrectionary, Hadrian regarded Christianity the same way. To eradicate the influence of Christianity, Hadrian leveled the top of Mount Calvary and erected a temple to the pagan goddess Venus. He also cut away and leveled the hillside where Jesus tomb stood and built a temple to the pagan god Jupiter Capitolinus. Ironically, this destruction actually preserved the sacred sites. The Emperor Constantine seized power in the yearand in the following year, legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan. Helena, converted to Christianity. She died in the year at about the age of Saint Helena and the True Cross to the early great Church historian Eusebius, she was about 63 at the time of her conversion. With the authority of her son, St. Helena went to Palestine in search of the sacred sites about the year In the following years, St. Helena would build churches marking the place of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the site of the Ascension. True Christian zeal motivated St. Eusebius described her as follows: "Especially abundant were the gifts she bestowed on the naked and unprotected poor. To some she gave money, to others an ample supply of Saint Helena and the True Cross she liberated some from imprisonment, or from the bitter servitude of the mines; others she delivered from unjust oppression, and others again, she restored from exile. While, however, her character derived luster from such deeds She might be seen continually frequenting His Church, while at the same time she adorned the houses of prayer with splendid offerings, not overlooking the churches of the smallest cities. In short, this admirable Saint Helena and the True Cross was to be seen, in simple and modest attire, mingling with the crowd of worshipers, and testifying her devotion to God by a uniform course of pious conduct" The Life of Constantine, XLIV, XLV. About the yearthe temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was demolished, and the workers began to excavate the area. They discovered the remains of the tomb that was reported to be that of our Lord Jesus. They built a new shrine over the tomb, which has been modified over the centuries, but today stands in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. A woman, dying from a terminal disease, was brought to the spot. She touched the crosses, one by one. After she touched the third cross, she was cured, thereby identifying the true cross. The temple of Venus was also demolished, thereby exposing the site where Christ was crucified. The Emperor Constantine himself wrote to St. Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, ordering him to make a search for the cross Saint Helena and the True Cross Mount Calvary. A learned Jew named Judas seemed to have some knowledge of the whereabouts, and was pressed into service. Just east of the site, three crosses were found in a rock-cistern as well as the titulus the wood plaque inscribed with Jesus Nazaranus Rex Iudaeorum. The question then arose, "Which was the cross of Christ? While the details provided by St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, Rufinus, and Socrates not the philosopher are lacking and sometimes contradictory, the essence of the story follows: The three crosses and the titulus were removed from the cistern. Other sources also relate the later finding of other instruments of the Passion. Most importantly, St. Ambrose preached that when St. Helena found the true cross, "she worshiped not the wood, but the King, Him who hung on the wood. She burned with an earnest desire of touching the guarantee of Saint Helena and the True Cross. Cyril of Jerusalem provides some corroboration. Cyril stated, "The saving wood of the cross was found at Jerusalem in the time of Constantine. For if you would deny it, the place refutes you visibly, this blessed Golgotha, in which we are now assembled for the sake of Him who was here crucified; and the whole world has since been filled with pieces of the wood of the Cross.