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 HELENA

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HELEN

had become sole master of the Roman Empire, subse- quently, therefore, to the year 324. It was in Pales- tine, as we learn from Eusebius (loc. cit., xlii), that she had resolved to bring to God, the King of kings, the homage and tribute of her devotion. She lav- ished on that land her bounties and good deeds, she "explored it with remarkable discernment", and " visited it with the care and solicitude of the emperor himself". Then, when she "had shown due venera- tion to the footsteps of the Saviour", she had two churches erected for the worship of God: one was raised in Bethlehem near the Grotto of the Nativity, the other on the Mount of the Ascension, near Jerusa- lem. She also embellished the sacred grotto with rich ornaments. This sojourn in Jerusalem proved the starting-point of the legend first recorded by Rufinus as to the discovery of the Cross of Christ.

Her princely munificence was such that, according to Eusebius, she assisted not only individuals but

St. Helena

From an VIII-IX Century EvanKoIiarium in the Library

of the University of Heidelberg

entire communities. The poor and destitute were the special objects of her charity. She visited the churches everywhere with pious zeal and made them rich donations. It was thus that, in fulfilment of the Saviour's precept, she brought forth abundant fruit in word and deed. If Helena conducted herself in this manner while in the Holy Land, which is indeed testi- fied to by Eusebius, Bishop of Ca?sarea in Palestine, we should not doubt that she manifested the same piety and benevolence in those other cities of the empire in which she resided after her conversion. Her memory in Rome is chiefly identified with the church of S. Croce in Gerusalemrae. On the present location of this church formerly stood the Palatium Sessorianum, and near by were the Thermo; Heleni- ance, which baths derived their name from the em- press. Here two inscriptions were found composed in honour of Helena (Marucchi, " Basiliques et ^-glises de Rome", Rome, 1902, .346). The Sessormm, which was near the site of the Lateran, probably served as Hel- ena's residence when .she stayed in Rome; so that it is quite possible for a Christian basilica to have been erected on this spot by Constantine, at her suggestion and in honour of the true Cross.

Helena was still living in the year 326, when Con- stantine ordered the execution of his son Crispus. When, according to Socrates' account (Hist, eccl., I, xviii), the emperor in .327 improved Drepanum, his mother's native town, and decreed that it should be called Helenopolis, it is probable that the latter re-

turned from Palestine to her son, who was then resid- ing in the Orient. Constantine was with her when she died, at the advanced age of eighty years or there- abouts (Eusebius, '■ VitaConst.",III,xlvi). Tliismust have been about the year 330, for the last coins which are known to have been stamped with her name bore this date (Jalu-biicher des Vereins von Altertums- freunden im Rheinland, XVH, 92). Her body was brought to Constantinople and laicl to rest in the im- perial vault of the church of the Apostles. It is pre- sumed that her remains were transferred in 849 to the Abbey of Hautvillers, in the French .Archdiocese of Reims, as recorded bj' the monk Altmann in his "Translatio". She was revered as a saint, and the veneration spread, early in the ninth century, even to Western countries. Her feast falls on IS August. Regarding the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, see Cross and Crucifix.

Arfa SS., August. Ill, 548 sqq.; Sauerland, Trierer Geschichtsquellcn {Trier. 1S89), 61 sqq., 140 sqq.; de BnoGLlE, L'Eglise et Vempire romaiii au IV' sit'ctc, II (5th ed.. Paris, 1867), 98 sqq.; Leben der hi. Kaiserin Helena (Cologne, 1832); LucoT, .Ste Hi'irnc, m<re de Vempereur Constaniin (Paris, 1877); ToupiN. .Ste HcUiie (Paris, 1882): Rouillon, Ste Hiline il Les Saints (2nd od., Paris, 1908) ; Beissel. Geschichle der Trierer KiTchen. I (Trier, 1887), 82 sq., 124 sq.

J. P. KiRSCH.

Helena, Diocese of (Helenensis), erected from the Vicariate of Montana, 7 March, 18S4. It com- prises the western part of the State of Montana, U. S. k., and is made up of Lewis and Clark, Teton, Flat- head, Missoula, Sanders, Powell, Granite, Ravalli, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Jefferson, Broadwater, Meagher, Gallatin, Madison, and Beaverhead counties, an area of 51,922 square miles. Montana Territory was first included in the jurisdiction of the Vicariate of Nebraska, created in LSol. When in 1S6S that part west of the Rocky Mountains was taken to make up the Vicariate of Idaho there were nineteen priests, twenty-three churches and chapels, four hospitals, six parish schools, and an estimated Catholic popu- lation of 15,000 when the diocese was formed. Missions among the Flathead, Blackfeet, and Cheyenne In- dians took up a large part of the time of the band of Jesuit priests located in the diocese, wliile the Sisters of Charity, the Ursulines, and the Sisters of Charity of Providence looked after the schools.

The first bishop was the Right Rev. John Baptist Brondel (q. v.), consecrated 14 December, 1879, at Victoria, V. I., and transferred to Helena, 7 March, 1SS4. He died 3 November, 1903. John P. Carroll, second bishop, was consecrated 21 December, 1904. He was born at Dubuque, Iowa, 22 February, 1864, and ordained priest 7 July, 1889.

The following religious have communities in the diocese: Jesuits, Brothers of Christian Instruction, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Ursulines, Sisters of Charity of Providence, Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic, Sisters of Charity B. V. M.

Statistics. — 45 priests (8 religious), 45 churches with resident priests, 34 missions, 72 stations, 48 chapels, 20 parish schools (4900 pupils), 5 Indian schools (400 pupils), 15 brothers, 219 sisters, 36 ecclesiastical students; 1 orphan asylum (250 in- mates), 1 industrial and reform school (50 inmates), total young people under Catholic care 5762; 5 hos- pitals. Catholic population 50,000.

Catholic Directory, 1909; Catholic News (New York), files; Biog. Encycl. Cath. Hierarchy V. S. (Milwaukee, 1898).

Thomas F. Meehan.

Helen of Skofde, S.\int, martjT in the first half of the twelfth century. Her feast is celebrated 31 July. Her life (Acta SS., July, VII, 340) is ascribed to St. Brynolph, Bishop of Skara, in Sweden (d. 1317). She was of noble family and is generally believed to have been the daughter of the Jarl Guthorm. When