The relics of the Holy Empress Helena, mother of Saint Constantine the Great, Emperor and Equal-to-the-Apostles, will be brought to Pantocrator Monastery in southern Romania for a historic pilgrimage.
The sacred remains, currently housed in a Venetian Catholic church, will stay at the monastery from April 30 to May 8, 2025.
Saint Helena was originally buried in Rome, with her relics later moved to Constantinople – New Rome.
During the Fourth Crusade in 1211, they were taken by Western knights to Venice, where they have remained for over eight centuries.
This marks only the second time the relics will visit an Orthodox country, following a 2017 pilgrimage to Greece.
Second Orthodox Country to Receive the Relics
“Every year, on the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, Pantocrator Monastery is adorned in celebration as part of a beautiful tradition started in 2015, where relics are brought for a pilgrimage,” said Archimandrite Serafim Baciu, the administrative vicar of the Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman.
“These spiritual events are primarily held to honour the first witness of the Lord’s Resurrection, Saint Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of our monastery, and have included the veneration of other holy relics as well.”
Stop at the Patriarchal Cathedral
“Not coincidentally, both Saint Mary Magdalene and the Holy Empress Helena bear the title ‘Equal to the Apostles.’ The former was a witness and preacher of the Lord’s Resurrection, while the latter discovered the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and was the primary founder of the first churches at the sites of Christ’s Nativity and Resurrection,” the vicar noted.
“This year, as the Romanian Patriarchate celebrates its centennial, the joy of the anniversary events will be enhanced by this spiritual event,” added Archimandrite Serafim Baciu.
On April 30, the first day of the pilgrimage, the holy relics will rest at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, protected by Saint Helena and her son, Emperor Constantine the Great, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Meeting of Two “Equals to the Apostles”
The relics of the Holy Empress Helena will arrive at Pantocrator Monastery the same day around 7:30 PM.
In their presence, the monastery will commemorate the Translation of Saint Mary Magdalene’s relics from Ephesus to Constantinople on May 4 and the feast day of the monastery’s main church on May 8.
Additionally, on May 5-6, 2024, the Diocesan Center of Alexandria and Pantocrator Monastery will host the National Symposium, “Faith, Service, and History in Ecclesial and National Contexts: 100 Years of Patriarchate and 1700 Years Since the First Ecumenical Council.”
This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325), which was convened by Saint Constantine the Great and his mother, Saint Helena.
The arrival of the relics comes during the centennial celebrations of the Romanian Patriarchate, adding spiritual significance to the events. Approximately one million women in Romania are named Elena or derivates, making the pilgrimage particularly meaningful for the faithful.
Source: Basilica.ro / Photo: Doxologia.ro
