The Liturgic and Popular Devotion in The Pontifical Documents
1. Introduction
Before the decree of the Congregation of Rites of 1961, Saint Philomena was venerated, and her figure was present in all the hagiography books (the writings and critical studies of the lives of saints). After 1961, not only was she removed from the liturgical calendar, but in the majority of hagiography books she was treated even as a symbol for all legends. Nonetheless, just like other “obscure” Saints, there were among Saint Philomena’s devotees, those who continued to venerate her (some, more than ever), while others, became confused and fell by the wayside. The purpose of this chapter is to stimulate reflection of among both groups. To the first, we want to give a solid base for their faith. To the second, we want to question their doubt, and encourage them to critically evaluate their own opinions. We may argue that if so, many Supreme Pontiffs have approved of her devotional cult, then Saint Philomena is real, and her existence cannot be regarded as merely a legend.
2. The liturgical cult in the pontifical documents
a – Pope Leo XII, with the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on March 15, 1826 granted the celebration of the solemn Mass de Communi Virginum et Mart. (from the Common of Virgins and Martyrs) on the day of Saint Philomena’s feast, in her Sanctuary of Mugnano del Cardinale, as long as it was not a fixed Sunday occurring on the Office Double of First class.
b – Pope Gregory XVI, with the decree of September 6, 1834, granted the singing of the Mass even on a Sunday, on the 10th of August, the day of the Translation of the Saint’s body from Rome to Mugnano.
c – The Sacred Congregation of Rites, with the decree of September 6, 1834, granted to the secular and regular clergy of the Diocese of Nola the permission to pray, on the 11th of August, the Mass of the Common of a Virgin Martyr, and the Divine Office with the Fourth Lesson in honor of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr. Pope Gregory XVI approved this decree on January 30, 1837.
d – Pope Gregory XVI, with the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on March 16, 1839 grants to the clergy of Mugnano permission to recite the Office of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr on her feast, as a double major rite.
e – Pope Gregory XVI, with the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on January 1, 1841 promotes the Office of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr to double rite of second class, without an Octave, in her own Church of Mugnano.
f – Pope Pius IX, at the request of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon (fig. 17) in 1854 proclaims Saint Philomena second Patroness of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, where the devotion toward the glorious Martyr is widely spread.
g – Pope Pius IX, on January 11, 1855, approves the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, granting the clergy of Mugnano the new Office with its own Mass in honor of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr, as a double rite of second class.
h – Pope Pius IX, on January 15, 1857, approves the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, at the request of Monsignor Joseph Formisano, Bishop of Nola, extending to the secular and regular clergy of the diocese of Nola the permission to celebrate, as a double minor rite, the proper Office with the Mass in honor of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, already approved and granted to the clergy of Mugnano and other dioceses.
i – Pope Pius IX, on April 15, 1858, approves the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites that grants the foreign priests who go to Mugnano to visit the Sacred Body of Saint Philomena, the indult to celebrate once only the Saint’s votive mass at her altar, although it would require the Office of double rite, excluding the double rite days of first and second class, the holidays, the vigils and the privileged octaves.
l – Pope Pius IX, with the Pontifical Brief of December 9, grants temporarily to the Rector of the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in Mugnano the privilege to use the pontifical insignia to carry out all the sacred functions in the Sanctuary.
m – Pope Leo XIII, on January 14, 1896, establishes the Feast of the Patronage Feast of Saint Philomena.
n – Pope Leo XIII, with a Pontifical Brief, grants a privileged altar in the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena.
o – Pope Leo XIII, promotes the feast of Saint Philomena to second class rite for the whole Diocese of Nola.
3. The popular cult in the pontificate documents
a – Pope Leo XII, with a re-script of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, on May 10, 1826, declares the altar of Saint Philomena as privileged.
b – Pope Gregory XVI declares Saint Philomena the Patroness of the Living Rosary.
c – Pope Pius IX more than once grants indulgences, both plenary and partial, and other privileges to the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena with proper decrees bearing the following dates: October 16, 1849; May 4,1852; January 4, 1853; December 31, 1853; March 18,1859; June 26, 1863; July 3, 1863.
d – Pope Leo XIII, on December 15, 1883, approves the sacramental of the “Cord of Saint Philomena” and on April 4, 1884 he enriches it with special indulgences.
e – Pope Leo XIII, on September 24, 1889, grants the privilege and the title Archconfraternity to the work of Saint Philomena, throughout France.
f – Pope Pius X, on May 21, 1912, extends to the whole Church the Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena. This pious association is thus proclaimed a Universal Archconfraternity. In the Apostolic Brief, with regard to the historical authenticity of Saint Philomena, he ordains that: “The current statements (regarding St. Philomena) are and remain always fixed, valid and effective; in this way it has to be judged as normative; and if it is proceeded in another way, it will be null and void, whatever its authority”.
- The festivities mentioned in this chapter are taken from: D. BALBONI, Santa Filomena, Vergine Romana (Saint Philomena, Roman Virgin), in notebooks of Collegium Cultorum Martyrum, 5 Rome 1986, p. 15; – F. TROCHU, op. cit. ; G. IPPOLITO, op. cit..
Seeing the discrepancy of the dates between the approval of the sacred Congregation of Rites (6.9.1834) and the approval of Pope Gregory XVI (30.1.1937), and understanding the importance of the Decree, it is right to make a more detailed description of its approval procedure.In 1833 Mons. Anselmo Basilici, Bishop of Sutri and Nepi, requested to the Holy See the institution of a special feast in honor of Saint Philomena; in the meantime, Mons. Gennaro Pasca, Bishop of Nola, was preparing a lesson for the breviary. Most of the Italian Bishops sustained the request of their brethren. It was an unusual attitude in favor of a Saint that no martyrology had ever mentioned and of whom no angiography had ever reported her name, learned only from a simple sepulchral inscription. But the miracles performed by the Saint supported this cause. With decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on September 6, 1834 favorable opinion was given to the decree that Pope Gregory XVI will approve only on January 30, 1837. Seeing the favorable opinion, Monsignor Basilici asked for an audience to the Pope to better plead his cause. He wanted to offer to the Holy Father a miracle which had happened in his own hands: the multiplication of the Saint’s relics. He was received on June 16, 1835. He showed how the veneration for Saint Philomena’s relics had spread all over the world: in Russia, Belgium, Poland, Greece, France, Armenia, Americas, and so on, thanks to the prodigies performed by the Saint. The Pope showed interest in everything and especially in the miracle of the multiplication of the relics. The Holy Father commissioned the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites to carefully examine the case. The test was carried out on June 17, 1835 and had a positive outcome. But Pope Gregory XVI was still uncertain whether to accept or not the decree: approving the solemn cult of a Saint that no martyrology ever mentioned was a highly rare event for the Church. In this period the miracle of Pauline Jaricot took place, of which Pope Gregory XVI was an eyewitness and he defined it a first order miracle. It was only then, January 30, 1837, that Gregory XVI solemnly approved the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of September 6, 1834. Therefore, the Church recognizes Saint Philomena the title of Virgin and Martyr and affirms the truth of the miracles which happened through her intercession. As a matter of fact, the request of Monsignor Basilici determined for Saint Philomena a true canonization process. It seems that this is a unique case in the history of the Church, being that her earthly life was unknown. The Church has only relied on sure events, like the miracles taken into consideration. The seriousness and scrupulousness of the process is very well described in the decree (Cfr. G. IPPOLITO, op. Cit., pp. 22-123; pp. 205-206).
- The information of this paragraph can be found in the Brief Pontificates, stored in the Vatican Secret Archives, transcribed by the archivist Isoli, 1996; and in the work of G. IPPOLITO, cit., at the pp. 113-117, and 165-167.
Fig. 17 – Ferdinand II of Bourbon (1840-1859), great King of Naples. He first married Marie Christine of Savoy, then Marie Theresa of Austria. In the Sanctuary Treasury there are their precious “ex voto”. The whole Royal Family was very devoted to Saint Philomena and very munificent toward her Sanctuary. With Ferdinand II, the Neapolitan Kingdom excelled for prestige, power and wealth. The Army and military fleet were the best ones in Italy. The mercantile one was one of the most important in the world. Ferdinand II strengthened agriculture, commerce and industry. Sharp and dynamic, he was open to culture and progress. The money circulation in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was double of all the other Italian States put together! He protected the Church and Pius IX. He died prematurely, was succeeded by his son Francis II (1836-1894) from whom the sceptre will quickly be removed, originating the decline of the whole glorious and flourishing South of Italy.
Papal Devotion and their “Ex Voto” Gifts
Introduction
The importance of the devotional cult of Saint Philomena is evident not only from the official Church documents, but also from the personal devotion which many Popes have shown towards our Martyr.
Nearly all the Popes, from 1802 to 1940, have shown a great veneration for Saint Philomena (fig. 18). Some of them have visited the Sanctuary of the Saint when they were Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church.
Pope Pius IX, had been miraculously cured by the Saint and spread her devotion in the diocese of Imola of which he was Pastor. As Pope he visited the Sanctuary in Mugnano to venerate the sacred body of St. Philomena. The fact that devotion of many Popes toward our martyr was great, is shown by their many recognitions, privileges and their ex voto – that is, votove offerings. These are listed below.
The Popes’ devotions
a – Pope Pius VII (1800-1823). He is credited with the greatest act of kindness toward our Saint, that of granting to the Church in Mugnano, the body of Saint Philomena. As previously mentioned, the finding of the martyr’s body occurred on the 25th of May 1802, the second year of his pontificate. It was not easy for a priest or even a bishop to obtain the body of a martyr, especially if the name was known. Monsignor Bartolomeo De Cesare, the new Bishop of Potenza, however, expressed to the Supreme Pontiff the desire and the zeal of Don Francesco De Lucia. Pope Pius VII was convinced and granted the body of Saint Philomena.
b – Pope Leo XII (1823-1829). On the 7th of December 1827, he received from Mons. Filippo Ludovici the second edition of Relazione Istorica (The Historical Account) from Don Francesco De Lucia: The Pontiff, who had already heard from various sources of the miracles performed by Saint Philomena, wanted immediately to read the book, and full of admiration for her, he exclaimed: “She is a great Saint!”.
c – Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846). Because of his various decrees, which were promulgated with the greatest care, he is considered the Pope who most promoted the devotional cult of Saint Philomena. It was his decree of 1837 that solemnly confirmed the re-script of the Congregation of Rites of 1834. The Pope himself donated to the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena a precious medallion with his effigy, a large silver votive lamp with golden decorations, and a golden chalice, which are kept in the Sanctuary Treasury.
d – Pope Pius IX (1846-1878). He was a great devotee of Saint Philomena. His devotion began even before he was ordained priest, when he was cured from epilepsy by the intercession of our Saint. When he was Bishop of Imola, his secretary, Don Joseph Stella, was also cured in 1834 through the intercession of Saint Philomena. At the same time, on the day on which the Oratorians displayed for public veneration, a picture of Saint Philomena on the main altar of their Church, he decided to celebrate the Holy Mass in person.
When he became Pope, at his own expense, he helped a poor young man named Palmieri, who had been cured by Saint Philomena, to become a priest. He had been struck with cholera and was left blind and was miraculously cured by the Saint on the 11th of August 1849. Afterwards, in front of the great Altar of Saint Philomena, he expressed the desire to become a priest.
During his stay in the Royal Palace of Portici, Pope Pius IX, accompanied by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and the royal family, on November 7, 1849 came in pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Mugnano, where he celebrated Mass at the altar of Saint Philomena (fig. 19).
Among the liturgical privileges granted by him, which are described in chapter V, we certainly must consider the permission for a proper Office and Mass, a rare honor.
A few weeks before his death, Pope Pius IX sent the Superior of the Holy Spirit to Mugnano, to donate to the Saint the splendid chalice that the Confederation of the Catholic Clubs of Belgium had given to him in occasion of the 50th Anniversary of his Episcopacy (August 24, 1877). The chalice is kept in the Sanctuary Treasury.
e – Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). He came on pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Mugnano when he was still Archbishop of Benevento. The Pontiff of the great social encyclicals, the sociologist Pope, as he was known, never forgot the Saint of Mugnano. According to the testimony of the Abbe Petit, founder of the Work of Saint Philomena in Paris, who was more than once received in audience, every time that someone mentioned Saint Philomena, the face of Leo XIII would break into a sweet smile.
On December 15, 1883, Leo XIII officially approved the pious use of a sacramental consisting of a red and white cord in honor of the Saint. Further, on September 24, 1889 he granted the title of Archconfraternity (extending it throughout France) to the Work of Saint Philomena, and in 1902 he celebrated in Rome, in Priscilla’s Catacombs, the first centenary of the finding of the holy martyr’s body. He also sent two gifts to the Sanctuary in Mugnano: in 1888 a beautiful pastoral and on the May 25, 1902, on the centenary of the finding of the relics, a wonderful missal. These gifts are kept in the Sanctuary Treasury.
f – Pope St Pius X (1903-1914). He is the Pope who in 1905 proclaimed Blessed, the Cure of Ars, on the first centenary of the translation of Saint Philomena’s Body from Rome to Mugnano. As the Pope wanted to participate from afar in our feast, on the 8th of August, three days before the celebrations in Mugnano, he instructed P. Remer, a fervent devotee of Saint Philomena, to bring to our Sanctuary one of his golden rings to offer to Saint Philomena. On this occasion Monsignor Agnello Renzullo, Bishop of Nola, authorized the papal delegate to open the urn, and he slipped the precious ring on the finger of the wax effigy that contains the Saint’s bones.
Pius X loved Saint Philomena very much and he was truly saddened by the questions raised concerning her, especially about the authenticity of the tiles found sealing the front of her tomb. This results from the report that the Abbe Petit wrote about the audience granted to him by Pius X on June 16, 1907. On that occasion Petit offered to the Pope a relic of the Cure’ of Ars and he personally read the attached dedication that, of course, referred to Saint Philomena. Father Petit recounts that when the Pope reached the name of the young Saint, and the well-known question came up, he vigorously exclaimed:
“Ah, Saint Philomena! I am very saddened by what is written regarding this topic. How can they possibly write these things?”. And he vigorously displayed his sorrow and disappointment, regarding the “Philomena Question”, in these terms: “How can they not realize that the greatest argument in favor of the cult of Saint Philomena is the Cure’ of Ars? Through her, in her name, as a result of her intercession, he received countless graces, and continuous miracles. His devotion towards her was very well known by everyone, he continuously recommended her […]. It is clear by now that the soul that formed these sacred remains was a pure and saintly soul whom the Church has declared to be those of a virgin and martyr. This soul has been so loved by God, has been so filled with the Holy Spirit, that it has obtained the most marvellous graces for those who had recourse to her intercession […]”.
The Pope spoke with ardent conviction. We must admire his veneration and confidence in Saint Philomena.
Saint Pius X, on the May 21, 1912, extended to the whole Church throughout the world, the Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena: the highest tribute from a pope who became Saint to a great Saint herself!
g – Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) and Pope Pius XI (1922-1939). There are no detailed records about the devotion towards Saint Philomena by the Popes after Pius X (fig. 20). However, examining the ex voto, the Votive Gifts present in the Treasury of the Sanctuary, the names of Benedict XV and Pius IX do appear.
Pope Benedict XV gave to the Sanctuary a “silver Lamb for peace”, and Pope Pius XI donated a golden chalice.
4. G. IPPOLITO, Memorie e culto di S. Philomena V. e M. (Memories and cult of St. Philomena V. and M.), cit. , pp. 165-167.
5.G.IPPOLITO, op. cit.
6. G. IPPOLITO, op. cit.
7. D. BALBONI, Santa Philomena, Vergine Romana in Quaderni del (Saint Philomena, Roman Virgin in Notebooks of the) Collegium Cultorum martirum, 1986, p. 6.
8. G.IPPOLITO, op. cit., pp. 116-120.
9. G.IPPOLITO, op. cit., pp. p. 256
10. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 122.
11. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 123
12. D. D’ANDREA, Pio IX a Mugnano del Cardinale (Pious IX at Mugnano del Cardinale), Naples 2000.
13. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 129.
Fig. 18 – The bronze door of the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in Mugnano, work of the sculptor Guglielmo Savini.
At the bottom are represented the Supreme Pontiffs who have favoured the great propagation of the cult of our Saint.
from the Messager de Sainte Sainte Philomène, Juillet 1907, pp. 356-
Fig. 19 – Pope Pius IX. On November 7, 1849, accompanied by King Ferdinand II of Bourbon and the Royal Family, he came in pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Mugnano del Cardinale, where he celebrated the Holy Mass at the altar of Saint Philomena.
Fig. 20 – Some of the Popes who were devoted to Saint Philomena and were propagators of her cult.
Many Pontiffs have sent gifts to the Sanctuary of Mugnano del Cardinale, some of which are listed below:
- Gregory XVI: medallion with his effigy
- Pius IX: chalice Confederation of Catholic Clubs of Belgium
- Leo XIII: pastoral and missal
- Pius X: stole
- Benedict XV: “silver Lamb for peace”
- Pius XI: chalice
Papal Devotion and their “Ex Voto” Gifts
1. Introduction
The Saints, in the economy of salvation, have the mission of witnessing to the faithful of the light of Christ. The greatness of a Saint is measured also by the number of devotees who have chosen the road to perfection, following their steps.
The second century Father of the Church, Tertullian, affirmed the martyrs’ blood represents the seed for the birth of many more Christians. It is in this way that Philomena’s blood has become a powerful instrument of salvation for countless faithful of every social class. In addition to Popes, even Saints, Blesseds and the Venerable of the Church have venerated the Virgin and Martyr of Mugnano del Cardinale: it is a true record!
A few of them will be discussed here for the glory of God and our Saint Philomena.
2. Saints who were devotees of Saint Philomena.
a – Pope Saint Pius X (1835-1914).
The devotion of this Pope for the Saint has been discussed in the chapter on the devotion of the Popes and the ex voto offered to the Sanctuary of Mugnano. Here we must add that the great devotion and respect of Pius X for the Cure’ of Ars, who was also deeply devoted to Saint Philomena, brought him to love our Martyr with deeper intensity.
b – Saint John Marie Vianney, Curé of Ars (1876-1859).
Among all the admirable souls, ardent with devotion for Saint Philomena, the first place belongs to the holy Cure’ of Ars.
It was Pauline Jaricot who informed him about the Saint of Mugnano and introduced her to him. It was Pauline who gave him one of her relics. There is not a biography of the Cure of Ars in which our Saint is not mentioned.
In France he was the greatest promoter of the devotion towards the Saint of Mugnano. He had a statue of Saint Philomena placed in his parish church, and then built a Basilica in her honor in Ars. This Basilica, built in the same style of the one in Fourvière, which dominates over Lyon, was terminated after the death of Saint John Marie Vianney (fig. 21).
The holy Cure’ attributed to the intercession of our Saint, all of the numerous miracles performed in Ars.
c – Saint Peter Louis Marie Chanel (1803-1841).
Saint Peter Louis Marie Chanel was born in Cuet in the Diocese of Belley, to which the town of Ars belongs. He was a missionary and the first martyr of the mysterious and unexplored Oceania (April 28,1841).
His devotion for Saint Philomena came from the Cure’ of Ars. When, in 1836, he embarked for the Archipelago of Tonga, he had in his breviary three pictures: Our Lady, Saint Joseph and Saint Philomena. To the young Saint of Mugnano he would turn in the difficult moments of his apostolate amongst the mistrustful and often hostile natives. Although not an expert in construction, he started building, trusting in “a Saint for whom he had a great devotion”. In honor of the Saint he recited a novena every year at the time of her feast. To one of the first baptized he gave the name Marie Philomena.
d – Saint Peter Julian Marie Eymard (1811- 1868).
His greatest merit was the founding of the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament in 1856. He was a very close friend of the Cure’ of Ars whom he visited regularly. He was also a disciple and friend of Father Colin. Like him, he had a great devotion to Saint Philomena. He loved to kneel in front of the Saint’s reliquary. In 1854 he was cured through the intercession of the martyr after the novena was recited in her honor.
e – Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865).
Madeline was another great devotee of Saint Philomena; she founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1802. In the difficult times of her life and her religious order, Mother Barat invoked with faith the Saint of Mugnano.
In her biography she states that on the 11th of September 1846 one of her novices, Miss Monestrol, needed to undergo surgery. While the doctors were preparing the surgical instruments, Barat asked the novice to make a vow to leave for the Americas as she prayed to St. Philomena and placed her hands on the affected area. The doctors afterwards were stunned, and ascertained that the patient was healed. They stated that what had just happened was unexplainable according to science. St. Madeline Sophie Barat attributed her healing to Saint Philomena, whom she had invoked.
f – Saint John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860).
Saint John Nepomucene Neumann was born in Bohemia on the 28th of March 1811. He finished his theological studies, but due to a series of circumstances, he could not be ordained a Priest. He then decided to go to France and from there he embarked for the United States reaching Manhattan in 1836.
After his arrival in America he was received by Bishop John Dubois and ordained a priest in the same year. In 1840 he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, (The Redemptorists) founded by Saint Alfonso Maria de Liguori. He dedicated himself to the missionary activity in the States of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and to the Christian education of youth, founding many parish Catholic schools.
In 1844 during his first appointment as Superior of the Order of the Redeemer and the Rector of the old Church of Saint Philomena in Pittsburgh, he committed himself with great zeal to the building of the new church in honor of Saint Philomena. The old one, called the “Farm Church” had been situated in an abandoned industrial building which had been demolished. Trustful of the help of the Martyr, “to whom God denies nothing for whomever invokes her” and without worrying about the money, he completed the building of the new Church of Saint Philomena in 1846. This was an accomplishment thought impossible and therefore of great religious significance.
When he was appointed the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, he intensified his missionary and pastoral work and built five more churches and began building the Philadelphia Cathedral. After a saintly and industrious life, he left this earth for Heaven in 1860. Thanks to his pastoral work and his missionary zeal, the devotion to Saint Philomena grew strong roots in Pennsylvania.
g – Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917).
Saint Francesca Cabrini was born in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano (Milan) on the 15th of July 1850 into a deeply Catholic family. In 1880, possessed by a strong zeal for a missionary life, she founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cotogno (Milan). In 1896 she went to Rome, and in the Church of Jesus made a vow to go east as a missionary where she founded the Motherhouse of the Institute.
Urged by Pope Leo XIII, she left for New York in 1889 with some other sisters to begin missionary activity among the Italian immigrants.
On her numerous journeys, especially the ones from New York to Buenos Aires and through the Andes, she always carried with her a small statue of Saint Philomena. We can say that Frances Cabrini, and the Bishop of Philadelphia, John Neumann, had the distinction of promoting the devotion to Saint Philomena in America more than anyone else. Saint Frances Cabrini died in Chicago in 1917. Her body is kept in her Shrine the City of New York, in the United States. Important relics can be found in Chicago and Cotogno. Pius XII declared her the Universal Patroness of the Immigrants.
h – Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968).
For Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Saint Philomena was the “Princess of Heaven”. His devotion for the Saint began within his family, where his sister had that name.
This devotion was strengthened in Morcone, the location of his novitiate, where at the end of July, the feast of Saint Philomena was celebrated with great solemnity. This feast continues today in the Convent of San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia) in the Headquarters of the Capuchins, where the Saint was highly venerated. After the liturgical reform of 1961, Padre Pio replied assertively to whoever dared to doubt the existence of the Saint: “for the love of God! It might well be that her name is not Philomena! But this Saint has performed many miracles and it is not the name that did them”. This is the wisest reply: who wants to understand, will understand!
i – Saint Maddalena Gabriella of Canossa (1774-1835).
Maddalena Gabriella Marquis of Canossa was born in Verona on the 1st of May 1774. In 1808, no longer tied by family commitments, she founded the Order of the Canossians (The Daughters of Charity), an institution of great religious and human advancement.
This religious order dedicated itself to the teaching of catechism, the education of poor young girls, and the assistance of the sick in hospitals. Mother Madeleine continuously exhorted her religious sisters towards the love of Christ and the Sorrowful Virgin, and she entrusted them to the patronage of Saint Philomena (cfr. l’Epistolario della Beata Maddalena di Canossa (the Letters of the Blessed Madeleine of Canossa)).
In a letter she urged Rose Polli, Vice Superior in Milan, to pray to Saint Philomena, “by God distinguished with such miracles that in Romagna she is now called the Thaumaturge.” For her Superior who was ill, (letter of July 14, 1834) a testimony of love and faith towards our Saint. In many other letters Blessed Madeline recommends the patronage of Saint Philomena in cases of necessity by her sisters. They are collected in volume III/5 of her letters. She died in 1835.
l – Saint Hannibal Marie Di Francia (1851-1927).
A native of Messina, he is unanimously recognized as the Apostle of prayer for vocations, and the Father of the poor and orphans. He founded two religious families (The Rogationists and the Daughters of the Divine Zeal). Referring to Saint Philomena he said: “Saint Philomena has become famous for the great miracles that the Lord has worked through her.”
m – Saint Damien de Veuster (1840 – 1889).
Father Damien, a Belgian missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, spent his life spiritually assisting and caring for the lepers relegated to the isle of Molokai in the Hawaiian archipelago. A great devotee of Saint Philomena, he dedicated to her the first chapel he built in the leper colony (cfr.: F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 200).
Finally contracting the same horrible disease, he died at 49 years of age, “leaving hell for Heaven.” He fought stoutly against discrimination of the lepers, and his enlightened testimony produced important results. In the same year of the death of this heroic Father of the Lepers, (1889) an Association for the fight against leprosy was founded in London, which brought about many more initiatives throughout the world for this most terrible disease. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI promoted this martyr to the glory of the Altars for his love towards the most unfortunate and marginalized children of God.
3. Blessed devotees of Saint Philomena
a –Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841-1926).
Blessed Bartolo Longo, the founder of the famous Sanctuary of Pompeii and of other works, was also a great devotee of Saint Philomena. In 1896 he wrote “Life of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr” based entirely on the “revelations” of the Neapolitan mystic, Sister Marie Louise of Jesus.
On the June 9, 1896, the Lawyer Bartolo Longo with his consort countess Mariana De Fusco, came on pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena. He assisted at a Mass which he also served, and before leaving wrote in the visitors’ registry: “Today, June 9, 1896, I have had the ineffable consolation of offering to the renowned Virgin and Martyr Saint Philomena a sample of my writings with the “children of prisoners”, which together with my little orphans and the works of Pompeii I have placed under the patronage of the great Preacher of Christ, Saint Philomena”.
Furthermore, in the June 1902 issue of “The Rosary and the New Pompeii” (p.204), Bartolo Longo published a brief work called The first centenary of the discovery and translation of the body of Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr, where one may read, amongst other things: “On May 25th of this year was the first solemn centenary of the discovery of the body of Saint Philomena V. and M. in Rome […] grateful to the illustrious Virgin and Martyr for favours which I received, I wish to render my tribute and pay my respects, by writing about her ‘Life’ in a booklet edited by the School of Printing for the Sons of Prisoners”.
b –Blessed Anne Marie Taigi (1769-1837).
Blessed Anne Marie Taigi was a fervent devotee of Saint Philomena and often personally experienced her powerful intercession. Amongst other things, she received the healing of her granddaughters’ eye when it was anointed with the Oil of St. Philomena. The Jesuit P. Gabriel Bouffier affirms that this admirable mother invoked the young Martyr from the Catacombs every night and made her family invoke her also. She had her image displayed in her house, and on death’s door, like a good Christian mother, after having given the last recommendations to her sons, she placed them under the special protection of Saint Philomena, of whom she had always propagated devotion..
c – The Blessed Pius IX (1792-1878).
This Pope’s devotion was profound and sincere throughout his whole life. In 1849 he visited the Sanctuary. His name can be read in every chapter of this book: he is present in the chapter on miracles, as when he was young, was healed by intercession of the Saint. He is present in the liturgical and devotional documents chapter; he is present in the ex voto and the devotion of the Popes for the Saint chapter. Among other things, he proclaimed her Second Patron in the vast Neapolitan Kingdom.
4. Venerables and Servants of God devotees of Saint Philomena
a – The Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot (1799-1862).
Pauline Marie Jaricot, founder of the Living Rosary and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was highly appreciated by Pope Gregory XVI who wanted to personally receive her when she passed through Rome. She had been directed to Mugnano to ask for healing from our Saint. The astonishing miracle of her healing, which he verified in person, lead Pope Gregory XVI to sign the well-known decree of 1837.
It was she that gave the relic of Saint Philomena to the Cure’ of Ars and she was one of the promoters of Philomena’s devotion in Lyon and in the whole of France.
b – The Servant of God Sister Marie Louise of Jesus (1799-1875).
Originally known as Marie Carmela Ascione, at age 18 she took the habit of the Dominican sisters, taking the name of Sister Marie Louise of Jesus. Later, intent on spreading of the cult of Saint Philomena and by the echoes of her miracles in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, she founded the religious family of the “Oblates of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Philomena”. From her written work and her autobiography transpires simplicity and clarity of style, together with a deep ascetic doctrine.
Her devotion for our Saint was deep and sincere. Her “revelations” on the life and martyrdom of Saint Philomena in the form of locutions, (fig. 22) although answering the popular need to know more about her life, also had the effect of suggesting a mere legend, and detaching her from history. The truth remains that, the devotional cult of Saint Philomena did not begin with her revelations, nor has it been trivialized or discounted because of them.
The Church, in all the official acts relative to the cult of our Martyr, has never taken it into account. What remains is the sincere devotion of Sister Marie Louise and the beneficial influence that her writings have had in spreading devotion to Saint Philomena.
c – The Venerable Marie Christine of Savoy (1812-1836).
Born in Cagliari in 1812, the Venerable Marie Christine of Savoy – first wife of King Ferdinand II and mother of Francis II, last King of Naples – was a heroine of charity and a pious Christian in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. She had a great devotion to Saint Philomena. With her husband Ferdinand II, she came for the first time to the Sanctuary of Mugnano on April 11, 1835. The Pius Queen had been married for three years, but they had no child. Immediately after her visit to the Sanctuary, she announced the happy news of the conception of the heir to the throne, which she attributed to the intercession of Saint Philomena. As a sign of recognition, she decided to build in Mugnano an orphanage for girls dedicated to the Saint. She actually came ten times to Mugnano and her ex voto gifts are kept in the Sanctuary Treasury. She left this earthly life for Heaven on the 31st of January 1836. She was just over twenty-three years old and she had been a Queen for just three years. After the solemn funeral, her body was buried in the Neapolitan Basilica of Saint Clare, where she rests today. The death of the young sovereign generated great mourning and increased the fame of her sanctity. People rushed to pray at the tomb of the “Holy Queen”. Many wonders occurred through her intercession. Pius IX in 1853 proclaimed her as Venerable and Pius XI in 1937 declared her heroic in virtue. In numerous biographies the great devotion of Marie Christine of Savoy (fig. 23) towards Saint Philomena is emphasized.
d – The Servant of God, Julie Colbert (1785-1864).
Julie Colbert, Marchioness of Barolo, is seen as one of the most extraordinary figures of the nineteenth century. She was very devoted to Saint Philomena and greatly attached to her Sanctuary. She promoted the devotion of the Saint in the city of Turin.
At Napoleon’s court she met the Count Carl Tancredi Falletti who became her husband in 1814. Not having any children, she dedicated herself to works of charity and the rehabilitation of prisoners. She dedicated herself to this social work and Christian teaching and donated all of her great wealth to these endeavours. She founded the Daughters of Jesus Good Shepherd. The Marchioness of Barolo visited the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in January 1834 and again in February 1852, at which time she left the offering of a silver heart with a letter of thanksgiving for the grace received. Barolo named for the Saint a beautiful foundation: a small hospital for sick and crippled young girls.
e – The Servant of God Andrew Filomeno Garcia (1800-1853).
Among other devotees of Saint Philomena is the Servant of God Brother Andrew Filomeno Garcia who, because of his simplicity, calls to mind the Cure’ of Ars.
A native of the Canary Islands (1800), he emigrated to Montevideo when he was about twenty-three years of age, became mendicant friar of the Franciscans of Saint James. For many years he travelled through the cities and the countryside of Chile, carrying in one hand a small box for offerings, in the other a great image of Saint Philomena which he would show to everybody. To the ones who would stop to listen to him, Friar Garcia would tell about the miracles of the small Saint, leaving them edified.
He also composed prayers and hymns in honor of Saint Philomena. He died in Santiago in 1853. Two years later, his body, found incorrupt, was buried in the Church of his monastery, near the altar of Saint Philomena.
f – The Venerable Father Vito Michael Di Netta (1787-1849).
Vito Michael Di Netta, known as the Apostle of the Calabries, was born in Vallata (Avellino) on February 26, 1787. He was a heroic figure of a missionary of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, (the Redemptorists) founded by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, a Doctor of the Church, whose preaching in Nola has remained memorable.
He was called by God after having finished his studies at the Seminary of Saint Angelo of the Lombards. He joined the novitiate of the Redemptorists of Saint Angelo at Cupolo, near Benevento. He was ordained priest on the 30th of March 1811 and was sent to the Calabries where he preached popular missions, covering the region by land and by sea. He worked mainly in Catanzaro and Tropea where in 1822 he became Rector of the Monastery of the Redemptorist Fathers and where he died on the 3rd of December 1849. He was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
Father Di Netta nurtured a great devotion to Saint Philomena whom he always invoked in times of difficulty and danger which he faced as a missionary.
The testimony of his fervent devotion towards Saint Philomena is as follows:
“Once he was with Father De Blasio and Ilario at sea, heading for a mission, when suddenly they were surprised by a terrible storm, finding themselves face to face with death. Only he remained calm, while the others were crying in distress. He then said: ‘Sons, do not fear, we will survive; let us make a vow to Saint Philomena to celebrate in Her honor the Mass, as soon as we reach the shore, and nothing bad will happen to us.’”
After pronouncing the promise, the storm died down and everything was calm, and his friends stated to have seen beside him, during the danger, a young girl with an angelic face, whom they believed was Saint Philomena”.
g – The Venerable Jean Claude Colin (1790-1875).
Father Jean Claude Colin was a great devotee of Saint Philomena. Orphaned at the age of fourteen, he joined the Seminary of Saint-Jodard. He then moved on to those of Alix, Verrières and finally Saint Irénée of Lyon, where he completed his theological and philosophical formation. Ordained priest in 1816, he founded the Society of Mary. On April 29, 1836 Pope Gregory XVI approved the Marist Congregation and in 1837 Father Colin was elected its General Superior.
The Marists, following his guidance, dedicated themselves to the education of the young in local and foreign missions, especially in the remote Oceania. They reaped great results of religious and human promotion. Father Colin used to turn to Saint Philomena with the same love and trust of the Cure’ of Ars. In Belley, in an old Capuchin Monastery, he founded an oratory dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, in which he placed a statue of Saint Philomena.
5. Distinguished and common faithful, devotees of Saint Philomena.
a – Mother Mary Theresa (1809-1863).
Mother Mary Theresa, foundress of the Congregation of the Reparatory Adoration, owes her vocation to Saint Philomena. This religious woman, previously known as Théodelinde Dubouché, was a young happy and light-hearted, who studied painting. It was through this road that God led her towards the most beautiful heights. While painting a picture of Saint Philomena, which is now in the Cathedral of Bayeux, Mlle. Dubouché received her vocation and conversion.
b – The Abbe’ Louis Petit (1852-1914).
After the death of Don Francesco De Lucia (1847), and of John Marie Vianney (1859) and of Pauline Jaricot (1862), another great apostle of Saint Philomena distinguished himself. He was the Abbe’ Louis Petit (fig. 24), who worked in Paris. Born in Colombey-Les-Deux-Églises on June 15, 1852, he cultivated within his family the love for Saint Philomena. He was a seminarian when his parents moved to Paris, living in the area of the parish church of Saint-Gervais. This church, located in the capitol, had a well-established devotional cult of Saint Philomena. In 1872 he founded the periodical L’Echo de Sainte Philoméne, which he succeeded in publishing for two years. Not yet a priest, he also published Histoire du culte de Sainte Philoméne, “History of the cult of Saint Philomena.”
He was ordained in 1879 and two years later joined the Congregation of Saint Vincent de Paul, where he was director of the Messager de Sainte Philoméne until his death. The purpose of his life had been the spreading of the cult of Saint Philomena and he created a center from which to radiate it.
In the Parisian district of High Vaugirard, he built the lovely chapel of Saint Philomena in Rue Dantzig. From here his written work and his Messager reached France and the rest of the world. In 1883 he received the approval of the Cord of Saint Philomena from the Sacred Congregation of Rites and spread its devotion through his periodical.
Louis Petit also had the inspiration to find the Work of Saint Philomena, with the intention of the Christian education of the working classes. He joyfully witnessed this pious association become a Universal Archconfraternity with an official act of Pius X on May 21, 1912.
In 1902, through his initiative, the first century of the finding of Saint Philomena’s bones was celebrated in Rome. He had the honor of closing these celebrations with a solemn sung Mass.
When Father Petit came to Mugnano to venerate Saint Philomena in 1883 and 1902, he had the honor of using the splendid Missal for the celebration of the Sacred Mass which was given by Pope Leo XIII. He died in Paris in 1914, after a life dedicated to propagating devotion for our Saint whom he deeply loved and venerated.
c – An endless list.
In the whole world, countless individuals of every social class and condition have venerated Saint Philomena. Here are mentioned only a few:
Father Joseph Varin, one of the reformers of the Society of Jesus in France, who pronounced at least forty times a day the name of the Saint and celebrated a Mass in the Sanctuary dedicated to her.
Father O’Sullivan spread the cult of Saint Philomena in Portugal, Ireland, and USA.
Many writers and artists have had admiration and devotion towards the Saint:
Michael De Saint Pierre, French catholic novelist, in his biography about the Curate of Ars highlights great fondness for Saint Philomena;
Jean Dupré consecrated to Saint Philomena the first fruits of his works;
the Italian poets Joseph Borghi and Sylvius Pellico wrote hymns in honor of the “Pure Virgin” and the “Invincible Martyr”.
Many Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, from all over the world have come to give homage to Saint Philomena in Mugnano and have left their votive gifts at the Sanctuary:
Card. Louis Ruffo Scilla, Archbishop of Naples, who wanted to donate a statue of Saint Philomena to the Sanctuary; the English Cardinal Thomas Weld; Card. James Philip Franzoni, Prefect of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith;
Card. Louis Lambruschini, Secretary of Pius IX; Card. Angelo Mai, Prefect of the Vatican Library; Card. Gabriel della Gerga Sermattei; Card. Philip Judge Caracciolo, Archbishop of Naples.
In 1837 the Archbishop of Cesarea, went to Mugnano.
In 1852 the Sanctuary was visited by: the Bishop of Chicago, Mons. John James Oliviero Vande Velede; Mons. Vincent Spaccapietra, Archbishop of Smirne, John Hilary Bost, Bishop of Merida in the Venezuelan Republic.
Rightfully Ippolito writes: “The Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in Mugnano has by now become renowned for the continuous visits and pilgrimages of foreigners who expressly come from the most remote corners of the earth. Churchmen, noblemen, ladies, and people of every class and condition of all nations have all been seen here and they still pour into that fortunate village to venerate the sacred body of the undefeated Heroine, in gratitude for the graces received, and imploring her continued patronage.”
15, F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp. 130-132. The citation is taken from the Messager de Sainte Philomene, Juillet, 1907, pp. 356-363.
16. F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp. 130-197; G. IPPOLITO, op. cit., pp. 197-213.
17. F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp. 199-200.
18. P.R. NICOLET, Vie du Bienhereux Pierre Louis Chanel, Lyon, p. 302.
19. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 202.
20.Idem, pp. 199-200.
21. L. DI MATTEO, La giornata di Padre Pio e note spiritualitá (The day of Father Pious and well known spiritualities), Pietrelcina 2004, p. 14.
22. G. DE GRANDE MAISON, La bienheureuse Mère Barat, Gabalda 1909, p. 198.
23. G. BOUFFIER, op. cit., pp. 124-126.
24. After the decree of 1961, the Oblates of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Philomena is simply known as Oblates of Our Lady of Sorrows.
25. The position of the Abbot Petit on this matter is very clear: “After having spoken in Rome with Christian archaeology experts , we have taken the very firm decision to remove Philomena from the Legend and return her to History, if this has not yet been accomplished” (Cfr. Messager, May 1900).
26. G. IPPOLITO, op. cit., pp. 99-100.
27. In the Sanctuary Treasury there are many ex voto belonging to other rulers. For example: Queen Maria Theresa, second wife of Ferdinand II, donated a rich dress for the Sacred Body of the Saint and the reliquary which contained the blood vial; Queen Marie Amelie, wife of Louis Philippe King of France, in 1835 donated to Saint Philomena a royal mantle. Later she donated to Saint Philomena another sumptuous dress manufactured in Lyon.
28. F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp. 225-226.
29. A. DI COSTE, The Apostle of the Calabries – Vener. P. Vito Michael Di Netta, Pompeii 1914. – About the presence of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori in Nola read: G. BOCCIA, Trojan Caracciolo of the Sun Bishop of Nola, 1996, pp. 207-233; G. BOCCIA, Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, on “In dialogue”, monthly edition of the Nolan Church. Editions from September 1995 to October 1996.
30. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 200.
31. F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp.206-208.
32. F. TROCHU, op. cit., pp.202-203.
33. Fr. O’Sullivan, St. Philomena The Wonderworker, the Catholic Printing Press, Lisbon 1954.
34. M. DE SAINT PIERRE, La vie prodigieuse du Curé d’Ars; Gallimard 1973. De Saint Pierre was a pilgrim in Mugnano on June 6, 1984 and wrote in the registry of illustrious visitors: “After this far too short passing through, but long enough for the nicest memory, we pray the very young Saint Philomena, whom the Curate of Ars had already introduced to us, and we thank the rector of this Sanctuary for his unforgettable welcome”. (June 6, 1984, page 166 of the visitor registry).
35.His first work was a statuette of the Saint, a true art miniature, which represented her with her eyes looking up to the sky, a hand on her chest, the other one holding the virginal lily. The anchor, symbol of the immortal hopes, is at her feet. This statue, which has inspired many sculptors and painters who followed, was displayed in 1838 at the Florence Academy of Art where it conquered all the votes. F. TROCHU, op. cit., p. 95)
36. G. IPPOLITO, Memories and Cult of Saint Philomena V. and M., cit., pp. 101-110. Ippolito, although only listing a small number of the distinguished men who visited the Sanctuary, managed to fill no less than ten pages. G. PICARIELLO, Mugnano del Cardinale nel tempo (Mugnano del Cardinale through time), Nola 1993, pp.274-284.
37. G. IPPOLITO, op. cit., p. 111.
Fig. 21 – The Basilica of Saint Philomena in Ars, France. The Curate of Ars, to gather the considerable funds required for its building, in 1859 wrote this: “I will pray to the good God for those that help me to build a nice church to Saint Philomena. Jean Vianney, Curate of Ars.” The Basilica, splendid result of his great love for our Martyr, was finally completed in 1881.
Fig. 22 – The martyrdom and the cult of Saint Philomena in printings of the nineteenth century.
Fig. 23 – The pious Queen Marie Christine of Savoy, wife of Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies. She often visited the Sanctuary in Mugnano, near which she decided to build a female orphanage. The Queen attributed the birth of her only son, Francis II, last King of Naples, to the intercession of Saint Philomena. She died young and was mourned by everyone. In 1853 Pope Pius IX proclaimed her as Venerable.
Fig. 24 – Father Louis Petit. In 1902, by his initiative, Rome became for one day Philomenian City. Near Priscilla’s Catacombs the celebrations for the First Centenary of the finding of Saint Philomena’s body were held. In 1883 and in 1902 he visited Mugnano.
Sainted devotees of St. Philomena
St. John Marie Vianney, Curé of Ars (1876-1859). It was Pauline Jaricot who talked to him about the Saint of Mugnano and introduced her to him. It was she who gifted him with one of her relics. There is not a biography of the Curate of Ars where our Saint is not mentioned. In France he was the greatest promoter of the devotion towards the Saint of Mugnano. He had a statue of St. Philomena placed in his parish church, and then built a Basilica in her honor in Ars. This Basilica, built in the same style of the one in Fourvière, which dominates over Lyon, was terminated after the death of Saint John Marie Vianney. The Saint Curate attributed to the intercession of our Saint, all the numerous miracles performed in Ars.
St. Peter Louis Marie Chanel (1803-1841). He was missionary and first martyr of the mysterious and wild Oceania. His mutual devotion for St. Philomena came from the Curate of Ars. When he embarked in 1836 for the Archipelago of Tonga, he had in his breviary three pictures: Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. Philomena. He would turn to the young Saint of Mugnano in the diffidevotion moments of his apostolate amongst the mistrustful and hostile indigenous. Although not expert in constructions, he started building, trustful in “a Saint for whom he harbors a great devotion”. In honor of the Saint he recited a novena every year in the period of her feast. To one of the first baptized he gave the name Marie Philomeno.
St. Peter Julian Marie Eymard (1811- 1868). His greatest merit was the foundation in 1856 of the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament. He was a very close friend of the Curate of Ars whom he visited regularly. He had a great devotion towards St. Philomena. He loved to kneel down in front of the Saint’s reliquary. In 1854 he was cured by the martyr, after a novena recited in her honor.
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865). She founded in 1802 the Society of the Sacred Heart. In the diffidevotion times of her life and her religious order, Mother Barat invoked with faith the Saint of Mugnano. In her biography she states that on the 11th of September 1846 Barat placed her hands on a surgery patient who was instantly healed. She attributed her healing to St. Philomena, whom she had invoked.
St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860). In 1840 he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, founded by St. Alfonso Maria de Liguori. He dedicated himself to the missionary activity in the states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in Christian education for youth, founding many parish catholic schools. In 1846, trustful of the help of the Martyr, “to whom God denies nothing for whomever invokes her” and without worrying about the money, he completed the building of the new Church of St. Philomena.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917). On her numerous journeys, especially the ones from New York to Buenos Aires and through the Andes, she always carried with her a small statue of St. Philomena. We can say that Cabrini, and the Bishop of Philadelphia Mons. Neumann, had the merit of promoting the devotion of the Saint in America more than anyone else. Pius XII declared her Universal Patroness of the Emigrants.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968). For him, St. Philomena was the “Princess of Heaven”. After the liturgical reform of 1961, Father Pio used to imperatively reply to whoever dared to doubt the existence of the Saint: “for the love of God! It might well be that her name is not Philomena, but this Saint has performed many miracles and it is not the name that did them.” This is the wisest reply: who wants to understand, will understand!
St. Maddalena Gabriella of Canossa (1774-1835). She founded the Order of the Canossians (Work of the Charity Daughters), an institution of great religious and human advancement. Mother Madeleine continuously urged her religious sisters towards the love of Christ and the Virgin of Sorrows, and she entrusted them to the patronage of St. Philomena.
St. Hannibal Marie Di Francia (1851-1927). Referring to St. Philomena he used to say: “St. Philomena has become famous for the great miracles that the Lord has worked through her.”
St. Damien de Veuster (1840 – 1889). Father Damien, Belgian missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, spent his life spiritually assisting and curing the lepers relegated to the isle of Molokai in the Hawaiian archipelago. A great devotee of St. Philomena, he dedicated to her the first chapel he built in the leper colony.
Blessed devotees of St. Philomena
The Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841-1926). Founder of the famous Sanctuary of Pompeii was a great devotee of St. Philomena. In 1896 he wrote “Life of St. Philomena Virgin and Martyr”. It was based on the “revelations” of the mystic Neapolitan Sister Marie Louise of Jesus,
The Blessed Anne Marie Taigi (1769-1837). She received the healing of one of her young nieces.
The Jesuit P. Gabriel Bouffier affirms that this admirable mother invoked the young Martyr from the Catacombs every night and made her family invoke her also. She had her image displayed in her house and on death’s door, like a good Christian mother, after having given the last recommendations to her sons, she placed them under the special protection of St. Philomena, of whom she had always propagated the devotion.
The Blessed Pius IX (1792-1878). This Pope’s devotion was deep and sincere throughout his whole life. In 1849 he visited the Sanctuary. When young, he was healed by intercession of the Saint. He proclaimed her Second Patron in the vast Neapolitan Kingdom.
Venerable and Servants of God who were Devotees of St. Philomena
Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot (1799-1862). Pauline Marie Jaricot, founder of the Living Rosary and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was highly appreciated by Pope Gregory XVI who wanted to personally receive her when she passed through Rome. She had been directed to Mugnano to invoke her healing to our Saint. The astonishing miracle of her healing, which he verified in person, induced Pope Gregory XVI to sign the well known decree of 1837. It was she that gave the relic of St. Philomena to the Curae of Ars and she was one of the promoters of Philomena’s devotion in Lyon and in the whole of France.
Servant of God Sister Marie Louise of Jesus (1799-1875). Intent on spreading of the devotion of St. Philomena and by the echoes of her miracles in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, she founded the religious family of the “Oblates of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Philomena”. However, her “revelations” on the life and martyrdom of St. Philomena, although answering the need to know more about her life, has effectively brought our Saint towards the legend, detaching her from history. In truth the devotion of St. Philomena did not start from her revelations, nor has it been divulged through them. The Church, in all the official acts in relation to the devotion of our Martyr, has never taken it into account. There is however the sincere devotion of Sister Marie Louise and the beneficial influence that her written work has given to the veneration of St. Philomena.
Venerable Marie Christine of Savoy (1812-1836). With her husband Ferdinand II, she came for the first time to the Sanctuary of Mugnano on April 11, 1835. Immediately after her visit to the Sanctuary, the happy news about the conception of the heir to the throne was announced. The Queen attributed her pregnancy to the intercession of St. Philomena. Many prodigies happened through her intercession. Pius IX in 1853 proclaimed her as Venerable and Pius XI in 1937 declared heroic her virtues. In numerous biographies the great devotion of Marie Christine of Savoy towards St. Philomena is highlighted.
Servant of God, Julie Colbert (1785-1864). Julie Colbert was very devoted to St. Philomena and greatly attached to her Sanctuary. She promoted the devotion of the Saint in the city of Turin. She founded the Daughters of Jesus Good Pastor. The Marchioness of Barolo visited the Sanctuary of St. Philomena in January 1834 and in February 1852, at which time she left a silver heart with a letter for the grace received. Barolo entitled a small, beautiful hospital for sick and crippled young girls to the Saint.
Servant of God Andrew Filomeno Garcia (1800-1853). He emigrated to Montevideo when he was about twenty-three years of age, became mendicant friar at the Franciscans of Santiago. For many years he travelled through the cities and the countryside of Chile, carrying in one hand a small box for offerings, in the other a big picture of St. Philomena that he would show to everybody. To the ones who would stop to listen to him, Friar Garcia would tell about the miracles of the small Saint, leaving them enriched. He also composed prayers and hymns in honor of St. Philomena. He died in Santiago in 1853. Two years later, his body, found in pristine conditions, was buried in the Church of his monastery, at the altar of St. Philomena.
Venerable Father Vito Michael Di Netta (1787-1849). He was a missionary heroic figure of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer founded by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Doctor of the Church, whose preaching in Nola has remained memorable. Father Di Netta nurtured a great devotion towards St. Philomena whom he always invoked in times of the danger he faced as a missionary.
Venerable Jean Claude Colin (1790-1875). Ordained priest in 1816, he founded the Society of Mary. On April 29, 1836 Pope Gregory XVI approved the Marist Congregation and in 1837 Colin was elected its General Superior. Father Colin used to turn to St. Philomena with the same love and trust of the Curae of Ars. In Belley, in an old Capuchin Monastery, he founded an oratory dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, in which he placed a statue of St. Philomena.
Distinguished and common faithful, devotees of St. Philomena.
Mother Mary Theresa (1809-1863). Foundress of the Congregation of the Healing Adoration, owes her vocation to St. Philomena. While painting a picture of St. Philomena, which is now in the Cathedral of Bayeux, she received her vocation and conversion.
Abbot Louis Petit (1852-1914). He devotionivated within his family the love for St. Philomena. He was a seminarian when his parents moved to Paris, living in the area of the parish church of St.-Gervais. This church was the only one in the capital with the devotion of St. Philomena well established. In 1872 he founded the periodical L’Echo de Ste. Philoméne, which he managed to publish for two years. Not yet a priest, he also published Histoire du devotione de St.e Philoméne, “History of the devotion of St. Philomena.” He was ordained in 1879 and two years later joined the Congregation of St. Vincent de Paoli, where he was director of the Messager de Ste. Philoméne until his death. The purpose of his life had been the spreading of the devotion of St. Philomena and he created a center from which to radiate it.
In the Parisian district of High Vaugirard, he built the lovely chapel of St. Philomena in Rue Dantzig. From here his written work and his Messager reached France and the rest of the world. In 1883 he received the approval of the Cord of St. Philomena from the Sacred Congregation of Rites and spread its devotion through his periodical.
Louis Petit also had the inspiration to found the Work of St. Philomena, with the intention of giving Christian education to the working classes. He joyfully witnessed this pious association become a Universal Archconfraternity with an official act of Pius X on May 21, 1912.
The first century of the finding of St. Philomena’s bones was solemnly celebrated in Rome in 1902. He had the honor of closing these celebrations with a sung Mass.
When the Abbot Petit came to Mugnano to venerate St. Philomena in 1883 and 1902, he uses the wonderful missal donated by Pope Leo XIII for the celebration of the Sacred Mass. He died in Paris in 1914, full of merits towards our Saint whom he deeply loved and venerated.
An endless list. In the whole world, countless individuals of every social condition have venerated St. Philomena. Here are mentioned only a few:
Father Joseph Varin, one of the restorers of the Society of Jesus in France, used to pronounce at least forty times a day the name of the Saint and celebrated a mass in the Sanctuary dedicated to the her.
Father O’Sullivan spread the devotion of St. Philomena in Portugal, Ireland, and USA.
Many writers and artists have had admiration and devotion towards the Saint:
Michael De St. Pierre French catholic novelist, in his biography about the Curate of Ars highlights great fondness for St. Philomena;
Jean Dupré consecrated to St. Philomena the first fruits of his works
the Italian poets Joseph Borghi and Sylvius Pellico wrote hymns in honor of the “Pure Virgin” and the “Invincible Martyr”.
Many Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, from all over the world have come to give homage to St. Philomena in Mugnano and have left their ex voto:
Card. Louis Ruffo Scilla, Archbishop of Naples, who wanted to donate a statue of St. Philomena to the Sanctuary; the English Cardinal Thomas Weld;
Card. James Philip Franzoni, Prefect of Faith Propaganda;
Card. Louis Lambruschini, Secretary of Pius IX; Card. Angelo Mai, Prefect of the Vatican Library; Card. Gabriel della Gerga Sermattei;
Card. Philip Judge Caracciolo, Archbishop of Naples.
In 1837 the Archbishop of Cesarea, went to Mugnano.
In 1852 the Sanctuary was visited by: the Bishop of Chicago, Mons. John James Oliviero Vande Velede; Mons. Vincent Spaccapietra,
Archbishop of Smirne, John Hilary Bost, Bishop of Merida in the Venezuelan Republic.
Rightfully Ippolito writes: “The Sanctuary of St. Philomena in Mugnano has by now become renowned for the continuous visits and pilgrimages of foreigners who expressly come from the most remote corners of the earth. Ecclesiastics, noblemen, conspicuous dames, and people of every class and condition of all nations have all been seen here and they still pour into that fortunate village to venerate the sacred body of the undefeated Heroine, in gratitude for the graces received, imploring her patronage.”