Patriarch of Romania welcomes relics of Saint Empress Helena at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest

On Wednesday, 30 April 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church solemnly welcomed the relics of Saint Empress Helena at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. The holy relics were brought in pilgrimage from Venice to Romania, marking a deeply spiritual and historic moment for the faithful.

“Saint Helena was the first Christian pilgrim to the Holy Land,” Patriarch Daniel noted, “and she left us a spiritual legacy of immeasurable value.” He emphasised that Romania is only the second Orthodox country in the last eight centuries to receive her relics, which will remain for veneration at Pantocrator Monastery in Teleorman County until 8 May 2025. They are accompanied by a fragment of the relics of Saint Mary Magdalene from the monastery’s collection.

“This is a great joy for us, Romanians, that on this day, 30 April, the holy relics rest for a few hours in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest, which is itself protected by Saints Constantine and Helena,” the Patriarch said. “It offers us the opportunity to venerate them with reverence and to receive the blessing of this great saint, equal to the apostles.”

A Legacy of Faith and Pilgrimage

Reflecting on the saint’s life, Patriarch Daniel described Saint Helena as an exemplar of faith, piety, and generosity, particularly for her support of the poor. “Through her pilgrimage to the Holy Land to find the Holy Cross, she became the first Christian pilgrim and established the tradition of pilgrimage that continues to this day,” he said.

“By discovering the Holy Cross, she offered a concrete symbol of Christ’s victory over sin and death. Through her church-building efforts in the Holy Land, she laid the foundation for the ongoing practice of sacred pilgrimage.”

Saint Helena, the Patriarch noted, was 75 years old when she embarked on her pilgrimage and lived another five years, during which she built several churches and supported Christian communities throughout the Holy Land.

“For the first time in the history of this cathedral, built between 1656–1658 and dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helena, we are blessed to host her relics,” Patriarch Daniel added.

National Celebration and Religious Significance

The relics were received with reverence by a group of hierarchs and clergy, including Bishop Galaction of Alexandria and Teleorman—the eparchy that initiated the pilgrimage—Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Paisie of Sinaia, and Bishop Timotei of Prahova. Clergy from the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Patriarchal Administration, and the Archdiocese of Bucharest also participated.

In recognition of his efforts, Don Gianmatteo Caputo, Delegate for Cultural Heritage and Sacred Buildings of the Patriarchate of Venice, who accompanied the relics to Romania, was awarded the Order of Saints Constantine and Helena by the Patriarch during a ceremony at the Patriarchal Residence.

The Pantocrator Monastery also gifted a specially crafted icon of Saint Helena to the Patriarchal Cathedral. Two other icons were created for the occasion—one will remain at the monastery, and another will be offered to the Church of Saint Helena in Venice, where her relics are typically kept.

A Jubilee Pilgrimage

This historic pilgrimage is part of the celebrations marking the feast of the Pantocrator Monastery, the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate, and the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, opened by Saint Constantine and supported by his mother, Saint Helena.

On 4 May (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women) and 8 May (the feast of Saint John the Theologian), the monastery will hold liturgical celebrations. Additionally, on 5-6 May, the Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman will organise a national symposium titled “Faith, Ministry, and History in the Ecclesial and National Context: 100 Years of Patriarchate and 1700 Years Since the First Ecumenical Council.”

Concluding his address, Patriarch Daniel urged the faithful to pray to Saint Helena for the well-being of the Church and the nation and to follow her example of Christian charity and unwavering faith.

The relics will arrive at Pantocrator Monastery on the evening of 30 April. The full pilgrimage schedule can be found on the Patriarchate’s official channels.

Source: Basilica.ro / Photo credit: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu