Is there a Saint Philomena

Answer 1

A:

Saint Philomena provides an interesting case study of the veneration of relics. Her remains were found in the Catacombs of Priscilla in 1802, and from her age, around 13 years old, it was also assumed that she was a virgin. An Latin inscription on three tiles, that closed the hollow in which the bones lay, has been read as meaning "Peace with you, Philomena," from her name was deduced.

Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù later reported that she received revelations from Philomena about her former life. Saint Philomena told her she was the daughter of a king in Greece who, with his wife, had converted to Christianity. At the age of about 13 she took a vow of consecrated virginity. When the Emperor Diocletian threatened to make war on her father, her father went with his family to Rome to ask for peace. The Emperor fell in love with the young Philomena and, when she refused to be his wife, subjected her to a series of torments: scourging, from whose effects two angels cured her; drowning with an anchor attached to her (two angels cut the rope and raised her to the river bank); being shot with arrows, (on the first occasion her wounds were healed; on the second, the arrows turned aside; and on the third, they returned and killed six of the archers, after which, several of the others became Christians). Finally the Emperor had her decapitated. The story goes that the decapitation occurred on a Friday at three in the afternoon, as with the death of Jesus. The two anchors, three arrows, the palm and the ivy leaf on the tiles found in the tomb were interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom.

In 1827, Pope Leo XII gave to the church in Mugnano del Cardinale the three inscribed terra cotta slabs that had been taken from the tomb. Canon De Lucia recounted that wonders accompanied the arrival of the relics in his church, among them a statue that sweated some liquid continuously for three days. A miracle accepted as proved in the same year was the multiplication of the bone dust of the saint, which provided for hundreds of reliquaries taken [and perhaps sold] without the original amount experiencing any decrease in quantity.

On August 10, 1835, Pauline received a miraculous cure of a severe heart ailment at Saint Philomena's shrine in Mugnano del Cardinale during the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Immediately following, she appealed to Pope Gregory XVI to begin an examination for the beatification of Philomena. And on Jan. 13, 1837, the pope named St. Philomena Patroness of the Living Rosary, and declared her to be the "Thaumaturga," the "Great Wonder-Worker of the nineteenth century."

A twentieth-century discovery was that the inscription on the three tiles that had provided the Latin name Filumena (Philomena, in English) belonged to the middle or second half of the second century, while the body that had been found was of the fourth century. The three tiles that provided her name and the images around which a tale of martyrdom had been woven, had no relation to the person whose remains were found. There was no Saint Philomena but, nevertheless, she is famous for working miracles.

Answer 2

Another answer from our community:

Yes there is a Saint Philomena although she is not actually recognized as such by the Catholic Church - there is no official entry in the Roman Martyrology or official list of recognized Saints.

Answer 3

St. Philomena is a very unusual case. On May 24, 1802, in the Catacombs
of Priscilla, a tomb was found containing the bones of a girl about 14
years of age. On top of the tomb were three tiles which were inscribed
with "Pax Tecum Filumena" "Peace with you, Philomena"). Also found was a
small glass vial containing dried blood. All this seemed to indicate that
this was the tomb of a girl named Philomena who was martyred.

The remains were boxed and placed in storage until 1805 when a priest
named Francesco De Lucia requested relics for a new altar for his church
in Mugnano del Cardinale. He was given the remains of Philomena. Soon
after, devotion to the little saint spread throughout Europe, especially
in Italy and France. Miracles began to be reported and even St. John
Vianney made note of a miracle and built a shrine to her in his church in
Ars.

The only evidence we have for Philomena are her bones, the vial of blood
and the inscribed tiles. The information about her life came from private
revelations to two individuals where her life and death are spelled out.

Pope Gregory XVI gave permission on January 13, 1837, for public
veneration of Philomena in some limited places but not throughout the
Church. This was interpreted by some as an act of canonization for
Philomena, which it was not. The name of Philomena was never included in
the Roman Martyrology, the official list of saints recognized by the
Catholic Church.

Answer 4

Although not formally recognised as a saint, Philomena is widely referred to as Saint Philomena, as numerous miracles have been attributed to her and accepted as proved. In 1855, Pope Pius IX approved a proper Mass and office dedicated to St Philomena.

The problem with sainthood for Philomena is that it seems she never really existed. In 1802, remains were found in a catacomb, behind three tiles that appear to have held the name Philomena. Son afterwards, Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù reported that she received revelations from Philomena, who told her she was the daughter of a king in Greece who, with his wife, had converted to Christianity. At the age of about 13 she took a vow of consecrated virginity.

Sister di Gesù said she received a revelation from Philomena that Emperor Diocletian fell in love with her and, when she refused to be his wife, subjected Philomena to a series of torments: scourging, from whose effects two angels cured her; drowning with an anchor attached to her (two angels cut the rope and raised her to the river bank); being shot with arrows, (on the first occasion her wounds were healed; on the second, the arrows turned aside; and on the third, they returned and killed six of the archers, after which, several of the others became Christians). Finally the Emperor had her decapitated. The two anchors, three arrows, the palm and the ivy leaf on the tiles found in the tomb were to be interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom. All this pointed to a saint of the second century, and her veneration soon spread.

Later in the twentieth-century it was discovered that the inscription on the three tiles that had provided the Latin name Filumena (Philomena, in English) and the images around which a tale of martyrdom had been woven belonged to the middle or second half of the second century, while the body that had been found behind the tiles was of the fourth century. The three tiles had no relation to the person whose remains were found. Saint Philomena is real to many, but was based on a misunderstanding reinforced by excessive piety, and was not an actual person.

Answer 5

Yes, Saint Philomena is a revered Christian saint who is said to have been a young Greek princess martyred in the 4th century. She is known for her powerful intercession and is especially venerated by Catholics.

Answer 6

Around the 18'Th or 19'Th Centuries, when her relics & story were discovered.