This church, which is dedicated to the Holy Cross (Latin “Santa Croce” / Spanish “Santa Cruz”), draws its patronage from the cross on which Jesus Christ died. The veneration of the Holy Cross goes back to a large extent to Saint Helena, who was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great (who recognized Christianity as a religion after his victory at the “Milvian Bridge” in front of Rome and in the year 312 for a long time the persecution ended with the “tolerance edict” of Milan). In the early fourth century she undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel / Palestine) and from there brought numerous relics with her to Europe, including the “True Cross” (“VERA CRUZ”) on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Helena is therefore often depicted with a cross as an attribute.
The church celebrates the festival of the discovery, public presentation and veneration of the Holy Cross – called “Exaltation of the Cross” – on September 14th.