Saints of the Day & More

St. Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great. This made her the Queen to the Roman Empire, it was because of Helena that Constantine converted to Christianity and thus creating the Holy Roman Empire. According to St. Ambrose, Helena was an inn-keeper when Constantius lifted her from her lowly position and made her his consort. There exists a legend that she was the daughter of a British king, but there is no historical foundation for this. It is, however, true that Constantius spent some time in Britain putting down a rebellion among the Picts and Scots, and died at York, but it is thought that he had cast off Helena and taken a new wife long before this time. On the death of his father, the young Constantine brought his mother to live at court at Byzantium, the capital of the Eastern Empire. He honored her by giving her the Roman title of Augusta and also had coins struck bearing her image. Everyone knows the story of Constantine's dramatic conversion. The Church historian...

Saint Agathius also known as Achatius or Acacius of Byzantium. was a Cappadocian centurion of the imperial army. He was arrested for his faith on charges by Tribune Firmus in Perinthus, Thrace, tortured, and then brought to Byzantium where he was scourged and beheaded, being made a martyr because he would not give up his Christian Faith. Constantine the Great built a church in his honour. His relics were translated ca. 630 to a spring at Squillace, close by the Vivarium, the monastery founded in the previous century by Cassiodorus in the heel of Italy. He was known in Squillace as San Agario. A relic of his arm was brought to Guardavalle in 1584 by the bishop of Squillace, Marcello Sirleto, hence Agathius' patronage of this city. Relics from Squillace were also brought to Cuenca and Ávila in Spain, where he is known as San Acato.