Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, converted to Christianity after his victory over Maxentius. She journeyed to the Holy Land in 326, erecting churches on sacred sites and engaging in acts of piety and charity.

Her most notable achievement was discovering the True Cross during the excavation of Christ's crucifixion site.

Helena's devoutness and philanthropy supported the spread of Christianity. She died around 330, laid to rest in Rome and later moved to France. Helena's legacy is defined by her faith, charity, and role in early Christianity's propagation. She is often depicted with the cross, symbolizing her discovery of the True Cross.

The Feast of the Cross has its origins in Jerusalem, where the dedication of churches built on holy sites was celebrated with great solemnity on September 13th and 14th. This feast eventually spread to Constantinople and Rome.

Accounts around 380 AD describe how the faithful gathered to venerate the Cross on Good Friday in Jerusalem. Relics of the True Cross were distributed worldwide, and the Council of Nicaea in 787 clarified the proper veneration of images and relics. Early Christians, such as St. Radegunda and St. Gregory I, possessed fragments of the True Cross, and various relics were enclosed in altars.

Feasts celebrating the Cross emerged, with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in Rome being established around the seventh century.

Celebrate the feast by doing the following:

• Lighting a candle in prayer to end injustice and the suffering of others.
• Learn about the feast by following the links bellow:
  • Teaching Catholic Kids
  • Loyola Press
  • EWTN
• Pray the Stations of the Cross.
• Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.
• Attend Mass.