Today we commemorate Emperor Constantine, Christian Ruler, and Helena, Mother of Constantine. Emperor Constantine converted from paganism to Christianity and became both a defender and a supporter of the Church. Pursuant to the Edict of Milan, issued in AD 313, persecution of Christians became illegal in the Roman Empire. And it was Constantine who called the Council of Nicaea in AD 325; it was this council that defined and defended orthodox Christianity. Helena, Constantine’s mother, took a particular interest in archaeology and in locating historical sites related to Christianity; she would become one of the first Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, and she identified a number of Biblical sites — some of which are still, to this day, maintained as places of worship.