Saints Constantine & Helen Royal

Explore other icons of the Saints: Saints Constantine and Helen The Story Behind This Icon: Saint Constantine was the son of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and his wife Helen. At 34 years old, his father died, leaving him to rule the land. As Emperor, Constantine was also a military ruler. During a battle in Italy in which he was severely outnumbered, he saw a cross in the sky, with the words “By this shalt thou conquer”. During his sleep, Christ appeared to him and explained the significance and power of the Cross. The next day, he inscribed the Cross into every soldier’s shield and made a banner proclaiming the name of God. He then attacked and conquered Rome and all of Italy in Christ. As a result of Saint Constantine’s effort, all persecution against Christians in the Roman Empire stopped. Saint Constantine also made Byzantium the center of the world, also changing its name to Constantinople in the process. Constantine’s mother, Saint Helen, was a big proponent for the expansion of Christianity; She made a journey to Jerusalem in the year 326 (or about) in order to find the Holy Cross itself, which was hidden and covered in stones. With prayers, they uncovered three crosses, one belonging to Jesus and the others belonging to the thieves that died alongside Him. In order to identify which of the three crosses belonged to Jesus, Macarios, Bishop of Jerusalem, touched with each of the three crosses a woman that was seriously ill and who immediately healed after the touch of the third Cross.  Saints Constantine & Helen feast day is celebrated on May 21. *** This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece. All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.