the story of saint Filomena, is about a martyred young woman, who was part of the believers of the ancient church, was hidden in the annals of history, until her remains were found on May twenty-fourth, one thousand eight hundred and two.
Story of Saint Philomena
This more than a historical fact is a legend, this is considered so, because the only thing that exists as proof of its existence is a tomb, there are no written stories or anything like that. In the year one thousand eight hundred and two, there was an archaeological dig in Pomegranate; in it they found the remains of a girl of about 12 or 13 years, to this were added the revelations, given by saint Filomena to three people. To know more about these topics you can read Christian values.
These three people, to whom the revelation was made, had nothing in common and did not know each other; despite living all in the Italy of the nineteenth century. It is from these apparitions that the history of the saint is taken, the people who relate them were considered very reliable for the time; Of course, these are the only historical mentions of this saint, and for this reason, for many, she is a legend.
These characters, who reported the apparition, lived between the end of the eighteenth century and the middle of the nineteenth century, and were: an artificer who was of Nápoles, a man who was a great religious, very devout and conscientious, he became a kind of monk; and a nun who lived in the city of Nápoles, and was consecrated in soul and virginity to the work of God.
These three revelations, which were delivered to these people, who enjoyed a very good reputation; they were faithful in the main characteristics, which of course the saint had told them, and the three agreed on the same details. Of these three, the statements given by the nun, apparently named María L. de Jesus, 1799-1875, are the most extensive in terms of the history of this saint.
The nun related the place where she came from, and the reason and the details of the torture, of this short-lived saint; In popular jargon, this one of hers is considered the miracle worker of the nineteenth century. These appearances coincide with the findings that were made at the opening of the tomb; in XNUMX, in the well-known catacombs of Via Salaria de Roma, an archaic Roman cemetery.
When they opened the crypt where the remains of Santa Filomena, found elements of various kinds; indicating that the remains belonged to a person martyred as a Christian, from the times of the persecutions against the first followers of Christ. Here begins the interesting story of Santa Filomena.
For the discoverers of the tomb, in May XNUMX, the elements that worked as evidence that she was a martyr; there were some elements that indicate that she was a virgin and that she died by martyrdom, of course this was evaluated with the assistance of a Jesuit priest, Mariano Portenio: the phrase is inscribed on the slab, “(fi)lumena, pax tecum fi(at)”, translated as, filomena peace be with you: so be it.
This inscription was placed on the tomb of Christians who had been martyred. This makes up the set of martyrs from the early days of Christianity. On the same tombstone symbols and writings could be seen; these denoted death by martyrdom, they are; an anchor indicating that it had been thrown into deep water, as happened to the Pope Saint Clement in the XNUMXst century AD
You could also see some arrows, which serve as a reminder of how life was taken from San Sebastián, 256 – 288, who was killed by arrows; there is a palm leaf that adorns the center of the tombstone and it is symbolizing the Christian triumph over evil.
There were other symbols, it could be seen among them, a whip with metallic spheres, this one was used to whip and torment; until the captured Christians perished, next to him are two arrows, placed from top to bottom. These symbolize those that were returned by the Archangel Saint Gabriel, returned to the Mount Gargano.
Among the symbols was a painting of a flowered lily plant, symbolizing a triumphant virgin; this means that she overcame the yearnings of the flesh and she left pure just as she came into the world. Among the objects found in the tomb of Santa Filomena, a vase made of glass stands out.
This glass was split in half, and without any contaminants inside, only blood residue could be seen. One more indication that the remains were of a martyred virginal, as was customary at the time; of the first centuries to collect in a container the blood of martyred Christians.
This was a rite that served as a tribute to the blood shed in the execution of Jesus. Everything found in this excavation was indicative of how the person died inside the crypt, it could be said that the evidence is more circumstantial than anything else.
Another particularity of the glass container, where the blood of the story of Santa Philomena, the thing is; when they tried to remove it from the glass and take it to another glass container; its dark color could still be seen, but when it was brought closer to the urn it was transformed into globular particles.
The most impressive thing about this phenomenon is that these globules lost their red color and were seen with all the colors of the rainbow; with a good part of gold color, a ruby red, silver color and a crystalline part that shone like a pure diamond.
Returning to the relics of the holy story Filomena, the remains of his ribs had wound marks; in the skull of his body you could see a crack and he still has almost all his teeth. These human remains were taken away; with the protection of the monk known as Francis of Lucia. This first moved them to Naples; to a bookstore, until he was able to move them to his parish church.
The monk was originally from Mugnano, which is in the heart of Naples, Italy. This happened in the month of September one thousand eight hundred and five. The history of Santa Filomena dates back to the early days of the so-called Christian era and, of course, became very popular after its discovery in the early nineteenth century.
When his relics arrived, it was an occasion of great rejoicing for the local population; Upon arriving at Nápoles, to the temple of Mugnano, the parishioners once became devotees of the saint, and gave her their devotion; By receiving prompt and favorable responses to her supplications, her miracles become very popular.
A few centuries later, at the beginning of the 30s, and the story of Santa Filomena, had spread throughout the world; It is at this time that they begin to write research and books on the history of Santa Philomena; that talk about her revelations and the numerous signs found in her tomb, which characterize her as a virginal maiden.
Once recognized as martyred for being a Christian, the Pope Leo XII, 1760 – 1928, sanctifies it; and the Pope Gregory XVI, 1831 – 1846, agrees to be publicly venerated. The veneration of the history of saint Filomena, he was getting older; already in 1805 and in the middle of that century, she was recognized as the saint miracle worker of the XNUMXth century; due to the miracle numbers that she grants to her followers.
It is celebrated on August 1969, because it coincides with the date on which the cult is approved by the church in XNUMX. She is the patron saint of infants, the deviant, the sick, boys, people who have come to less, and some others. The iconography of Saint Philomena is based on the signs inscribed on her tomb; which are an anchor, a lily or lily, the whip, the arrows, the palm and a crown.
Many studies, based on her hagiography, doubt that the saint really existed; Well, if they faithfully followed the data, it is more a legend than a story; they cannot verify it in its entirety, the devotion to the history of santa Filomena continues to grow in the Catholic universe.
Biography
All the bibliography that mentions the history of Santa Filomena, comes from the documents prepared from the discovery of the tomb, in one thousand eight hundred and two. It was in this year that her remains were found in a catacomb located in the city of Rome, and from the revelations that said saint made to three Italian people, who lived during the early nineteenth century.
Above all, what was most relevant was that a nun assured that the saint had appeared to her and had revealed to her in great detail what her experience on earth was like and how her martyrdom was. the story of saint Filomena, says that she was a young woman very devoted to God and a practitioner of early Christianity; she lived in times of terrible persecution of the devotees of Jesus Christ.
These persecutions were ordered by the Roman sovereign Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletian Augustus, 244-311; best named for Diocletian, this happened during the fourth century, after the coming of the Lord. She was the only descendant of a Greek monarch. Santa's Parents Filomena they offered homage to the pagan gods, to the god Jupiter.
The eldest healer of santa's progenitors Filomena, who was a great believer in the word of our lord; Inspired by the power of God come to earth, he encouraged them to become Christians; recommending them to receive God through the sacred sacrament of baptism and promised them to pray for their success. God grant him the happiness of having offspring.
As the Lord is unique and true, as well as very powerful, he granted them the blessing of a pregnancy and from this their first and only daughter was born. The saint's parents, seeing themselves thus blessed, gladly accepted baptism in the faith of Jesus Christ; and they made the gospel of Jesus Christ the sustenance of their faith, so they abandoned the pagan cults in which they believed.
To this girl, born by the blessing of God, they named him Filomena, as proof, that their daughter was the product of the faith they put in the Lord and how the light illuminated her birth. This name is a testimony, that through her daughter the light of faith had been born in them, since Filomena it means the daughter of light, the much loved one.
According to the story of Santa Filomena, this was formed in everything related to the teachings of the Christian faith; this was in charge of healer roman called Publio, whom the Lord has in his kingdom, for being a faithful devotee of Jesus Christ. refers holy Filomena that her parents loved her very much, she was an only child, the fruit of her recent faith in God, and cause of the light that illuminated his life, being able to know the true path that leads to eternal happiness.
To the kingdom of the fathers of Filomena, came a great tragedy; despite being sovereigns of Greece, the parents of Filomena, depended on the city of the empire Roman; At that time the capital of the world was the most powerful city. the misfortune of home Filomena it began because of an unjust war with which they were threatened; which motivated them to travel to Rome, to request support from Diocletian.
Diocletian, ruled autocratically, and at that time he named himself emperor, it was in the year two hundred and forty-eight, when he consolidated his position for having won the war of margus; here he also earned the title of roman emperor Carino, who was deposed, after this battle, by the imperial army. Diocletian ruled from the year 284 to the year 311, under the form of government of the tetrarchy.
It was at this time that the life and martyrdoms of the history of Saint Filomena. The parents of the saint, of whom there is information thanks to what was revealed by the saint, are known to have been Greek sovereigns, but their names were not revealed; what she did reveal were the tragic events that befell her after they met with the despotic emperor.
The Roman emperor agreed to give them the help in troops they needed, as requested by the father of the saint; Likewise, it gave him the security that he would have a life without frights, with tranquility and happiness. holy Filomena, raised in the knowledge of the God unique and true, at the age of 11 he devoted himself to Christ; making the personal vow of virginity, as a saint isabel full Trinidad it would fifteen hundred years later.
Despite her young age, she had such a strong faith that she was willing to defend the gospel with all her might; this despite the fact that at the time the mandates and custom made Christianity illegal. It was a time when young virgins were given in marriage without her consent.
As a condition of giving him part of his armies, the emperor Diocletian, he told Santa's father Filomena that he should give his daughter to her in marriage, because the girl had made a great impression on him the day he saw her, and on whom he never ceased to cast his gaze. At that time, Santa Filomena was barely thirteen years old, according to what the saint herself does not refer to.
She had sworn to remain celibate, due to her great vocation to the lord, and refused to marry the emperor. The parent of Filomena, had agreed to give her girl in marriage to the widowed emperor. With this she would receive all the military aid that his region required; he would also place him in a privileged social position, since his daughter would become empress of the Roman empire.
This was something the parents should not have done. Filomena, they never considered, perhaps because they did not know it, that the first sovereign was sent to kill by her husband; along with her little baby precisely because they are Christians.
That was a time of persecution for Christians, despite being a religion that had more and more followers; they were also demonized. It was also a very common practice, among the high officials of the empire who repudiated their wives or concubines, if they were practitioners of Christianity.
It was very strange that the saint's parents, who had converted to faith in the gospel; and that by the teachings of JesusThey stopped performing their pagan rites. It should even be considered that Filomena she was still a child, for she was only thirteen years old. It is difficult to understand that she was handed over to a tyrannical governor who promoted the extermination of the Christians and the Manichaeans.
Diocletian, not only persecuted and martyred the Christians, and all the followers of the God true, he had also ordered the assassination of his two previous consorts, Prisca and holy Serenaalong with their two daughters. According to stories, which today are taken by many biblical scholars as stories based on unfounded legends.
These scholars affirm that martyrologies should be purged, they say that the immolated wife should be removed from the list Serena, should not be on the list of saints, they consider that his life is a legend, that he did not exist, and that his cult is based on positioning the rise of Christianity in the imperial court of those years. To learn more about spiritual issues you can read ¿how many books does the new testament have?
There is a theory that holds that both holy Serena like holy Alejandra, they are the same cult, they are the same holy figure, who emerged from the tragedy that was the death of the emperor's wife DiocletianCalled Prisca, who had to flee when discovered giving her support to the preachers of Jesus Christ, would be a cult unfolding something similar to what happens with Santa Eulalia de Barcelona, Spain.
The only thing that would explain that the parents of Filomena, will accept the deal, is the lack of knowledge about the fate of Diocletian's previous spouses, only this can justify the holy marriage commitment Filomena with said governor. Her parent tried to convince her with countless pleas, shows of affection, she told her to do it for them, her parents, for her country, for her subjects.
They begged and explained a lot, they made many allegations, but Filomena He stayed true to his promise by faith to Jesus, and consequently refused all the entreaties of his parents. In the story of Santa Filomena, she relates in her revelations, that her answers were negative to such a request to marry the emperor, because she was consecrated to Christ.
The girl's virginity concerned her Christian fervour; she was willing to protect her chastity before anything else, she was above her parents, her nation, above everything, and that her aspiration was the kingdom of heaven. Her parents, due to her repeated refusal to marry her, took her before the emperor Diocletian.
The emperor tries to convince her to accede to his wishes to marry, initially with gifts and attractive promises. But all this turned out to be useless, as she did not achieve anything, the next thing he did was threaten her; but holy Filomena true to Christ, does not pay attention to her requests, so the emperor gets angry, like a demon, and orders her to be chained and imprisoned.
In the revelations the saint tells, that being imprisoned and chained, they only fed her with portions of bread and some water. Already at that moment she had the feeling that it was the beginning of great calamities, since being in jail her chastity was under constant threat, only for the protection of the Lord, they could not harm her integrity.
The saint as a consolation prayed permanently and prayed to the virgin María, his son and the father; In the fifth week of her imprisonment, he saw an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, and she indicated that her torments would last another forty days. Santa tells us Filomena that the virgin María when it appeared to him, in resplendent heavenly light, he told him that stormy moments would come.
The torments that were coming for the saint would be worse than those she had already endured, but this should not discourage her, she was the one chosen as the only and precious daughter; and that in the events that were to come the archangel Gabriel, would be his companion, to offer him his help with his great strength, because he is the angel of both.
The apparition of the virgin, was brought to mind Filomena, that its denomination is light, just as Jesus Christ is, he as well as she, the virgin, can be seen as the king star and the full moon, which are capable of illuminating even in the midst of the deepest darkness; when the vision of the Holy Virgin disappeared, the cell where she was confined was filled with a heavenly odor.
With this heavenly visit, she renewed her spirit, and with great courage she waited for what awaited her, which she knew would be nothing good or pleasant. The cruel ruler, got tired of trying to persuade her to marry him. With what began to be verified what the Holy Virgin Mary had announced to her the previous days, her fight would consist of resisting, with her faith, the martyrdom to which she would be publicly subjected.
When the emperor got tired, he told her what would happen to her, holy Filomena, he would punish her just as he was tormented Jesus; He immediately ordered her to be flogged, removing her clothes and leaving her totally naked, before the courtiers of the royal palace and tied to a column, then when she was cured, she was taken to the river Tiber and tied to an anchor they tried to drown her, but by a miracle, from the angels, the anchor rope broke and she was saved.
The next torment, to which she was subjected, was to make her drag by the; alleys of the city, amidst a lot of arrows, she was half dead and she was taken back to her cell. Here a new portent occurred, by the grace of divine providence and the archangel Gabriel, wakes up cured, but Diocletian I was blind to the wonders of God.
Citizens of the city of Rome; They were aware of the miracles that occurred around them. Philomena; this made many hearts see the truth of the Lord, and thus they recognized the God real. Many people witnessed those barbaric acts, which many repudiated, they began to become Christians, the light of God that enlightens hearts.
These witnesses of the saint's martyrdom would be the ones who would later make Christianity official, and it would be the religion of the whole place. The belief in the word worked the miracle of touching many hearts; Through the saint, however, the cruel emperor remained blind to the miracles of God, performed in the person of Saint Philomena.
Since the sovereign could not kill the girl, and she still did not give in to his claims; rather each torment made her stronger in her faith, besides her; she healed from every damage she suffered, she believed she was a magician, so she arranged for her to die by means of hot darts; which her archers dispelled against her, but once again her assassination attempt fails, firing the white-hot arrows in the opposite direction.
The large number of people who witnessed these barbarities; against a believer of the faith, they began to acclaim the Lord with a loud voice; the same one that the girl believed in, in which she had faith; and by the way whom the angels protected by healing the wounds of his martyrdom; the emperor Diocletianstill blind to GodIn anticipation that the people would raise her, he ordered her to be beheaded.
This happened on a Friday, the mandate was given; and he carried out the execution, that is how the girl's head was lopped off; this according to the story of santa Filomena, told in the revelations. By virtue of the prodigies performed in Santa Filomena; he tells us that his soul reached the eternal heaven, next to his heavenly Husband, Christ.
She won the battle against humanity's lack of mercy; and above all, against the influence of the evil one, she was given her palm for having been martyred; and she was brought into the presence of her father, where she will be happy for all eternal life. Her short life was a testament to the great power of God before the atrocities of the human being; before the evil that the devil inspires.
This saint is a perfect example of the great powers that the Lord has; and of the great miracles that she can work for us if we have true faith. This is why we must put the Lord before all things of man; it is the example of how the Blessed Virgin is a living presence; that she helps us in the hardest tests, how Christ and his angels work miracles on people.
The fervor for the history of Santa Filomena, begins at the beginning of the fourth century, after the coming of the the Lord; it is then that the Romans were a great empire extended by a good part of Europe, and at that time Christians were persecuted, because officially the government was pagan, this was a time when many of the early Christians were martyred.
For firmly maintaining her faith in the Lord, the saint was martyred, and during these events, great prodigies could be witnessed, all the work of the divinity of the Lord, this was like a beacon to attract true believers. All those who witnessed the saint's death followed her example of faith from then on.
After this cruel and evil death, the mortal remains of the girl were buried in the holy field of Roma. To this day it is a place for the study of the life of past centuries, in which the remains of the first martyrs of Christianity are still found. 1500 years later, in 1802, his tomb is discovered, which contained, in addition to his remains, inscriptions.
In the year one thousand eight hundred and five, his blessed relics were taken to Mugnano en Naples, and were placed in the local church. A nun, who was superior, gets a sphinx from the saint, and prays to her to mediate for her and relieve her of her illnesses, the nun, seeing herself healed, begins to have more interest in that saint every day, and prays to her to know about your story.
This nun would be the one who goes into a trance and the saint reveals her story to her. This sister superior was from that town, and also a maiden consecrated to religion, these revelations made by the saint, which possibly occurred between 1805 and 1825, previous years in which the first impressions on the history of Saint Filomena appeared.
She went into a trance, and that's how she received the information about the origin, and everything that happened and the reasons for the martyrdom despite her young age. In addition to this nun, the story was revealed to two other people, a humble craftsman and a Jesuit priest, and then they were contrasted, all three being found to agree in its details.
Despite this, the one who received more details of the story of santa Philomena, It was the nun, and so these are considered the true story of Santa Filomena, which occurred in the third century, and the other two accounts confirm that of the mother superior.
Saint Philomena and her miracles
A set of miracles are attributed to this saint, of which there is little evidence. These begin with the miracle of her own conception. Her parents were unable to have offspring, and so her personal doctor asks the Lord for a miracle and her parents Filomena they achieve pregnancy. They then consider that his devotion to religion, despite his young age, is also a miracle.
To this they add that while imprisoned she received many gifts from the Virgin, Jesus, the archangel Gabriel and the creator himself. In addition, all those who witnessed the martyrdom and subsequent death converted to Christianity, this unwavering faith is considered miraculous. On the other hand, it is remarkable how he had miraculous cures.
Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, his acts considered miracles; have been observed since Nápoles and the rest of the European continent, reaching for the most part, the continent of America and Asia. It is in these places where holy Filomena She is considered the holy miracle worker of the XNUMXth century; for the various miracles that she confers on those who pray to her devoutly.
For the most part the miracles, which they say it can do, consist in the healing of wounds; as well as resolve conflicts between people. It is said that it can protect infants and adolescents; strengthen faith; give encouragement to those who are desperate; drive away diseases; try to conceive babies. His arrival in the town of Mugnano, Italy, was accompanied by heavy rain; which ended almost a year of drought.
It is also popular knowledge that the oil on the candle where the iconography is found; of the saint, it is miraculous. Since she was taken to the place where she rests, in 1805, that oil has healed all kinds of diseases; even in its early years it began to be highly sought after, because there were testimonies indicating that it was capable of curing even blindness; and other ills that are considered incurable.
virgin and martyr
When all its contents were removed from the saint's crypt, these relics were kept in Roma until the year one thousand eight hundred and five. In those days the priest Francis DiLucia de Mugnano, a small town near Nápoles, visited the city of Roma. He had a burning desire to procure the relics of some young martyr for his church.
In this effort he is backed by the Bishop of Potenzawith whom he had traveled. The priest was invited to see the place of the relics; This was a specially conditioned corridor where the holy relics of that church rested. When he arrived at the place where the relics of Filomena, was filled with great spiritual joy, and prayed before her.
For this priest, the stoicism with which the girl endured martyrdom could be a great source of enlightenment, for the boys and girls of his congregation, and that her strength for the preservation of her chastity would serve as a challenge to purity. The relics of this saint were considered famous and were reserved for some distinguished prelate.
As he did not receive a reply to the request for the relic, the priest Francis he made the decision to go unaccompanied to parley with one of the canons; where he again requested the relic. This request was made by him on behalf of the Bishop of Potenza. To all of these the relic they presented belonged to Saint Ferme. Those involved in the first request thought that the bishop was worthy of a first-class relic.
That was how the priest managed to get the relics of the story of saint Filomena. Since the bishop upon receiving them gave them to the priest. Returning to their place of origin, the priests stayed at the house of a good friend in Nápoles. The lady of the house Angela Rose He had suffered from an incurable disease for twelve years. She offered to wear the relics in hopes of being cured.
The remains were then ordered to be covered with a sculpture of an image of Filomena, ordered to be carried out for this purpose; and the whole set was put in a wooden coffin. There were many supposed miracles that occurred from that moment. The woman was immediately healed by touching the relics. Others also got different healings.
On August XNUMX, XNUMX, the saint's remains completed their journey to Mugnano, arriving at the residence of the priest. Miraculous situations of all kinds continued to be reported there. Just before his arrival at the place, by the prayers of the inhabitants, an abundant rain cooled the fields and meadows of the place, after a long dry season.
A lawyer of the law of name Michael Ulpicella, had been bedridden in his rooms for more than five weeks; he was transferred to the place of the saint and when he returned he no longer suffered from any illness. In the sanctuary of the saint many miraculous prodigies could be seen. Among them is the healing of Pauline Jaricot.
This was a young woman, descendant of some distinguished gentlemen of France. She stood out among the other girls, because of her great physical attractiveness and personality. However, despite being surrounded by her best pleasures and having a large number of lords courting her, her heart moved more towards the things of the spirit than the things of the world; although the fight between both worlds was fierce. If you want to learn more you can read parables of Jesus.
In the end, faith was stronger than earthly pleasures, she became a religious and was the creator of the “CCompany for the Diffusion of the Faith and the Living Rosary”.
Pauline on other occasions he had suffered from the disease, but it was in March XNUMX, when the disease really became serious. It is at this moment that his heart was affected, as the disease worsened, the palpitations became violent, so much so that they could be heard at a distance.
Just by moving a little she already felt the problem of her heart and this suffocated her. She had trouble breathing and at times she stopped beating her pulse. There was no medicine to help her improve, the doctors had already exhausted her knowledge without achieving any improvement in her. During many years of discomfort and mortification, she only had brief periods of relief from her torment.
One of these moments without discomfort, was right at the end of a prayer to the saint, of course after learning of the influence she had before the Lord. He said that just by mentioning the name of the saint he felt that peace invaded him, and a desire to visit her in her sanctuary. But that seemed impossible, since it was a long way from France.
One day she had an enlightenment, and after learning from her doctor that her condition was very serious, so much so that nothing could be done for her, she decided to try to reach the sanctuary of Filomena. She managed to get there alive and said to herself: “If this transfer did not kill me, I will arrive in Rome to obtain the blessing of the Holy Father”, which was his ambition in life.
To reach Roma it was necessary to travel through the Alps, they had to travel paths in poor condition, it was a long and very dangerous journey, even for people with better health than hers. Regardless of the dangers Pauline set out, the pain he endured was great, in cambery his courage was running out and he almost resigned himself to dying far from his house and from the vicar of Christ.
He lost consciousness for a couple of days. The young people of the academy of the monastery of her house prayed a rosary to Saint Filomena for his recovery, once the prayer is finished PaulineHe was able to continue his pilgrimage.
Pauline I need to rest again Loreto, Italy where he felt bad again. After a few days he was able to continue his journey but he Romapractically unconscious. The nuns treated her with great cordiality, her condition was so bad that she could not leave the convent. It seemed that after so much difficulty she was not going to be able to see the holy father.
But the saints in whom she had so much faith did not forsake her. When she finally got to Roma his arrival was notified to Pope Gregory XVI, that when he found out how bad she was, he went to see her in person, since he knew how much she did for the church. This was a great honor and consolation for Pauline.
El Pope GregoryHe was very attentive and thanked her very eloquently for having collaborated so much with religion, he asked for her health and blessed her. He asked her to include him in his prayers when he was next to the Lord in heaven, and the woman promised. Then she asked him:
"Holy Father, if it so happens that I did not die on this journey and managed to return to Mugnano, and walked to the Vatican, would Your Holiness be able to deign to proceed with the missing investigation of the history of Saint Philomena?"
He replied that of course he would, since that would be a great miracle. He said this because they believed that he would not make it, since his health was very poor. This happened in the month of August and it was very hot. When they got to Mugnano It was the day before the celebration of Filomena. Large crowds had gathered to celebrate the party.
At dawn, Pauline went to communion near the relics. She was in great pain, her body was weak, and her heart was pounding so hard that it made her pass out. Everyone believed that she had died. Her companions held her to get her out of the church, in that she came to her senses and made the sign to be left near her relics.
Unexpectedly a lot of crying came to her eyes, and the color returned to her face, the pallor she always had disappeared, suddenly the health in her body was noticeable. Her spirit was full of heavenly joy, and she thought that he was leaving this world to go to heaven. But it was not her death, the saint had healed her, and she gave her many years of life to pay homage to the church.
When Pauline she was sure she was cured, she didn't tell anyone for a while. But in the convent they realized everything that was happening, they gave the order to ring the bells announcing the miracle. The people full of joy shouted in homage to Santa Filomena. Pauline He stayed a few more days in the convent.
At the time she left she was carrying with her a large relic of the saint, inside a statue they made for this purpose. If you want to learn more about issues of the spirit you can read prayer to saint catherine.
Pauline had not notified the Pope of his miracle. At Vatican They were surprised when they heard the news, and even more so when she returned enjoying perfect health. The Pope I was amazed to see her in such good condition. As was the woman's request, he gave her the privilege of building a chapel in honor of Saint Filomena.
To carry out the investigation of this miraculous event, His Holiness issued instructions that Pauline will stay for a year Roma. It was during this time that Pauline named the Living Rosary. Then he went back to France, where he dedicated the rest of his life to caring for the faith.
Patron Saint Philomena
For the story of Santa Filomena, is the protector of ladies who cannot have children, of infants, of the Rosary, of the apprentices, of the adolescents, its protectorate also covers the complicated, anguished, considered impossible or lost causes, in addition it can be considered leader or guide of the young virgins, of the women consecrated in body and spirit to the son of God, it is say, to Jesus of Nazareth.
Its commemoration takes place every August eleventh, and it is considered a devotion of growing popularity, it began at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in Italy, in the population of Mugnano, and since her devotion to the rest of the peoples of the world has grown, since she is considered the miraculous saint, who was a martyr in defense of love for Christ, God already to the virgin María, of which she is one of his favorite daughters.
Phrases of Saint Philomena
Even today, the story of Santa Filomena It is considered a legend, and it is presumed that she lived at the beginning of the fourth century, and there is nothing in writing that says that she existed, it is very difficult to find records of things that she has said, especially that can be verified, and pronounced For her, however, as nothing is impossible for the Lord's power, her phrases came with the revelations.
His words were revealed to a priest, an artificer and a nun, all of them nineteenth-century Italians. Of the things that were revealed to the artificer, it is not possible to take sentences, because his story is about the fury of the emperor Diocletian, knowing that he was rejected by the saint.
The clergyman collaborated in the deciphering of the writings and symbols of the crypt, and the saint appeared to him one day when he was meditating in a lonely field, of those who revealed to him the following phrase can be known: "There is so much to know about me that the world will not leave its fascination", this suggests how miraculous it is.
It is from the nun that most of the phrases of the saint come, she was the one to whom he spoke in more detail Filomena. From these revelations the following phrases arise, which are the ones that indicate the path that the stories of the first Christians show us, the acts of the Apostles, the four evangelists, and all those who work in faith and action for Christian doctrine:
- The perpetual estates of heaven are enigmatic to the human intellect.
- Affection for a human being is no excuse to offend Jesus Christ.
- Consecrating oneself to the Lord, in spirit and chastity, places affection for Jesus Christ above all objects and persons.
- Our domain must be heavenly.
- The Lord will give us a place in heaven, close to his heavenly presence.
Santoral
The great liturgical feast of the saint is commemorated on the eleventh day of August, this is so although in her appearances the saint makes mention of the tenth day of August, which is the date on which she was killed by beheading her, when she was martyred by the tyrant and Roman Emperor Diocletian. Other dates of his saints are January XNUMX, which celebrates his possible birth, his patronage is celebrated on the Sunday after January XNUMX, on August XNUMX his remains were moved.
We must also take into account the thirteenth of August, the date on which her name is extolled, there is also the second Sunday of August where solemn homage is paid to her, the twenty-fifth of May the meeting of the tomb of the saint is remembered, and the September twenty-ninth celebrates his arrival in the town of Mugnano en Nápoles, where his first miracle was to make it rain.
Feast of Saint Philomena
It is traditional to make the feast of Santa Filomena on August eleventh, in commemoration of the previous day of the triumph of the faith, regardless of the fact that the girl was martyred in the fourth century, also on each key date in history some kind of celebration is held in her honor, acts are held in reminder of his birth, discovery of his crypt, his revelations and the day of his miracles.
A festival is also held on the thirtieth of January, which was when the Gregory He sanctifies it and says that he can now be worshiped publicly. Despite the fact that she was removed from the martyrdom, all the devotees that the saint has make her cult grow over the years. She is also known as the holy miracle worker, for the favors she grants to those who pray to her with faith, which encourages her parties to continue.
Saint Philomena, what is it for?
The short life of Filomena on this earth, it is a good example that belief in the lord comes before anything else in the world, this is a sign that love for the lord, which is the first commandment, is a promise of what awaits us in heavenly eternal life. holy Filomena It is an example that if we give ourselves to the Lord we will have a privileged place in heaven.
This saint is the example of how faith can win over evil, it is the relief in complicated situations, alleviates despair, or solve injustices, serves as a mediator to heal the sick, is capable of healing illnesses, and for His intercession can achieve forgiveness of our sins.
Miracles of Saint Philomena
The first miracle of the saint is her own birth, since her parents were considered sterile, and constantly performed pagan rites to try to have offspring. The main healer who was a Christian prayed for them before the Lord, and he performed a miracle for them, and thus he was born Filomena.
Having the proof of true faith at the child's birth, the parents of Filomena they converted to Christianity not returning to pagan practices. Her daughter was raised as a practicing Christian and she grew up with a true faith. This is how she grew up and was able to defend her faith during her martyrdom.
The set of miracles of the saint, reach all the possible evils that afflict people, this is where her greatest glory lies, she manages to heal any disease, she is famous for this, in addition, great prodigies were seen in her by the angels when she was martyred in Roma.
According to historical reports, multiple miracles have taken place since the nineteenth century, including healing blindness, intestinal problems, fevers, serious illnesses, it is reported that the oil from its lamp in the sanctuary cures cancer. Upon his arrival at his sanctuary, he brought rain in a time of intense drought.
Another of the saint's miracles was having repaired the marble of her urn. It accidentally broke when they were covering the coffin, the architect in charge of the project was unable to repair the break, but according to witnesses, the saint's hand was seen guiding the professional's, when he was repairing the slab, getting it repaired.
The young victoria moya, inhabitant of Guadalajara, was very distressed by an incurable condition of a sister. Finding no effect of the medicines, she appealed for health to holy Filomena, ordering to celebrate 3 services in his honor, requesting God this grace through his mediation. His prayer was heard.
On January XNUMX, XNUMX, he notoriously gave thanks, in the temple of San Pius X, riding a Guadalajara. Because her sister had completely recovered her energy, becoming, since then, a fervent devotee of saint Filomena and propagator of his devotion.
Prayer to Saint Philomena
These are extremely miraculous prayers, if they are recited with great faith and devotion they will surely be heard, she is the saint who protects moments of anguish, especially in the youngest.
Holy, and glorious, unpolluted holy María, permanent progenitor of your parishioners and devotees, mediate for me, in achieving the forgiveness of my faults, before our powerful heavenly lord, hear my prayers, which I make to you, with great humility, in which I request you, with all the faith that I have, to be healed of this serious disease, which plagues my tired body.
In the same way I implore you, with all possible humility, holy virgin, give me the gifts of healing. Amen.
holy virgin MaríaI beg you, let Santa Filomena, your favorite descendant, intercede in my cause, with all the power of the Lord, to heal me of this terrible evil, which is a disorder that does not let me live, holy Filomena, lucky one, support me, I implore you, to stop suffering from this painful disease, work in me your powerful goodness, so that this evil ceases completely, with faith, I thank you. Amen.
Saint Philomena and her relics
The relics of the history of saint Filomena They moved from his original tomb, which was discovered in XNUMX, in an old Roman cemetery, to the city of Nápoles, where the father Francis of Lucia he kept it in a bookstore, until he could take them to his town Mugnano, located on the outskirts of Naples. In September of the year one thousand eight hundred and five, the remains of the saint arrived in the town.
The father Francis of Lucia, transferred the relics under the ecclesiastical authority of Roma, with a permit that was given to him because at the time no one knew the young saint, and it was this priest who helped with the interpretation of the signs printed on the tombstone, which indicated that said crypt belonged to a Christian martyr from the early years of Christianity.
The relics were placed with great care in five boxes and delivered to the local church, where they arrived in September of the year one thousand eight hundred and five, there they are to this day, and it is from there that the faith in the saint, and is found all over the world. It is currently in Mugnano Cardinal where is the sanctuary of santa Filomena. To know much more about these topics you can read prayer to the virgin of the Mercedes.
Miraculous Prayer to Saint Philomena
is considered a saint Filomena, is extremely miraculous when it comes to healing diseases, if prayers are recited with great faith. This is one of the prayers that best serve these purposes, surely you can get the favor of the saint, for something the cult of her has grown steadily since the nineteenth century.
My great Lord, the only true God of heaven, I beg you, with great humility, to intercede for me, with your miraculous strength, so that all my problems are solved, especially illnesses, omnipotent Lord, allow your beloved daughter Saint Philomena, may my pleas reach you, because you are a saint of my devotion and to whom I turn seeking a speedy healing, God Almighty, thank you. Amen.
Dear Saint Philomena, before your sanctified and powerful presence I beg you, to help me overcome this fatal situation, exercise in me all your strength that is a prodigy, so that the help of Saint Gabriel the Archangel may remove all my ills, and that this evil, flee from my body, I still beg you, intercede on my behalf, so that God forgives me for the mistakes I have committed, and I promise to continue along the path of faith. Amen.
Daily prayer to Saint Philomena
Oh wonderful Saint Philomena, great devotee, who with great courage defended your faith, before you I prostrate, with great humility, to request, with all my love, that you put me away today, and every day, from evil and things that can harm me, that injustice does not affect me, help me with your powers to perform miracles, to be free from my enemies.
Great saint, take away from me the lack of hope, and may faith be renewed in me every day, for God, for Jesus and for the Virgin Mary, I thank you. So be it.
Beloved and holy, chaste girl, who with great courage defended your faith, you have a privileged seat in the celestial kingdom, give me strength to achieve, using your great and prodigious gifts, the goals I want to achieve daily, help me in my needs, Saint Philomena, I beg you, and intercede for my humanity, before the great goodness of our Lord, so that he may bless my days and forgive my sins. Amen.
Novena to Saint Philomena
As in every novena, a previous prayer must be said daily, this is part of the ritual of any Catholic novena, a daily recitation is made to prepare, and then the novena of the corresponding day is recited, for Saint Philomena it is the following:
Beloved virgin and martyr saint Philomena, God reserved you as a great devotee, with his magnanimous wisdom, for these stormy days that are full of lack of piety, to restore faith in human beings, sustain hope, and inflame charity. Saint Philomena, whom God has invested with a singular power of intercession for the glory of his holy name and for the benefit of the Church.
Martyred in the name of the father and full of blessings. She receives my pleas with your gracious protection and take care of me with your strength and relevance before God. Here I am at your feet pleading, but with full confidence, recognizing in you a great advocate and protector of the poor and all the afflicted. But for me to be worthy of this favor, reach me that virginal purity for which you have sacrificed everything.
Give me strength and determination, the same that you had during your martyrdom, to clothe my spirit with courage, you who were great in protecting your faith and your chastity, I beg you to make me strong, and give me courage so that my spirit comes out free of everything bad and spotless. Along with these supplications, I beg you, with all the fervor of my soul, to obtain me from God.
Make him grant me the favor I request with this novena, intercede before him so that he looks towards me and helps me. Blessed Jesus, who is your spiritual husband, for whose love you suffered martyrdom and died, will not deny you if you ask him for me. Yes, innocent virgin and courageous martyr! The good God who said: “ask and you shall receive” will not deny you anything, and then the infallibility of these generous promises will be realized in me. Amen.
- First day: Saint Philomena, martyred virgin, you lived in a time full of adoration of pagan idols, and despite everything you professed a genuine faith. Wise girl, that at your young age you consecrated yourself body and soul to the Lord. I beg you to attend me and make the Lord grant the requests. Oh most pure and holy Philomena.
- Second day: O famous invulnerable virgin martyr Saint Philomena! You, who out of love for the Lord, suffered acute torments and shed all your chaste blood, and granted your sensitive and innocent life, in heroic proof of the truth of the Christian religion that I myself have the honor to profess, present God in my favor all your martyrdoms.
- Third day: Venerable Filomena, irreproachable and martyr full of strength! You, despite being a girl, shone with vigorous spirit the ardor of your submissive and firm prayer. Fortified with it, you defeated the threats of the unjust monarch after having rejected his most flattering offers. Prayer helped you to prefer the discomforts of a prison, than being unfaithful to the Lord.
- Fourth day: Blessed Filomena, martyred full of courage! That you tolerated many shameful degradations when you were thrown through the public streets of Rome among the pagan people, always desirous of the blood of believers and where you left shreds of your virginal flesh. With exemplary resignation you endured the flagellar executioners, with steel-tipped whips, your delicate and youthful body.
- Fifth day: Blessed Filomena, irreproachable and martyr grown in constancy! You, with your heroic stoicism in the martyrdoms, put an end to the anger of your butchers and tired their bloody hands. God wanted to heal you to redouble your battles and multiply your triumphs. Even when you were again in front of the tyrant you did not give in, intercede before the lord on my behalf.
- Sixth day: Dear saint. You were sentenced to be thrown into the river, an anchor was tied to your neck; But the Lord sent his angelic ones to break the anchor and take it away from you, and in his arms you reached the beach without harm. This was another of your prodigies and pray for them before God.
- Seventh day: Dear saint. Your constancy and faith, and the unflappable conviction of your chastity, were the cause that the wicked made you a new torment, your tied body was pierced by arrows. They took you almost lifeless to your cell and there during your sleep the Lord healed you of all your wounds. The love of the Lord healed you.
- Eighth day: Blessed Saint Philomena. You were driven by the wrath of the wicked to the torment of flaming arrows, which were to end your existence on earth. But the great power of the Lord deflected the arrows and they hit the humanity of the archers. God protected you with his divine grace, he intercedes for me before his divine presence.
- Ninth day: Dear and virginal girl. You culminated your battle for the defense of the faith with one last martyrdom. Seeing himself in desperation to humiliate you, he sent the executioner to cut your throat, and your head was separated from your holy body. At that moment your impeccable soul flew to heaven where it is next to the father, as his favorite daughter. Because you were good, devoted and chaste.
At the end of each of the nine recitations, an Our Father and a bird should be prayed. MaríaIt is at this moment that they ask for what they want the saint to grant them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRUVM5OqZo
Singing to Saint Philomena
the story of saint Filomena, despite not having evidence, is one of the fastest growing followers around the world, since it is credited with great power to perform miracles. Miracles of almost any kind are attributed to her, even if only the great power that she has to comfort the afflicted is taken into account, many things are recognized.
They come to her to seek relief for both body and soul sorrows, which is why they can ask her for favors, both with a rosary and with a song. She will listen as long as it is done with great faith, and she is not asked to cause harm to another person, it must always be to remedy some injustice or evil.
Church of Santa Filomena Patronage
the shrine of saint Filomena, has lay authority over the people of Mugnano, on the living rosary and on the congregation of the protectorate of the children of María, about the brotherhood of Santa Filomena, the brotherhood of saint Filomena, institutions that promote the life and miraculous works of saint Filomena in your area and around the world.
The true remains of the saint have been found in this church since the year one thousand eight hundred and five, and it is the religious epicenter that has taken care of spreading the fervor for this virgin. In other parts of the world they have built churches to the saint, such as the Santa Filomena church Santiago, riding a Chile, the cathedral of saint Filomena en Mysore, India, And in Mexico the temple to saint Pius X, where there is a chapel dedicated to Saint Filomena.
Church of Santa Filomena in Monterrey
The temple of the saint in the town of Monterrey Mexico, it is a simple and beautiful church built for the veneration of this virgin, it represents the current of promotion of the cult of the virgin in MexicoAlthough its activities are localized, such as masses, prayers and patron saint festivities in homage to Santa Filomena, it has the peculiarity of having very small parts of the relics of Santa Filomena.
These small relics that they have, are a bit of hair and a piece of their clothing, with this they have collaborated to reinforce the devotion to the miraculous virgin, and are exhibited in a special container, visible to all visitors, to who has granted him many miracles. These belongings of the saint serve to give strength and confidence to the devotees.
Temple of Santa Filomena in Guadalajara
In fact, in this city there is a chapel consecrated to Saint Filomena, it is located inside the temple of the Pope Pius X, riding a Guadalajara, Morelos, Mexico. This is a Byzantine-style building, located at the train station known as Santa Philomena. It is a place much visited by devotees of the saint, who even call it the temple of saint Filomena.
Controversy
The story of Saint Philomena was supposedly narrated by the saint herself to the servant of God Maria Luisa de Jesus, or rather it is attributed to the saint. This legend presents serious doubts, which is why there are those who maintain that it is false, since it is composed of serious historical and hagiographical errors, even inconsistent with the story itself.
The events clearly bear much resemblance to medieval legends of other recognized martyrs, the story of Santa Filomena It contains many anachronistic facts, which are the ones that collapse its veracity, not for these doubts the saint will cease to have followers, since numerous miracles are granted, among the affirmations in doubt we have:
- It shows the girl as the heiress of some Greek monarchs, who came to the world on the island of Corfu, but by the historical moment of birth, there was no longer any Greek kingdom, the -Polis de Corcyra It had been dissolved in one hundred and forty-eight BC, that is four hundred years before the accounts. The Roman empire was already consolidated by the time.
- In practically all the stories of the martyrs, it is said that they could not conceive, and that when they became Christians God He made them the miracle of having a son. This was very commonly used by the medievals to convince the populace that martyrs were miraculous from conception.
- the name Filomena indeed it is from Greece and it means “who loves singing”, is the name that the ancients gave to the bird currently known as the nightingale, it has nothing to do with "philia luminis" The explanation for this is simple, the legend picks up the theory of those who composed the broken tombstone, to create the name "filumena".
- It makes no sense that the emperor Diocletian declared war on a country that already belonged to the Roman Empire, it should also be noted that this ruler was never widowed, his wife Prisca it survived him several years after his death.
- Diocletian ruled the empire from Ravenna, was never in the seat of government in Roma, then it is impossible for him to meet with the saint's father.
- By the time of the alleged birth of Filomena, baptism was not practiced among Christians, like the Marian cult, it was not put into practice until several centuries later, then it is impossible that the girl was baptized at birth, much less that she had knowledge of the virgin.
- In the Roman Empire there were no cells in the palaces.
- The revelation, in theory, was made by the saint herself, but it varies from first to third person many times throughout the narrative.
- The anchors were very expensive at the time of the story, and they were cared for as a very precious asset, they would never have been used to torture lawbreakers, there were very effective and cheaper methods.
All this is an indication that this story of Santa Filomena was invented, to encourage pious and devoted behavior towards the saint, based on the symbols found on the tombstone of a crypt in the catacomb where the body was discovered, the imprimatur given by the church to this legend only means that it does not there are doctrines contrary to the faith, and it does not force its faithful to believe in it.
Historicity and recent research
At the present time, a series of investigations have been carried out, with the aim of clarifying information about the identity and true history of Saint Filomena. In an investigation carried out in the year XNUMX at the request of the then Bishop of Nola, Ms. Giovanni Braschi, resulted in everything indicating that the saint died at the beginning of the second century.
According to this study, the date was approximately AD two hundred to two hundred and two, revealing the falsity of nineteenth-century history that placed it at the same time as Diocletian, and showing that his martyrdom occurred during the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus. To know more about these topics, you can consult prayer to the holy child of Atocha.
Specialists today affirm that the doubts surrounding her life and the fantastic legend fabricated around her remains are not enough for them to stop venerating her, they can instead be used as evidence to ensure the veracity and legitimacy of her cult. defending the fact that Saint Philomena was one more martyr in the history of Christianity.
It is considered that just for the courage to give her life for the Lord is more than enough for her to be venerated, but the truth is that the entire history of Santa Filomenaexcept for martyrdom has been disproved. The important thing is that she was a Christian martyr and she must remain in the annals of the martyrs of that time, a case apart is the recognition of the miracles performed by the saint.