On September 14, the church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which remembers the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena and the dedication of the basilica and shrine that Constantine built on Calvary to mark the place where Jesus was crucified.
The basilica, called the Martyrium, and the shrine, called the Calvarium, were destroyed in 614 by the Persians. In 1149, crusaders built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in their place.
The feast is a celebration of God’s greatest sacrifice, made so that we may join him in Heaven. He defeated death through his crucifixion, and opened the doors to Heaven for us all.
