BL. HELENA OF MOSCOVIA

BL. HELENA OF MOSCOVIA - 11 JULY

BLESSED HELENA OF MOSCOVIA

According to Migne*, Blessed Helena (Olga), was the wife of Igor or Higor of Moscovia, who was killed by the Dreulans in 945. Back then, Helena was still a heathen and called herself Olga. She avenged her husband in a victory she won over the Dreulans at the head of her loyal troops.

Following this battle, she reigned supreme for many years with wisdom and glory. When she was seventy, she resigned in favour of her son Swatoslav and was baptised in Constantinople. She wished to persuade her son to take the same step, but did not succeed.

As a Christian, she shone widely for her piety and zeal. She lived to be well over 100 years old. Helena died in 970 and is venerated by the Russians on July 11. These are the facts as related by Migne*.

According to the Bollandists*, there is a note in one of the Russian menologies that Blessed Olga, who received the name Helena at her baptism in A.D. 952 and died in 978, was the grandmother of the great Saint Vladimir.

Since they, despite their research, did not find her name in any other of the Greek or Latin saints' catalogues, they placed Helena among their Praetermissi with the remark "until [they] have received more certain documents concerning her Catholic veneration." (III. 177)

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, p. 619)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of the blessed Helena may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

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