St. Helena of Constantinople

Juan Apolinario C. Reyes

Believe it or not, St. Helena of Constantinople was the mother of an emperor. That emperor was Constantine himself, the emperor of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. She is the fourth on my list of saints.

Originally what I wanted was to write about the emperor himself because if there is such a thing as the ten most influential person in the history of the Roman Catholic faith, Emperor Constantine is sure to be among them because it was he who decreed the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire. But since this man is no saint, and I am truly disappointed for that, I have no choice but to pick the next best thing, his mother.

What feat of achievement did St. Helena do?

St. Helena became a royal treasurer of sorts, someone who was entrusted with the management of the state's wealth. But time came when she was given a special mission by her son. To discover and claim as many Christian relics as she can and bring them to Constantinople. This mission brought our saint to many parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle east.

Her journey left a trail of legends that turned her into a heroine of sorts, someone we hear about only in folklore. One story says she found the nails used in Jesus Christ's crucifixion. She brought them to her son and placed them on his son's helmet for protection. Another story says she found the Holy Cross of Jesus's crucifixion.

Upon reaching Bethlehem in her crusade, she ordered and financed the construction of the Church of The Nativity right on the spot where Jesus was said to have been born. She also financed the construction of another church on the Mount of Olives from where Jesus was said to have ascended to heaven. Cheers to this woman.

Nice name, Helena. She was probably named after Helen of Troy, the cause for the sufferings of so many Greeks and Trojans. But that is another story.

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