Christian feast day: Helena of Skövde

Helena of Skövde was a Swedish saint and patron to what is now Västergötland, in southwest Sweden, where she was born. Her father might have been a duke named Guthorm. Helena was widowed at a young age, but instead of remarrying, she "devoted herself to works of charity and piety, keeping her gates open to the poor, and clothing them". She also built, at her expense, most of the church in Sköfde in southcentral Sweden. According to hagiographer Agnes B. C. Dunbar, she built a portico between the church and its tower, and when asked about its purpose, replied, "God will give us some saint whose body and relics can be suitably placed there". Eventually, she was interred there. The church, which was named for her since the Middle Ages, was burned down during the city's fire in 1759, was rebuilt on its original foundations, and is still used today. Helena's burial chamber is located in the oldest part of the church.