Macarius of Jerusalem

Who they were

Macarius was Bishop of Jerusalem from about 312 until shortly before 335. He was one of the bishops whom St. Alexander of Alexandria warned against Arius, and Arius's abusive words about him show how firmly he opposed the new heresy. He took part in the Council of Nicaea, and his name heads those of the bishops of Palestine who signed it.

After the council, excavations were begun at Jerusalem, apparently under his direction: the mound and pagan temple built over the tomb of Christ in Hadrian's time were cleared away and the Holy Sepulchre was found. The Emperor Constantine then wrote to Macarius ordering a church to be built on the site.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

The bishop of Jerusalem who opposed Arius and oversaw the uncovering of the Holy Sepulchre.

Connected on this site

• Helena Augusta Saint
  “About 325 he accompanied Helena Augusta, the mother of Constantine I in her search at Jerusalem for relics of the Passion of Jesus, including the cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was thought to have been crucified.” — Wikipedia