Parish announcements this week

According to tradition Saint Helena decided to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to excavate the Holy Sepulcher and attempt to locate the True Cross. A Jew by the name of Judas, aware of the tradition concerning the hiding of the Cross, led the expedition to the spot in which the Holy Cross was hidden. Three crosses were found and the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” remained attached to the True Cross. In one version of tradition, the three crosses were taken to a woman who was near death; when she touched the True Cross, she was healed. In another version, the body of a dead man was brought to the place where the three crosses were found, and laid upon each cross. The True Cross restored the dead man to life.

In celebration of the discovery of the Holy Cross, Constantine ordered the construction of churches at the site of the Holy Sepulcher and on Mount Calvary. Those churches were dedicated on September 13 and 14, 335, and shortly thereafter the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross began to be celebrated on the latter date. The feast slowly spread from Jerusalem to other churches until by the year 720, the celebration was universal.