Saint Philomena

Saint Philomena’s candle color is green, pink or light blue. Her offerings include sweet cakes, pink cakes, pink lemonade, candies, sweet drinks, colas, toys, red and white braided ropes, pink flowers (lots & lots of flowers!), lilies, perfumes (especially anais anais perfume), make-up, pastel silks, glitter, rosaries, pastel-colored jewelry, marshmallows and French pastries.

Her emblems are anchors, palms, lilies, and arrows. Her day of the week is Saturday.

Her cult has survived for many years and she is believed to have the largest amount of miracles ascribed to her

The name Philomena (fee-lo-MAY-nah) is of Latin origin. The original inscription was Filumena. The word filia is Latin for daughter. The word, lumena, is Latin for: light, lamp, lantern; light of day; the eye; clearness; understanding. Hence she is known as the daughter of light. In Greek, the name is usually taken to be derived from a Greek word meaning "beloved”. 

As an enlightener, or Daughter of Light, many see Saint Philomela as an anchor of hope in the face of despair. She is thought to bring illumination in dark times, assist with fighting corruption and bring clarity through the muck of materialism and lies.  

Saint Philomena is the Patroness of the Children of Mary. In some traditions, she is known as the "Wonderworker”. In the Louisiana Hoodoo tradition, she is petitioned for priestesses and priests and their work, conversion of wrong-doers, expectant mothers, destitute mothers, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, sterility, the sick, real estate issues, money problems, food for the poor and in cases of mental illness. She is known as Patroness of desperate situations and is powerful with God. She may always be petitioned for blessings and protection of children in any situation and is also useful in situations where seeing clearly is needed. 

Saints Philomena the wonder worker, has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent years and now has a strong reputation among Spiritual Workers and folk practitioners. It is said that nothing is denied to her and those who have a devotion to her will want for nothing.

Questions surrounding the mysterious Saint Philomena led to her demotion after Vatican II. However, her cult was already deeply rooted, particularly in the Caribbean where she is honored not only in Voudon but in other Afro-Caribbean religions like Candomble and Santeria. She is very popular in Haiti & did not join the Catholic pantheon until after Haiti became a free nation. There she is known as Filomez and her statues, depicting a young woman, usually wearing pink, with a palm frond or arrows and an anchor, often decorate home altars and niches.

She was believed to be a Greek Princess and she is an important Saint of the Vodou tradition, synchronized with Erzulie Freda in some traditions & relatives or loosely related Loas in other traditions. Some voudonists equate Filomez with prosperity, calling her the daughter of a merchant, others, call Filomez Erzulie’s youngest sister.

In these traditions, Filomez is a water spirit. When she comes in possession, she walks on her knees and a bouquet of flowers is presented to her which she scatters on the ground. Other times, she takes a broom and sweeps away all negativity and bad luck from the area. She is known to reveal secrets to people in dreams. However, she is a very rare loa, and almost never comes in possession. 

History 

Little is known about the life of Philomena. Her body was discovered in 1802 in a catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome. On the tomb rested three stones with the words LUMENA PAX TE CUM FI with symbols of 3 arrows, 2 anchors, a palm of the ivy leaf, and a lily. It has been theorized that the stones were in the wrong order and should have instead read PAX TE CUM FI LUMENA: meaning "Peace Be With You, Filumena". 

The young girls head had been fractured and a vial of dried blood was with the body. The vial of blood along with the symbols and inscription led onlookers to believe she was a martyr. However, Publication of this account gave rise to critical study of the account as well as the archaeological finds. The tomb and theorized martyrdom has been shrouded in mystery and skepticism ever since

The remains were removed to Mugnano del Cardinale in 1805. There, they became the focus of widespread devotion. Father Francis de Lucia of Magnano immediately became an advocate of Philomena. He took her body to his church and began a campaign of prayer and alleged miracle-working. Several miracles were credited to the Saint's intercession, including the healing of Venerable Pauline Jaricot in 1835, which received wide publicity. Saint John Vianney attributed to her intercession the extraordinary cures that others attributed to himself.

It is said that Saint Philomena revealed her story to three people who did not know one another and who resided in different parts of the world. These private revelations unveiled the story of Saint Philomena’s life in great detail and were amazingly identical accounts. In these accounts all details of her life were revealed, included her birthday as January 10th, her martyrdom on August 10th, and that she was martyred at 13 years of age. 

After the visions of a nun named Louisa of Jesus revealed Philomena as a martyr, the little Saint was canonized in 1837. From 1837 to 1961, celebration of her liturgical feast was approved for some places but was never included in the General Roman Calendar for universal use.

Her story as revealed through visions: 

At the age of about 13, Saint Philomena took a vow of consecrated virginity. When Emperor Diocletian threatened to make war on her father, he took his family to Rome to ask for peace. The Emperor "fell in love" with the young St. Philomena. She refused to be his wife and he subjected her to a series of torments. She was scourged and then cured by two angels. He attempted to drown her with an anchor attached: two angels cut the rope and raised her to the river bank. She was shot with arrows: on the first occasion her wounds were healed, on the second attempt the arrows turned aside, and on the third try they returned and killed six of the archers. Finally, the Emperor had her decapitated. The story goes that the decapitation occurred on a Friday at three in the afternoon, just as with the death of Jesus (revealed to nuns through visions).

~Blessings~