Catholicnovenaprayer.com – Most Powerful St. Philomena Novena and Prayer. Pray this St. Philomena Novena for your intentions asking St. Philomena to intercede to God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit on your behalf!. We like to say that he is the patron saint of “Babies, Youth Infants, Priests, Lost Causes, Sterility, Virgins” because even though something may seem hopeless, with God there is always hope.
| Novena | St. Philomena Novena |
| Novena Begins | August 2 |
| Feast Day | August 11 |
| Patron Saint of | Babies, Youth Infants, Priests, Lost Causes, Sterility, Virgins |
Contents
About St. Philomena
St. Philomena was a Greek princess who was martyred at a young age. Born into a Christian family in the 3rd century, St. Philomena found herself the desire of Emperor Diocletian, who was going to war with St. Philomena’s father. When the virgin St. Philomena, believed to be roughly 13 at the time, refused, she was subject to cruel torments like scourging, drowning and shooting. However, in each attempt on her life, St. Philomena was protected by angels who rescued her. Eventually, Emperor Diocletian had the virgin martyr decapitated. Her tomb was discovered in a catacomb the 19th century. Images on the funerary tiles on her tomb were an anchor, a palm, a javelin, arrows and a lily.
In artwork, St. Philomena is often shown as a young woman, and for that reason she is the patron saint to other young women, virgins or babies. She is frequently shown with a hand to her chest, which may be representative of her wounds that were miraculously healed or simply as a gesture of the saint in prayer. She also is shown with the images from her tomb, particularly the anchor, the lily or the palm.
Once a popular and widely celebrated saint, devotion to St. Philomena has faded in the years following the removal of her feast day from the Roman Calendar in 1961. And yet, her intercession continues to permeate through the world, coming to the aid of those who seek her help and protection. Nicknamed “the Wonder-Worker” because of the many healings and miracles attributed to her intercession, St. Philomena has been venerated by many great saints and popes throughout history, including Pope St. Pius X, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Vianney, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
Born to pagan parents, St. Philomena’s family ruled the Greek island of Corfu. Her parents had been unable to conceive a child, and after many prayers to the gods, realized that their prayers were going unanswered because the gods they had been praying to were false and did not exist. They converted to Christianity and bore a daughter. They named her Philomena, meaning “lover of light.” St. Philomena was raised in the Christian faith and developed a strong love for Christ.
At the age of thirteen, St. Philomena traveled with her parents to Rome. The Roman emperor Diocletian had threatened St. Philomena’s father with a war, and he had to meet with the emperor to attempt to make peace. When her family was admitted to an audience with Emperor Diocletian, the emperor’s eyes fell upon St. Philomena at once. He was taken by her beauty and insisted that she should marry him. St. Philomena refused, though, stating that she had promised herself to God alone and would marry no man. Overcome with anger at being rejected, the emperor had St. Philomena thrown into a dungeon.
Emperor Diocletian made several other attempts to entice St. Philomena to marry him – and every time she stated she would not marry him because she had consecrated herself to God alone. The emperor had her tortured severely, almost to the point of death. She was bound to a pillar and scourged mercilessly. After the torture was finished, the emperor had her brought back to the prison to die. However, she was given strength by God and continued to live.
In another attempt to kill her, Emperor Diocletian had his men take St. Philomena to the river and tie a large anchor around her neck. He was sure she would not survive this attempt at drowning, and that this would terrify her into agreeing to marry him. He was wrong. St. Philomena again rejected his offer of marriage, and so was thrown in the river to drown. Yet, she survived. Frustrated, the emperor had his men throw her in the river again. And once more, she survived. Wholly angered at his inability to convince her to marry him, as well as his inability to kill her, Emperor Diocletian ordered his men to shoot her with arrows until she was dead. However, still St. Philomena survived.
The people of Rome who witnessed these events were amazed at the faith of St. Philomena in the face of peril and possible death. She was just a young girl, and yet, her faith was strong enough to carry her through the pain of the torture – and even to save her life from the many attempts at killing her! Seeing this caused many Romans to begin believing in the power of the One, True God, and they converted to Christianity because of St. Philomena’s example.
Emperor Diocletian became even more enraged at finding out that the people of Rome were turning from the false gods and converting to Christianity. Determined to put a stop to his embarrassment in being unable to both convince St. Philomena to marry him and to kill her for rejecting him, Emperor Diocletian ordered that St. Philomena should be beheaded. St. Philomena was martyred for her faith and singular devotion to Christ in 304.
The tomb of St. Philomena was inscribed with the words “Peace be to you, Philomena,” as well as the symbols of 2 anchors, 3 arrows, and a palm. These symbols were a sign to other Christians that she was a virgin and martyr. However, her story was lost to history until an archaeological dig in the early 19th century in the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome led to the discovery of her tomb. Encased in terra cotta slabs, the archaeologists knew that the person who had been buried there was of particular importance, for this type of burial was reserved for nobility and great martyrs.
When her tomb was opened, the archaeologists discovered the body of a fourteen year old girl, as well as a vial of her blood. On August 10, 1805, her remains were transferred to Mugnano, a town near Naples, in Italy. This is where they rest today. During the transfer process, though, miraculous events began to take place. Some of these included the healing of a woman’s blind son, a cancerous growth disappearing from a woman’s hand, and a woman with a life-threatening heart condition suddenly regaining her health. Seemingly overnight, the world began to hear of the miracles attributed to the intercession of St. Philomena and her popularity grew.
Pope Leo XII, calling her the “Great Saint” granted permission for altars and chapels to be built in honor of St. Philomena. Later, Pope Gregory XVI authorized the public veneration of St. Philomena after approving the veracity of a miracle attributed to her intercession. Pope St. Pius X had great devotion to St. Philomena, and encouraged an increase in devotion throughout the Church to this great saint. Many saints and other members of the faithful were also known for their love for St. Philomena and their belief in her ability to intercede for them in their times of need.
However, in 1961, a decree was issued by Rome stating that due to a lack of historical evidence to support the traditional story of St. Philomena’s life, her feast day was to be removed from the Roman Calendar. In doing so, many Catholics mistakenly took this to mean that St. Philomena was somehow no longer a saint, and devotion to her faded. However, this was not the case. The removal of her feast day was only to signify that the Church takes matters of canonization and devotion seriously, and without the required documentation and proof, they would no longer celebrate her with a formal feast day marked in the calendar of the Church. This action did not state that St. Philomena’s existence or sanctity were in question, nor did it discourage devotion to her. In fact, seeking her intercession is regaining popularity among Catholics who are rediscovering the wondrous miracles and works attributed to St. Philomena today. As more and more miracles are discovered, written about, and publicized, Catholics of today are joining with those of the past in honoring and venerating this brave young woman who sacrificed her life out of love for Jesus Christ.
St. Philomena Novena Day 1
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 2
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 3
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 4
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 5
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 6
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 7
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 8
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
St. Philomena Novena Day 9
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee
(Mention your request here…)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.
Amen
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
Prayer to St. Philomena
O most pure Virgin, glorious Martyr, Saint Philomena, whom God in His eternal power has revealed to the world in these unhappy days in order to revive the faith, sustain the hope and enkindle the charity of Christian souls, behold me prostrate at thy feet. Deign, O Virgin, full of goodness and kindness, to receive my humble prayers and to obtain for me that purity for which thou didst sacrifice the most alluring pleasures of the world, that strength of soul which made thee resist the most terrible attacks and that ardent love for our Lord Jesus Christ, which the most frightful torments could not extinguish in thee. So, that wearing thy holy cord and imitating thee in this life, I may one day be crowned with thee in heaven. Amen.
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