St. Helena, August 18
Mother of the emperor Constantine, Helena (c. 250-330) became a Christian later in life. In her old age she made a great pilgrimage to the Holy Land and had basilicas built at Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives. Tradition credits her with finding the cross of Christ in Jerusalem.
August 18 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Helena, empress on this date.
Other saints on August 18
- St. Alberto Hurtado, Chilean Jesuit (1952)
Name days on August 18
In countries that keep name days, August 18 is the day for people named Helen, Helena, Ellen, and Elena. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Helen | August 18 |
| Helena | August 18 |
| Ellen | August 18 |
| Elena | August 18 |
August 18 on the calendar
August 18 is the 230th day of the year (the 231st in a leap year), with 135 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | Sunday |
Keeping August 18
August 18 falls in summer. Since the general calendar has no celebration that day, the Mass is usually that of the weekday of the season, and the saint may be remembered in local calendars or in personal prayer. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Helen, Helena, Ellen, and Elena, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around August 18
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| August 15 | Assumption of Mary |
| August 16 | St. Stephen of Hungary |
| August 17 | St. Hyacinth |
| August 19 | St. John Eudes |
| August 20 | St. Bernard of Clairvaux |
| August 21 | St. Pius X |
The day before, August 17, is the day of St. Hyacinth. The day after, August 19, belongs to St. John Eudes. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.