Philomena
Christian saint, martyr and wonderworker
Feast: 11 August (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
In 1802 a tomb bearing the name Filumena was found in the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome, and the remains of a young girl were taken to Mugnano near Naples in 1805. Wonderful favours were reported in answer to prayer, and devotion spread rapidly.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that nothing is known of her life from ancient sources, and that the later account of her martyrdom is fictitious.
The miracles
After investigation, Pope Gregory XVI appointed a feast in her honour on 9 September.
Why that counted as sanctity
A young girl of the catacombs to whom many turned in prayer.
Connected on this site
- Pauline Jaricot Blessed“There, they became the focus of widespread devotion; several miracles were credited to Philomena's intercession, including the healing of Pauline Jaricot in 1835, which received wide publicity.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Philomena
- Wikidata Q466428 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Philomena (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.