Budapest, Hungary
Painting by Masa Feszty’s
The brief story of Masa Feszty’s St. Philomena picture which can be found in the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena, Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy
December 1998
In December 1998 I visited my old artist friend, Monika H, I brought for her a holy card with the picture of a saint, asking her to make a drawing of it. I told her that I would like to use this drawing for printing. The picture on this holy card was of St. Philomena. The original painting was Masa Feszty’s work, and the holy card was made on the basis of this same painting, realized at the beginning of the 1950s. The painting can be found in Buda, in the church of Felső-Krisztinavaros.
After more than ten years of silence, my wish seemed quite strange for her, but considering our friendship when we were children, she promised me to make the drawing. The artist, my friend, had never before heard anything about St. Philomena. On the occasion of my visit, I told her briefly about St. Philomena’s wonderful life, her martyrdom, her miraculous acts, especially accentuating the miracle which happened in our family in the early nineties through her intervention.
The drawing was ready even before Christmas.
January 1999
After a few weeks – just on the day after St. Philomena’s memorial mass, in the evening, Monika H. called me to tell me with enthusiasm about what had happened to her on that day.
In the morning the artist was arranging her affairs in the city when, passing by a newly opened antique shop, through the big window and glass door, a painting caught her eye. (The shop was previously a clothes shop and the old shop name, Perla Blue, was still on the sign over the door. This was remarkable because Father Braschi had previously named me Perla, the Italian for my Hungarian name, since he found my name too difficult to pronounce. More remarkable is that the antique shop closed for good after selling us the painting, almost as though the only reason for its existence was to make the sale.) She didn’t want to beleive her eyes!! At first glance she thought she recognized the same saint whom she had drawn a few weeks earlier. Their faces were similar, the same big dark round eyes were looking at her. The astonishment forced her to enter the shop. She hesitatingly asked the salesman whether the painting was St. Philomena’s picture. After naming even the painter – she was right in telling Masa Feszty’s name – the salesman was very surprised and expressed his satisfaction with her exceptional acquaintance with this work of art. Returning home she felt that she had to tell me immediately of this event, which seems incredible to us up to now.
After the St. Philomena mass of January 1999, I was just thinking of the possibility of thanking Father Braschi, the director of the St. Philomena sanctuary, for his devotion and generous work done by him in March and November 1997 in Budapest for the even wider respect of St. Philomena in Hungary. And the next day, my friend, the artist of the St. Philomena drawing called me. With this telephone call I immediately felt the influence of the powers above and it became obvious that the painting must go to the St. Philomena sanctuary. With a small group of St. Philomena’s devotees, we went to the antique shop to see the picture. We didn’t know of this work of Masa Feszty before. Probably a private person had brought it to the shop for sale. It was a great pleasure to find this picture with a new beautiful image of our little saint. We reinforced our intention to buy and left a deposit for the painting. The price of the painting was collected very quickly, and in a few days, we could buy it. Father Braschi, hearing our telephone message, was deeply touched and expressed his joy and gratitude in advance to the Hungarian St. Philomena devotees for this act. After buying the painting it was an open question, and seemed to be an unsolvable problem, as to how to export it to Mugnano del Cardinale, to the St. Philomena sanctuary.
May 1999
However, the Almighty, in a manner similar to the way the painting was discovered, took into his hands its exportation, too. My younger son has been a soccer player of a well-known Budapest team for more than 10 years. Then – in May 1999 – his trainer held an extra meeting for parents to inform them that the young soccer players (they were 12 then) had received an invitation for an international cup. The cup was to be organized June 20-25 in Italy, near the Rome-Napoli motorway in one of the suburbs of Rome (Zagarolo). The expenses would be covered by the organixers – except the travelling costs. I didn’t want to believe my ears!! The plan was immediately ready in my thoughts. We, too, should go to this cup as accompanying persons and would take with us the painting of St. Philomena. The sanctuary is about 200-250 km from there.
The arrangement of official authorization for the exportation of the painting was not easy, but finally the Ministry of Cultural Heritage agreed for us to transport the painting to Italy.
June 1999
We arrived at the St. Philomena sanctuary on the evening of Sunday, June 27, 1999. Father Braschi was just preparing himself for the mass when we were able to hand over the painting to him in the sacristy.
Budapest, June 5, 2007
Perla
Budapest, Hungary
Briggsville, Wisconsin US
Official Painting of the Archconfraternity by Susan Hilliard
The brief story of Susan Hilliard’s St. Philomena painting which can be found in the US branch office of the Archconfraternity and the National US shrine of Saint Philomena, Briggsville, Wisconsin US.
My parents each had a business in downtown Dells in the 50’s. The lease on my father’s business building was not renewed so they had to find him another profession. They bought the Pheasant Inn Supper Club, Resort on Lake Mason in Briggsville. Situated next to the National Shrine of Saint Philomena. St. Philomena was very good to our family. We got to feed everyone who was hungry, that came to the shrine. Much to my dismay, when my mother said, “Susan, we have another busload of people coming to the shrine today, so we will need you!” Well, you see, I was ten years old and the dishwasher, we did not have a machine to wash dishes, just me on a stool.
For the next eight years, all was well, and the pilgrimages came in droves. In the 1960’s the Vatican II Council met. St. Philomena was born around the year 291. The information on her was given through locutions to three different people, who were unknown to each other. The stories were identical, so she was put on the church calendar. The Vatican Il Council questioned her authenticity. An Archaeologist was hired to investigate her tomb tiles, Marauchi, the archeologist couldn’t prove anything, so they removed Philomena from the church calendar.
The shrine was closed. No more Masses to her, no more devotion to her. We were devastated, but had to be obedient as the church needs to be explicit and correct in what they teach us.
I went off to college but had to quit during my second semester junior year when my father died. My mother needed me to help run the business. I married my childhood friend had three children and we took over the restaurant. In 1996 we had a priest that ate all of his meals at the restaurant as he was just here for the summer. I got to know him very well. When it was time for him to leave, he said he had a divine message for me. I said what did I do? He said the Lord wants you to take up the devotion to St. Philomena. I said I always loved her but did not want to be disobedient to my church, Bishop, or priest. He insisted that I do it. I said I would pray about it, which I did, fervently, asking her how could I spread her devotion?
She came to me in a dream and told me to paint her picture, then everyone would ask about it and I could spread her devotion. Well, I had never painted a human being, but I would try if she guided my hand. It took me a year to paint her picture. During that time, she put me where I needed to be, on the Parish Council. Two months later I was voted as Council chair and was for 16 years! When the painting was finished in 1998, I asked at the parish council meeting if our priest would allow a painting of St. Philomena in the church. He said NO! (he was suffering from dementia and got angry very easily) I reminded him that he was leaving soon, and he wouldn’t have to look at the painting.
Could we take a vote of the council? He said, “Go Ahead” It was unanimous for hanging the picture in the church.
When the painting was done my husband and I took it to the church but Father had his family were there and did not want to be bothered. We hung it and prayed that all would be good.
The next morning I went to daily Mass and sat, in the back a bit uncomfortable. He was frowning at the painting, with his arms crossed, turned and saw me and motioned for me to come to him.
He was very upset! He said, “What is this?” I told him it was St. Philomena, and did he like it? He replied, I did not say it could hang here. I replied, “I can move it, where would you like to hang it?” He Said, “I don’t want it here in the church!” I said “At the parish council meeting you said a vote could be taken and it was a unanimous yes.”
“It is in the minutes Father, I can show you if you don’t remember.”
“Well” he said ” Never ask me to say a Mass for her because I won’t. I am too old to have devotion to her.” I asked, “If he would like me to show him how to turn the light on over the painting?” He replied,” I will never turn that light on, if you want it on turn it on, if you want it off turn it off.” By this time, I was trying to hold back the tears as went to my pew, not sadness for me but for her. I was weeping softly as Mass started, couldn’t compose myself until a warmness came over me. It had to be the Holy Spirit, then a voice in my mind said “Why are you crying he didn’t tell you to take me down did he? That ended the tears, and I was elated. Three days later my daughter was married, and everyone was asking about the painting!
About a month later a parishioner told me she had never prayed to St. Philomena, because it wasn’t allowed when she became a member of our church, but her granddaughter had toxic shock syndrome and was at UW Hospital. She saw the painting and prayed to St. Philomena for her granddaughter’s health, before she went to the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital the Dr’s. were coming out of her granddaughter’s room, and walked up to her saying, “You are the grandmother aren’t you?” She replied, “Yes, I am” they replied,
“Well we are happy to tell you that her fever left her around 8:00 this morning and she is going to be fine.” I finally said to myself, “I finally did something good.”
The priest retired soon and we got another full-time priest. I wanted him to feel welcome so I did everything he needed done. When Advent arrived the first year he was here, he called me and said to me. “I don’t mean to break your heart but I don’t want the painting here anymore.” I was deeply saddened but had to be obedient, so l took her home.
Testimony of the painting by the Artist, Susan Hilliard.
Italy
Paining by Giuseppe Bezuolli
Image of Saint Philomena, painted by Italian artist Giuseppe Bezuolli in 1840, traditionally depicted with arms chained and palms of hands facing upward, symbolizing her surrender to God, the white lilies next to the crucifix symbolize purity and virginity, the red cloak held by two angels referring to the coming martyrdom. Saint Philomena is the great Taumaturga of the 19th century, Patroness of the Holy Rosary and the Children of Mary, though a 13-year-old child, she is the light sent by God to brighten a time in the midst of darkness, and in our time, the model of Christian heroine who Heaven has proven, that rises to help his devotees and lead them on the path of perfection.