18 August: St. Helena, a book recommendation, and a shout out

Even as tropical storm Helene churns upon itself over the waters, I noted today in the appendix of my 1962 Missale Romanum that for 18 August there is a formulary for Mass in honor of St. Helena, mother of Constantine.

Turning to the 2005 Martyrologium Romanum we find:

4. Romae via Labicana, sanctae Helenae, matris Constantini imperatoris, quae singulariter studuit egenos iuvare et pie mixta turbis ecclesias adire atque, Hierosolymam peregrinata, ut Christi Nativitatis, Passionis, et Resurrectionis loca investigaret, praesepe crucemque Domini venerandis basilicis honoravit.

If you are interested in reading a fascinating book about Constantine, which also necessarily concerns his mother Helena, try the excellent Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor by Paul Stephenson. (Kindle version HERE. UK book HERE. UK paperback HERE.)   It is well worth your time.  The book was originally suggested to me by His Hermeneuticalness himself!

So… who will give us their flawless and yet elegant rendering of the Latin into English?

And for my good friend Fr. Pasley, happy feast of St. Agapitus!

Parents or parents to be: Consider naming your next boy child “Agapitus”.