May 21st -
Saint Helen was born in 248 in Drepana, near Nicomedia in Bithynia, modern-day Izmit.
She married Constantius Chlorus. She was the mother of the first Christian Emperor, Saint Constantine the Great.
Around the year 326, Saint Helen traveled to the Holy Land, as well as to other regions of the Empire, such as Cyprus, Rhodes, Kalymnos, Paros, and Naxos. In all these places, she built churches and monasteries that are still preserved today. After her return from the great pilgrimage, she fell asleep in the Lord.
We celebrate the Finding of the Precious Cross, along with the nails, on March 6th; however, because March 6th usually falls within Great Lent and cannot be celebrated festively with a Divine Liturgy, it was decided to celebrate it on the Third Sunday of Lent, which is called the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, while on September 14th, with strict fasting, we commemorate the Universal Exaltation of the Precious Cross.
We celebrate the memory of the great Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint, together with the memory of her holy son, on May 21st.
NEW - We have reached one hundred "Small and Orthodox" [books] and we are offering a treat - With every individual purchase of a "Small and Orthodox" book, choose a case and a treat - at no extra cost!
Seventh edition!
16 fully illustrated pages, 11x11 cm, softcover.
Available in two languages!
Printed in Thessaloniki, by Orthodox families.