VIRGIN AND MARTYR
FEAST DAY AUGUST 11TH
SAINT PHILOMENA, POWERFUL WITH GOD, PRAY FOR US!
NOVENA AND DISCOVERY OF HER RELICS
Posted on 08/10/2004 9:32:41 PM PDT by Viva Christo Rey
| SAINT PHILOMENA VIRGIN AND MARTYR FEAST DAY AUGUST 11TH SAINT PHILOMENA, POWERFUL WITH GOD, PRAY FOR US! NOVENA AND DISCOVERY OF HER RELICS |
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Novena Prayer To St. Philomena
O FAITHFUL VIRGIN and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor
and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy
feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from
God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee... (Here specify your petition.) I am
firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure,
united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the
joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints. Amen.
Imprimatur: + Carolus Hubertus Le Blond
Episcopus Sancti Josephi
January, 1952
The Story of St. Philomena
On May 25, 1802, excavators in the ancient Catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome came upon a well-preserved
shelf tomb sealed with terra-cotta slabs in the manner usually reserved for nobility or great martyrs. The tomb
was marked with three tiles, inscribed with the following confusing words: LUMENA / PAXTE / CUMFI.
However, if one places the first tile last and separates tile words properly, the very intelligible sentence
emerges: Pax tecum, Filumena, which is "Peace be with you, Philomena." Also inscribed on the tiles were
symbols: a lily, arrows, an anchor and a lance, which would appear to indicate virginity and martyrdom. Inside
the coffin there were discovered the remains of a girl of about twelve or thirteen years of age, along with a vial
or ampulla of her dried blood.
Transferred to the Treasury of the Rare Collection of Christian Antiquity in the Vatican, the remains were
soon forgotten by the public, especially since no record existed of a virgin martyr named Philomena. But in
1805, a Neapolitan priest, Don Francesco di Lucia, traveling to Rome with his newly appointed bishop,
requested and, after a brief delay, received the relics of this martyr, "Philomena", to enshrine in his village
church at Mugnano, near Naples.
Immediately upon the official donation of St. Philomena's sacred remains, signal favors began to be granted
through her intercession and unusual events to occur. The favors, graces and even miracles started to
increase, even before her enshrinement at Mugnano, and they steadily grew in number thereafter -- such that
this virgin martyr soon earned the title, "Philomena, Powerful with God." In 1837, only 35 years after her
exhumation, Pope Gregory XVI elevated this "Wonder-Worker of the Nineteenth Century" to sainthood. In
an act unprecedented in the history of Catholicism, she became the only person recognized by the Church as
a Saint solely on the basis of her powerful intercession, since nothing historical was known of her except her
name and the evidence of her martyrdom.
St. Philomena has been successfully invoked by her supplicants in every sort of need, such that she has
become another patron of "hopeless" and "impossible" cases, like St. Jude or St. Rita, but she is known to be
especially powerful in cases involving conversion of sinners, return to the Sacraments, expectant mothers,
destitute mothers, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, sterility, priests and their work, help for
the sick, the missions, real estate, money problems, food for the poor and mental illness. But truly, as her
devotees have discovered, no case, of whatever matter, is too trivial or too unimportant to concern her.
Among her most devoted clients was St. John Vianney, (the Cure' of Ars), whose childlike devotion to this
virgin saint played an intimate part in his daily life. Other Saints who were always devoted to her, prayed to
her and sang her praises were St. Peter Julian Eymard, St. Peter Chanel, St. Anthony Mary Claret, St.
Madeleine Sophie Barat, St. Euphrasia Pelletier, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Nepomucene Neumann,
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and Ven. Pauline Jaricot.
A number of Popes have also shown remarkable devotion to St. Philomena as well: Pope Leo XII
(1823-1829) expressed the greatest admiration for this unknown child-saint and gladly gave his permission for
the erection of altars and churches in her honor. Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846), who authorized her public
veneration, showed his esteem and devotion to the Saint by giving her the title of "Patroness of the Living
Rosary." A Mass and proper Office in her honor were approved by him in 1834 or 1835. This is an
extraordinary privilege granted to comparatively few Saints. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) proclaimed her
"Patroness of the (Children of Mary." Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) made two pilgrimages to her shrine before
his election to the papacy. After he had become the Vicar of Christ, he gave a valuable cross to the
sanctuary. He approved the Confraternity of St. Philomena and later raised it to an Archconfraternity (which
is still headquartered at her shrine at Mugnano, Italy). Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914) spoke warmly of her and
manifested his devotion to her in many ways. Costly gifts were given by him to her shrine.
Truly, St. Philomena is a powerful intercessor -- seemingly held quietly in reserve by Our Divine Lord during
these many centuries -- for especially strong help in our times, when so much confusion and absence of faith
are manifest. Her principal feast day is August 11th.
Additional information about Saint Philomena may be found at:
http://www.philomena.org/index1.html
http://traditio.com/tradlib/philomen.txt
St. Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us!
To thee, O Great St. Philomena, we turn in our afflictions, for thou art truly worthy of the title, "Powerful with God."
St. Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, honoured, invoked, and recommended by Popes Gregory XVI, Ven. Pius IX, Leo XIII, and St. Pius X, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, so powerful with God that thou hast excited the fury of Satan, not only at the time of thy glorious martyrdom, but even today, so that satan's servant, Angelo Roncalli, the despoiler of the throne of St. Peter, dared to suppress thy feast so that no public honour should be paid to thee, gain for us by thy merits and prayers a true and holy pope!
Printing up the prayer and heading to Weds 1800 Mass.
Thanks very much for honoring our beloved St Philomena with this thread.
Last Sunday, at the National Shrine of Saint Philomena in Miami, the little chapel was packed for a beautiful sung traditional Latin Mass. A mile-long procession of a life-size statue of Saint Philomena through the streets of Miami followed. The whole event was a joy to behold.
The National Shrine of Saint Philomena website is www.shrineofsaintphilomena.com
Thanks for the info. I've never heard of this shrine before. Who runs it? Is it an independent chapel?
Happy Feast Day, Philomena!!
We Trads still recognize St. Philomena even though she "doesn't exist" on the NewChurch's calendar.
It is also my niece's birthday who took Philomena as her confirmation name in honor of St. Philomena.
Blessings!
MMJ
Shame on me---I almost forgot to wish you a happy feast day. Happy St. Philomena Day!
The National Shrine of St Philomena is run by Reverend Father Timothy Hopkins, an English traditionalist priest (a convert from the novus ordo some 20 years ago), assisted by Father Rueda (famous for exposing the sodomite infiltration of the seminaries in the late 80s). Father Hopkins has permission from the Ecclesia Dei commission to offer the traditional Mass exclusively - except Archbishop Favalora doesn't sanction the Mass more than once a week (and then only once the novus ordo duties are complete. Hence Father Hopkins is currently operating the shrine indepedently.
To find out about this great Saint, Philomena, please visit the official website of the Sanctuary of St. Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy at: http://www.philomena.it
Has St. Philomena touched your live yet?
**St. Philomena
Since Mar 22, 2005**
Hmmm.
Are you the former "Ask St. Philomena"?
No, the profile indicates that the person is in Italy.
It is very timely that you replied to this thread from last August because Saint Philomena is the perfect heavenly advocate for Terri Schindler Schiavo who is currently being dehydrated and starved to death in these godless United States.
Saint Philomena is the little patron of helpless causes and was subjected to numerous tortures and attempts at executions that all failed, until finally suffering martyrdom by being beheaded.
To thee, O Great St. Philomena, we turn in our afflictions, for thou art truly worthy of the title, "Powerful with God."
St. Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, honoured, invoked, and recommended by Popes Gregory XVI, Ven. Pius IX, Leo XIII, and St. Pius X, Pray for us!
St. Philomena, so powerful with God that thou hast excited the fury of Satan, not only at the time of thy glorious martyrdom, but even today, so that satan's servant, Angelo Roncalli, the despoiler of the throne of St. Peter, dared to suppress thy feast so that no public honour should be paid to thee, gain for us by thy merits and prayers a true and holy pope!
Please Saint Philomenia, intercede on behalf of Terri, we pray!
O FAITHFUL VIRGIN and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee... (Here specify your petition.) I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints. Amen.
Imprimatur: + Carolus Hubertus Le Blond Episcopus Sancti Josephi January, 1952
Thank you! Copied, printed and prayed!
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