The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

According to ancient tradition, Saint Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, found the true Cross of Christ in Jerusalem around 326. Constantine built the great Church of the Holy Sepulchre over the sites of Calvary and the tomb, and it was dedicated in September 335. On the day after the dedication, September 14, the relic of the Cross was lifted up and shown to the people for veneration, and the feast was born.

In the seventh century the Persians carried the relic away from Jerusalem; the emperor Heraclius recovered it and returned it to the city around 630, which gave the feast new importance. The Exaltation celebrates not suffering itself, but the victory of Christ's love on the Cross. As Jesus said, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself" (John 12:32).

Red vestments are worn, and in many parishes a relic or large crucifix is set up for veneration. Eastern Christians keep the day with fasting and decorate the cross with basil and flowers.

In Spain and Latin America many towns named Santa Cruz or Vera Cruz celebrate with processions and fiestas, and families often bless the crosses they keep at home, in the car or around their necks.