St. Helen discovered the Cross of Christ in approximately 326 A.D. When Empress Helen’s subjects found not one, but three crosses buried on Golgotha, she consulted with Makarios, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. They concluded that the Lord’s Cross would be the one that healed the sick. To everyone’s joy, someone was indeed healed by being touched with the True Cross. The church held a huge celebration, during which Patriarch Makarios “elevated” – or held up – the Cross for all to venerate as they chanted, “Lord, have mercy!” This event became linked to the dedication of the Church of the Resurrection, built by Helen’s son, Emperor Constantine, on the site of our Lord’s tomb.
Excerpted from”Heaven Meets Earth – Celebrating Pascha and the Twelve Feasts” by John Kosmas Skinas, Ancient Faith Publishing.