At the end of the fourth century a tradition began to develop linking Helena, the mother of Constantine, with the building of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Contemporary sources note the thorough research carried out by Helena in order to locate the exact site of Jesus's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. But even if Helena's part in locating the site and building the church is hazy, she was certainly involved in the discovery of many holy places and in the establishment of a number of churches. According to Eusebius (Life of Constantine, c. 340): "Since she could give thanks to the Lord and creator of the universe by means of prayers for her son, who had become emperor, and his progeny, God-loving emperors, she decided to do more. Although well advanced in years, she came, fired by youthful fervor, in order to know this land... And by her endless admiration for the footsteps of the Savior... she granted those who came after her the fruits of her piety. Afterward she built two houses of prayer to the God she revered, one in the Grotto of the Nativity and the other on the Mount of the Ascension." The two churches mentioned here are, respectively, the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, and Eleona Church, on the Mount of Olives. She also reputedly built the Church of the Ascension, a church at Elon Mamreh, and others. |
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