Saint Philomena

Little is know of this courageous child of God, but her story has inspired many. In the year 1802, the remains of a young female around the age of 14 were found in the Catacombs of Priscilla. The tomb was enclosed with a vial of blood, bone fragments and an inscription that read: "pax tecum filumena" which is Greek for "Peace with you, Philomena." This miraculous find was just the beginning of fame for the blessed saint, Philomena.

St. Philomena (http://www.cukierski.net/saintphilomena.shtml)

After her discovery, Philomena was a saint celebrity! She acquired a substantial amount of devoted followers in a short amount of time. Pauline Jaricot is credited for most of her popularity though. He was quickly cured of a severe heart problem after a prayerful visit to her shrine. Jaricot pleaded diligently with Pope Gregory XVI for the beatification of St. Philomena. She soon became known as the "wonder worker" because of the hundreds of cures she had performed. St. Philomena was beatified in 1837.

Sister Maria Luisa Di Gesu was also a contributor to the fame of St. Philomena. Sister Maria claims to have been visited by St. Philomena. In her visit, she told Sister Maria of her life and death. According to the story, Philomena was the daughter of a king in Greece. At a young age she took a vow of chastity. Unfortunately for Philomena's father, Emperor Diocletian was close to declaring war on Greece. So, the king went to Rome with his family to ask for peace. During her time in Rome, the Emperor fell in love with little Philomena. With her vow in mind, she refused his proposal of marriage.

St. Philomena (http://www.premier.net/~avemarie/Chaplet_of_Saint_Philomena.htm)

Emperor Diocletian was outraged by her refusal! He had her sentenced to a series of tortures. First he had St. Philomena flogged, but two angels cured her wounds. Next Diocletian had her tied to an anchor to be thrown into the river, but two angels cut the roped before she hit the water and carried her to shore. Then the emperor had archers shoot arrows at St. Philomena, but they were deflected away from her. Finally in his immense frustration, Emperor Diocletian had St. Philomena beheaded on a Friday at three in the afternoon (the time of Christ's death). These tortures are why we see St. Philomena pictured with a whip, an anchor, and an arrow. She is also pictured with a lily to show her purity, the purity that she died for.

St. Philomena was an amazing young woman who stood up for what she believed in, even when faced with tortures and death. She was motivated by her vow and impacted the lives of many because of it. She is the patron saint of children, priests, lost causes, sterility, virgins, Children of Mary, and the Universal Living Rosary Association. Her feast day is on August 11th. The remains and relics of St. Philomena are presently kept in Mugnano, Italy.