Saint Elena of Serbia | Serigraph wooden icon with arch | Size: 12 x 9 x 2 cm
Quantity
The Orthodox Encyclopedia claims that she was Catholic. On all other sites there is a more logical narrative: before marriage to the Serbian king Stefan Uros I Nemanich, St. Elena converted to Orthodoxy.
Rev. Helena came from the French royal family. Having adopted Orthodoxy, she married the king of Serbia, Stefan Uros I Nemanich, gave birth and raised the holy saints Milutin and Dragutin. As a queen, Elena became famous for her good deeds: reconciliation of internecine strife, charity of orphans, rich contributions to the monasteries of the Holy Land, Holy Mountain, Sinai and Serbia. After the death of her husband, Elena devoted herself to the exploits of piety: she did good to orphans, sacrificed to monasteries and built new churches, took care of the love and consent of her sons, cared for the protection and enlightenment of her people. Before her death, Queen Elena received monastic tonsure with the name Elizabeth in the Church of St. Nicholas in Skadra. She died on February 8, 1314 in her royal court in Brnyatsi.