Feast of San Costantino il Grande

The Arch of Constantine in Rome. Situated between the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, the triumphal arch was dedicated in 315 to commemorate the Emperor's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milivian Bridge

In the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, May 21 is the Feast of St. Constantine the Great, Equal to the Apostles and Emperor. Once widely venerated across Southern Italy, the Emperor's cult has sadly diminished and become more localized. Patron saint of converts, he is also the patron of San Costantino Albanese in Provincia di Potenza in Basilicata and Capri Leone in Provincia di Messina in Sicily.

According to tradition, the night before his great victory over the usurper Maxentius at the Battle of the Milivian Bridge on October 12, 312 AD, Constantine dreamt of the Chi and the Rho (XP), the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek, and heard a voice proclaim In Hoc Signo Vinces, which means “By this sign you will conquer.”

That morning the Emperor had a vision of the cross emanating from the light of the rising sun and commanded his men to paint the Chi and the Rho on their shields and his golden standard (labarum). As proclaimed in his dream, adopting the insignia of Christ he routed his enemy on the field of battle.

Soon after his great victory, the Emperor legalized Christianity with his famous Edict of Milan, thus ending 300 years of Christian persecution by the Romans. A great benefactor of the Faith, he granted privileges, built churches and convened the First Council of Nicaea. In 324 AD Constantine moved the Empire's capital from Rome to Byzantium, which was rechristened Constantinople. He was baptized on his deathbed in 337 AD.

In celebration, I’m posting the prayer to St. Constantine. The accompanying photo of the Arch of Constantine was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to Rome. San Costantino il Grande, ora pro nobis.

Prayer to St. Constantine

O God, You who work in mysterious ways, we thank you for St. Constantine and the important role he played in the flourishing of the early Church. The proverb holds that You O Lord direct the heart of a good king and guide all his ways. Truly it was you, working through Constantine, that freed your Church from the unjust oppression it had lived under for centuries. May you direct the heart of world leaders still today, so that your Church may be free and kept safe from all harm. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.