Iconography of Constantine the Great and Saint Helena in Opolski Silesia

 

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Silesia is a wide-spread historical land, at present located in Poland and in the Czech Republic in the basin of upper and middle Odra river and at the beginning of Vistula river. The name of this land (Czech Slezsko, German Schlesien, Polish Śląsk, Latin Silesia) comes from the Slav tribe Ślęzanie, living around mountain Ślęża, their main sanctuary and river Ślęza, flowing into river Odra near Wrocław.

At present, the Silesian region, belonging to the Republic of Poland, is divided into 3 provinces: Lower Silesia, opolskie and Silesia. The Opolski Silesia is a region, in which native population (Poles and Germans) and population, which came here after last war live peaceably side by side. The aboriginal Silesians constitute about 30% of Opolszczyzna inhabitants.

 

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Silesia never was under Roman dominance, however in the period from I century B.C up to V century A.D. numerous products of Latin culture were reaching here with wide stream. E.Konik states that today’s Silesian land in this period “was under strong economic, and related to it, also political influence of Roman Empire”. It was so called period of Roman influence.

The interest of Rome in the territory at the northern side of Carpathian Mountains was strengthened significantly after conquest of Gaul, completed by Gaius in 49 year B.C. Then, the Gallic penetration of the territory of Central Europe was replaced by Roman activity.

The culture of ancient Rome penetrated the territories of today’s Opolszczyzna, most of all through the amber route, of which one arm crossed the Głubczyce Heights and Krapkowice land.

In the cultural identity of the Opolski Silesia, unifying in itself a part of lands, formerly belonging to Lower Silesia (Brzeg, Nysa and Namysłów lands) with agricultural lands of the western Upper Silesia, apart from dominating today the Polish, German and Moravian elements, we notice also quite rich heritage of the Roman ancient times. A part of this extremely precious spiritual legacy are undoubtfully the representations of Constantine The Great and his mother Saint Helena, located in the churches of Opolszczyzna and on the territory of the sanctuary on Saint Ann Mountain.

 

 

 

In the church under the invocation of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Nowa Cerekiew, there are sculptures of Constantine The Great and Saint Helena located, coming from the workshop of Michał Ignacy Klahr, dated at the end of 18^th Century.

The Emperor Constantine is presented in standing strong posture, of arched outline; it holds attributes in its hand. The figure of the emperor is dressed in reach green doublet with gilded elements, it has scarlet coat on the arms with ermine collar, buckled on the chest by dashing button. This coat covers hands, wraps around hips, and in waist is tied by gold, twisted fringed fabric. The figure wears high brown shoes. The body is twisted, inclined outside the altar, on which the sculpture stands. Slightly lifted right hand supports silver flag, which flag-staff is ended with metal ball. The left hand, extended aside, rests on dashing silver shield with monogram IHS. The head is turned to the left, covered with silver coronet. Full face, of tiny features with beard. The volume of the sculpture is thickset; the figure is low of slightly heavy proportion, however featured by high expression of posture and gesture. The sculptural workmanship of the detail is rather general, synthetic. The body of the sculpture is strongly divided by large planes of drapery, numerous ornamental openings, deep plastic bores, which are penetrated by space. This representation is featured by monumentalism, solemnity of gesture, seriousness of expression.

The sculpture, presenting Saint Helena comes also from the end of 18^th Century and from the same workshop. The full figure stands in strong contrapposto, dressed in vast garments – a green bottom dress with gilded trimming on edges, there is a scarlet coat on it with ermine collar, freely draped, of large planes, rising as under blow of wind. Saint Helena has gold coronet on its head, under which there is a celadon turban, falling on arms. The right hand of the Saint rests on an edge of a book, supported on the hip; the left hand is raised in a pathetic gesture. Half coat falls in circles from the arm, in hand, end of the shawl, wrapped around the neck and tied on breast (formerly it is likely that this hand held cross, but at present it is lost). The head is slightly inclined to the left, face lifted – of not a young woman, slightly pudding face, parted lips. look directed upwards. The figure is thickset, low, as rough-hewn, dynamic posture, strongly underlined gesture. The body of the sculpture is divided by waving drapery patches, which, adopting in some places horizontal position, separated from the volume of the figure, enter in active relations with surrounding space. All sculpture is featured by monumentalism and seriousness of expression.

The sculptures of Constantine and Saint Helena are located in the side altar of the church in Nowa Cerekiew. They are made of polychrome , gilded wood and are about 1,5 metre high.

It should be added, that only in Nowa Cerekiew, starting from the 18^th Century, Roman coins were found, mostly during field and building works. There were so many, that in the thirties of 19^th Century, Jewish buyers regularly came to the town for bazaars, buying coins, which then they sold to goldsmiths in Racibórz and Opava. Those coins came from the times of Domician, Traian, Valens.

Appearance of the sign of Holy Cross to the emperor Constantine The Great before the victory over Maksencius and the story about finding of the Cross Tree by his mother during the pilgrimage to Holy Land contributed to the development of the worship of the Christ Cross in all Christian world. Here is also the source of the worship of Saint Helena.

The invocation of Holy Cross and related invocations – Rise and Finding of Cross spread in Europe under the influence of medieval pilgrimages to the Holy Land and crusades. The churches under such invocations not only once had relics of Cross Tree, brought by pilgrims or crusaders. Those invocations on the Polish lands belong to often appearing – around 1772, 158 parish churches had them, and in the Polish dioceses in 1996, the number of passion titles increased to 309, including 241 titles of Rise of Holy Cross, 52 of Holy Cross and 16 of Finding of Holy Cross. In the same time, on the territory of the Opolski diocese, 15 parish churches were noted under invocation of Rise of Holy Cross and 1 with title of Holy Cross in total 391 parish churches.

The oldest relic of Holy Cross in Upper Silesia is kept in the Opole Cathedral under invocation of Rise of Holy Cross. According to old stories, it was transferred to the church in Opole in 1024 by the wrocławski’s bishop, who had received it as a gift from Saint Emerik, son of Stefan, the Hungarian King.

In the last decade of 19^th Century, preparations were started in Opole for ceremonial celebration of 600-year anniversary of the parish under invocation of Holy Cross. Within the framework of those activities, the inside of the temple was enriched by new altars. On one of them, a picture of Saint Helena was placed.

When in November 1962, the Opolski’s bishop F. Jop nominated A. Jokiel as a parish-priest of this parish, the latter started thorough renovation of the church inside in Gothic style. During those works, all plasters were tried to be removed, to show the beauty of the Gothic walls of this temple. However, in some places, this had to be abandoned, because brick was extensively corroded. So there new plasters were put, on which an artist from Cracow S. Szmuc placed religious scenes, made in sgraffito techniques. On the northern wall of the church , a scene is introduced of finding the Holy Cross by empress Helena. Three crosses included in the Calvary scene shows problems related with the establishment of the authencity of the Relic. On the second band of sgraffito, a touch of the sick with the Cross is presented, who was immediately healed.

On the left side, from the main entrance to the Opolska Cathedral, there is a big-size sculpture located, showing Saint Helena with attribute of Holy Cross in hand.

Around the diocese sanctuary of Opolski Silesia on the Saint Ann Mountain, on the mountain slope, in a beautiful vicinity of old trees, there is a complex of chapels located, consisting in the Passion of Christ and Alley of Holy Mother. This complex was made by the inspiration of the Patron of Saint Ann Mountain’s sanctuary, Adam Franciszek Gaszyński in the years 1700-1709 according to the design of the Italian architect Domenico Signo. 3 big chapels were built then and 30 smaller ones, taking as a pattern, created a hundred years earlier, famous establishment in Zebrzydowice Calvary. One of the smaller chapels is consecrated to Saint Helena as 28 station of the Passion of the Christ.

Since 1764 on Saint Ann Mountain, because of the holiday of Rise of Holy Cross, ceremonially is celebrated a great wake together with Calvary services. At present, those celebrations are performed every year on 14^th of September.

On 3^rd of May a holiday of Finding of Holy Cross was celebrated, connected with a pilgrimage of Calvary guides, however in the recent years it was deleted from the calendar of Saint Ann Mountain’s wakes in face of smaller number of participants, and also because the day of Finding of Holy Cross is not included in the post-council liturgical calendar.

The beautiful sculpture, representing Constantine The Great is in the parish church under invocation of Saint Bartholomew in Głogówek, a small but very picturesque town, located 42 km south of Opole.