There are a ton of saints in the Roman & Orthodox calendars. The Anglicans have stripped their calendar down dramatically, although they’ve been enriching it in very interesting ways over the last couple of hundred years… Sometimes one has to wonder what goes into the decision making process. For instance, the recent hubbub about the rush to make a couple of popes saints, one looking a whole lot like a tip of the hat to contemporary “liberal” Catholics, the other with the hat going toward the more “conservative” among contemporary Catholics.
Today marks the celebration of another example of the somewhat problematic. But one, I have to admit, I find interesting. ‘Tis the feast of Helena of Constantinople, known in some circles as the Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles. Yikes. A blood thirsty tyrant, well, and I guess arguably the author of what would become the normative face of Christianity, so, well, maybe… And Helena. Celebrated by the Catholic, the Orthodox and the Anglicans. Maybe some Lutherans, too…
Helena is the mother of Constantine “the Great.” Don’t want to confuse him with those lesser Constantines… Apparently the Brits like to say she was English, and want her to have been the daughter of a king. Others suggest a lower rank, including stable maid. Whatever, it doesn’t look like her life was all that easy. Until her son took over as head of the Roman Empire, of course…
She was a pious person, at least. Unlike the rest of the clan who were in the tyrant business above all else. I don’t think there’s blood on her hands.
Her major contribution was to the religious tourist industry in Israel & Palestine, as well as giving the relic industry a much need shot in the arm. Between 326 and 328 she traveled to the Holy Land and her tour guides at the time helped her to “discover” the sites of the nativity, the acension, Jesus’ tomb, the true cross, including several of the nails, as well as, on a side trip, the site of the burning bush.
I admit I don’t see equal to the Apostles. Mother of the author of Christianity, Inc., perhaps. Patron saint for religious tourism, you bet.
Worth the saint title?
I’m always a softy for moms, so I guess, why not?
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