Personal veneration is available in the Chapel during the hour before the 11:30 a.m. Mass, offering quiet time for prayer and reflection.

St. Helena’s feast day is on August 18. In honor of her life and witness, the National Shrine will bring her relic from the Apparition Oratory to the Apparition Chapel for veneration that day.

All are welcome to attend and pray with this great Saint on her Feast Day!

St. Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine and is remembered for her deep faith and devotion to Christ. She is especially honored for her pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she helped identify and preserve many sacred sites connected with the life of Jesus, including the discovery of the True Cross. Her witness reflects a life of faith, generosity, and devotion to the Church.