We chose
her because of her extraordinary faith to God that we want to imitate in our
lives. She is a powerful intercessor with God in almost impossible
difficulties. She was also the favorite patron saint of St. Francis Xavier
Cabrini and John Vianney as well as the Cure d’Ars, after whom one of our
seminaries in Denver is named. Her
patroness includes the following:
babies,
barrenness, bodily ills, children, children of Mary, desperate causes, forgotten
causes, impossible causes, infants, infertility, lost causes, Living Rosary,
newborns, poor people, priests, sick people, sickness, sterility, toddlers,
young people, youth
Feast Days
The Symbols of her Martyrdom Saint Philomena's picture shows the symbols of her martyrdom. The first of the figures would indicate the kind of martyrdom the saint underwent (and which were all later substantiated reportedly by the saint herself) is an anchor; a symbol not only of strength and hope, but also of the nature of the martyrdom she underwent. One perhaps such as that to which the Roman emperor Trajan condemned St. Clement the second Pope, casting him into the sea with an anchor tied to his neck. The second is an arrow, which, upon the tomb of other martyrs always signified the torment of being shot with an arrow similar to that by which the emperor Diocletian tried to put to death the generous Roman soldier, St. Sebastian. The third is a palm, placed almost in the middle of the stone which is the sign of a brilliant victory gained over the cruelty of the persecuting judges, and the fury of the executioners. Underneath is represented a lash, used to scourge criminals, and which was made of thongs of leather, loaded with lead. With an instrument such as this the body of Christ was scourged as well as those of the innocent Christians who were often beaten unto death. After this are two arrows, so arranged that the first points upward and the other downward. The repetition of this may perhaps mark a repetition of the torments or some kind of miracle Lastly, a lily appeared, the symbol of innocence and virginity, which proclaims a two-fold triumph of St Philomena for the early Church who thus invited us to honor her under the traditional and glorious titles of Martyr and Virgin. More Information about St. Philomena:
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