By taking the personal step of convoking the Council of Nicea (325) Constantine began the Roman Empire's unofficial sponsorship of Christianity, which was a major factor in the faith's spread. 36375 Joy Road, Westland, Michigan 48185 Tel: (734)525-6789 Fax: (734)525-3989 The first priest assigned to the new church was Archimandrite Theoclitos (Triantafilides). The building was finished in 1896 and consecration took place on the feast day of Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. Providing a Traditional Orthodox Christian Faith Experience in Downtown Brooklyn since 1913 The persecutions began. [8] In a form that parallels his account of the empire's decline, Gibbon presents a noble war hero corrupted by Christian influences, who transforms into an Oriental despot in his old age: "a hero...degenerating into a cruel and dissolute monarch".[9]. Constantine was well educated and served at the court of Diocletian in Nicomediaas a kind of hostage after the appointment of his father Constantius, a general, as one of the two Caesars (at that time a junior emperor), in the Tetrarchy in 293. He was born at Naissus, today's city of Niš in Upper Moesia (modern Serbia and Montenegro), to Constantius I Chlorus and an innkeeper's daughter, Helen. FAQs, Controversies surrounding Constantine's faith. Constantine, her son – who became Constantine the Great, was born in Nish, Serbia soon after, in 272. [1] Tsar Nicholas II also personally donated icons for the Iconostasis, a gospel book, and a number of sacred vessels. Even Christian skeptics have accepted this formulation, though seeing Constantine's policy as a political rather than spiritual move. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church The eastern orthodox community had existed in the port city of Galveston since 1861 as the parish of Saints Constantine and Helen. Orthodoxy believes that the Church has her origin in the Apostolic Community called into being by Jesus Christ, and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Tsar Nicholas … Email * Submit. The Tsar approved the establishment of a church and in 1895 construction began. However, he died in 306. Christian historians ever since Lactantius have adhered to the view that Constantine "adopted" Christianity as a kind of replacement for the official Roman paganism. In 344 came the martyrdom of Catholicos Shimun bar Sabbae, with five bishops and 100 priests. Here at our church you will find about 350 families who are some of the warmest and friendliest people around, all united by our mission: To lead people to God through Orthodox Christianity and to provide ways for them to … This great and renowned sovereign of the Christians was the son of Constantius Chlorus (the ruler of the westernmost parts of the Roman empire), and of the blessed Helen. In 306, when his father died, he was proclaimed successor to his throne. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church located in Westland, Michigan. Helena is considered by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, as well as by the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches, as a saint, famed for her piety . As for his holy mother Helen, she was a native of Bithynia, and a daughter of an inn-keeper. Elliott's. The Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church is a Serbian Orthodox church located in Galveston, Texas, United States. 1 Mary Crest Road, West Nyack, NY 10994 Phone: (845) 623-4023 | Email Us. 3237 West 16th Street. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church", "Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church", "Brief History of the Greek Parish of Galveston, Texas", "Island native, Serbian Orthodox Church leader dies", Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum, Sts. He was succeeded by his three sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans, who secured their hold on the empire with the murder of a number of relatives and supporters of Constantine. During his life and those of his sons, Constantine was presented as a paragon of virtue. Constantine is famed for his re-founding of Byzantium as "New Rome," which was always called "Constantine's City"—Constantinople. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral 30 Malvern Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221 Template and Hosting provided by the Department of Internet Ministries The controversy that has surrounded Constantine's baptism is based upon the legend arising from the discredited documents of the Donation of Constantine, forged documents that date from about the mid eighth century. Eusebius of Caesarea recorded that the bishops "performed the sacred ceremonies according to custom" [2] of baptizing Constantine in May 337 by the bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia before Constantine's death on May 22, 337 at age of 65. One aspect of Constantine's life that secular historians use to indicate Constantine's incomplete acceptance of Christianity (from a modern view) was his notorious cruelty: he executed his own wife and eldest son in 326. Light a Candle General Details Type: Church Archdiocese: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Diocese: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto Head Priest: His … Our church is located at: 4109 Avenue L, Galveston, TX 77550. A Letter from Constantine to Shapur II, supposed to have been written in 324 urged him to protect the Christians in his realm… With the edicts of toleration in the Roman empire, the followers of Christ would be regarded as allies of Persia's ancient enemy. Christians were preferred for high government positions; the Church was granted various special privileges; and churches like the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem were constructed. Saints Constantine & Elena Orthodox Church 1,297 views. By the end of the 3rd century, Christian communities and their bishops had become a force to contend with, in urban centers especially. Constantine and Licinius' Edict of Milan (313) neither made paganism illegal nor made Christianity a state-sponsored religion. In 305, the Augustus, Maximian, abdicated, and Constantius succeeded to the position. The penalty for doing this to an Empress was death, as was any act considered to be treason. Orthodox Liturgy - The Most Beautiful Epiclesis - Duration: 5:32. Christians were now suspected for potential treachery. The church also serves as a spiritual beacon to Orthodox students from Greece, Cyprus, and the Middle East. For all of Constantine’s great efforts on behalf of the Christian Church and in promoting its influence in his vast domain, and for his own repentance and life of faith, he is revered in the Eastern Church as Saint Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles. Services. Restaurants near Saints Constantine and Helen Orthodox Metropolitan Church: (0.03 mi) Cloud 33 (0.12 mi) Crudo (0.20 mi) Tartare (0.43 mi) Zahoulis (0.41 mi) Feedel Asador; View all restaurants near Saints Constantine and Helen Orthodox Metropolitan Church on Tripadvisor $ This page was last edited on May 25, 2020, at 15:19. 501 West 27th Street, Cheyenne, WY 82001 Phone: 307.635.5929 | Email the Parish Office The building was finished in 1896 and consecration took place on the feast day of Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. Constantine was well educated and served at the court of Diocletian in Nicomedia as a kind of hostage after the appointment of his father Constantius, a general, as one of the two Caesars (at that time a junior emperor), in the Tetrarchy in 293. Welcome to Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The last member of his dynasty was his grandson, Julian the Apostate, who attempted to restore paganism. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, Galveston, Saint Michael the Archangel Church, Toronto, Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Stockholm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sts._Constantine_and_Helen_Serbian_Orthodox_Church&oldid=999280101, Serbian Orthodox church buildings in the United States, Religious organizations established in 1861, 19th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 11:04. The Saints Constantine and Helen Orthodox Metropolitan Church celebrates both saints on May 21st every year. She is sometimes known as Helen of Constantinople to distinguish her from others with similar names, and is "Ilona" in Hungarian, and "Liena" in Malta . After his death it was renamed Constantinople, and gradually became the capital of the empire. [5] As an adult and Metropolitan, he would frequently return to the city and preside at church weddings and baptisms. Shapur II (ruled 310 - 379) wrote to his generals: It was not an unreasonable demand in the circumstances. St. Helen, Mother of St. Constantine. The Sassanids were perennially at war with Rome. Constantine eventually could not stand Licinius' cruelty and relieved him of his co-rulership of the Empire. The Saint Constantine School is an independent, pan-Orthodox Christian school that welcomes students from all faith traditions. We come from a variety of Christian traditions and churches, but all affirm belief in creedal Christianity as it has been handed down over the ages. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn. Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen Commemorated on May 21. [6][7][8], Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church was the first Serbian Orthodox church in the state and its parish is the oldest Orthodox parish in Texas. The Orthodox Church keeps his feast on May 21, along with his mother, Empress Saint Helen, as Holy Equals-to-the-Apostles.[1]. 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With more than half a century behind it, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church now looks to the future. [5] The church also holds the distinction of being the second oldest Serbian Orthodox church in the United States. It should be noted, however, that Constantine's wife attempted to seduce Constantine's son (her step-son) and when he refused her advances, she accused him of raping her. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, 1861 United States Customs and Federal Court House, Scholes International Airport at Galveston, Galveston National Biocontainment Laboratory, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Sts. This page has been accessed 204,175 times. [1][2][3] By the late 1800s a group of Serbs, Greeks, and Russians appealed to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Tsar Nicholas II for a church. The Orthodox Church has her origin with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, not with a human teacher, nor group, nor a code of conduct or religious philosophy. The Church calls Saint Constantine (306-337) “the Equal of the Apostles,” and historians call him “the Great.” His reputation as the "first Christian Emperor" was promulgated by Lactantius and Eusebius and gained ground in the succeeding generations. Spiritual Direction. He gradually consolidated his military superiority over his rivals in the crumbling Tetrarchy until 324, when he defeated the eastern ruler, Licinius, and became sole emperor. To view our safety protocols, click here. [6] Cardinal Caesar Baronius, a man of the Counter-Reformation, criticized Zosimus, favoring Eusebius' account of the Constantinian era.