14 September
Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
According to tradition Saint Helen, mother of the emperor Constantine, found the Cross of Christ in Jerusalem. The bishop raised it before the people, who cried: «Kyrie eleison». Since then the Church has celebrated on 14 September the Exaltation of the Cross, a sign not of defeat but of victory.
How to read the icon
- At the centre, on an ambo, the bishop raising the Cross above his head, supported by deacons.
- At the sides, beneath a canopy, the holy emperors Constantine and Helen.
- Around, the crowd of the faithful; in the background a great domed church, the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.
- In a simpler variant, Constantine and Helen stand on either side of the Cross, holding it together.
For whom
It is an icon for churches and confraternities dedicated to the Holy Cross, for those named Helen or Constantine, for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The icon of Saints Constantine and Helen with the Cross is also a gift for a mother and son. Like every icon by Concetta Basile, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I commission a feast icon?
In the configurator choose «Liturgical feast» and enter the name of the feast; the number of figures can be changed. In the conversation with Concetta Basile you agree together on composition, size and inscriptions.