Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles
May 21 on the Julian calendar / June 3 on the civil calendar
Dates follow the calendar tradition used by this project. Parishes using the new calendar celebrate fixed feasts on different civil dates.
Equal to the Apostles
Saints Constantine and Helen are honored for their service to the Church at a decisive moment in Christian history. Their commemoration gives thanks for the end of persecution, care for the Church’s life, and reverence for the Cross of Christ.
Short life
Saint Constantine was born in 274, possibly at Nish, the son of Constantius Chlorus and Saint Helen, a Christian of humble birth. In 306, after his father’s death, the army at York acclaimed him emperor of Gaul and Britain. His first act as ruler was to permit Christians in his lands to practice their faith freely. Having become sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313, guaranteeing religious tolerance for Christians. In 323 he became sole ruler of the whole empire and extended these provisions to the East. He honored his mother with the imperial title Augusta. Helen died in Constantinople in 327. Constantine received holy Baptism before his death and reposed in 337, on the day of Pentecost.
Life and context
Constantine’s reign followed a long era of persecution of Christians. He recalled Christian confessors from exile, built churches, and showed concern for the clergy. He moved the imperial capital to Byzantium, renamed Constantinople. In 325, by his order, the First Ecumenical Council met at Nicaea and condemned Arianism, which denied the divine nature of the Son of God. The emperor attended its sessions. Constantine sent Helen to Jerusalem with authority and resources to search for the Cross of the Lord. Church tradition recounts that the Life-Creating Cross was miraculously discovered in 326 through God’s will, during the search led by Helen and Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem. In Palestine, Helen supported the clearing of holy places of pagan traces and the building of churches.
Why they are venerated
The Church calls Constantine and Helen Equal to the Apostles because their work served the Church’s growth and ordering. Constantine is especially honored for helping bring an end to Christians’ fear of persecution and for supporting the Church. Helen is honored for her reverent care for holy places, her almsgiving to those in need, and her part in the search for the Cross of Christ. Their commemoration teaches that authority, personal devotion, and material resources can be directed toward protecting people and serving what is good. Veneration of the saints does not replace Christ; it leads the faithful to thank God for His work in the Church’s history and to confess the faith responsibly.
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Sources: Orthodox Church in America