IX Sunday after Pentecost - St Philomena1 In the name of the Father… Even if today were not a Sunday, we would not be celebrating the feast of St : in 1961, the Sacred Congregation of Rites unceremoniously removed her feast from all liturgical calendars. Some of her relics are in the high altar here at St Francis. In 1802, workers in the ancient Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome discovered a previously unrecorded grave. Msgr. Ponzetti - the Vatican Custodian of Holy Relics - and Fr. Ludovici - the official Vatican overseer of excavations - came with an entourage of experts to view the grave. Three brick tiles sealed the grave, on which painted in red were a lily, a palm, arrows and an anchor, traditional Christian symbols of martyrdom and virginity. Starting with the second or center tile, the inscription read: Pax tecum Filumena - Peace be with you, Philomena. The contained bones were identified as those of a girl, about thirteen years of age. Also discovered was a vial of dried blood which commonly accompanied the burial of early martyrs. When particles of the blood were removed from the vial to be placed in a crystal urn, they were seen to glitter like precious jewels, testified to by Cardinal Ruffo Scilla who sealed the new reliquary. The bones and blood were translated to the Treasury of Sacred Relics. Msgr. Ponzetti sought in vain for historical records of Philomena. In 1805, Fr. Francesco di Lucia from the parish of Mugnano in the diocese of Nola near Naples sought the bones of a martyr to revitalize his parish which, according to one account… was infested with impurities of revolutionary ideas, resentment against the authority of the Church, unbelief and immorality. In the Treasury of Sacred Relics, Fr di Lucia was drawn immediately to Philomena. His request initially was denied, but with the support of his bishop, Pius VII released the relics. Returning to Mugnano, Fr. di Lucia stopped in Naples, where began the miracles of healing for which Philomena became famous. One man was instantly cured of nephritis, another of severe sciatica. A woman who had a cancerous ulcer and who was scheduled for amputation the next day, was also instantly cured of both cancer and the spreading gangrene. Initially planned for August 5th but delayed by many curious obstacles, the relics arrived in Mugnano on August 10th, the date of Philomena’s martyrdom. More miraculous phenomena ensued: the church bells started ringing on their own, upon hearing which the town paralytic was instantly

1 Material for this sermon was sourced from several internet articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philomena; http://www.philomena.org/patroness.asp; http://www.catholic365.com/article/140/saint-philomena-myth-or- reality.html#_ednref3; https://www.motherofallpeoples.com/blog/it-is-time-to-meet-st-philomena; http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12025b.htm cured, and a blind boy whose eyes were anointed with oil from the lamp burning beside the relics regained his sight. All the miracles worked through Philomena were officially documented in the archives of the parish church and were confirmed by the Bishop of Nola. For the next thirty years, numerous miracles were worked through Philomena, many becoming known to Pope Gregory XVI, who indeed became a first-hand witness. Dying of serious heart disease, had only weeks to live. St. encouraged her to make a pilgrimage to Philomena’s tomb. On the way, she visited Pope Gregory XVI who asked her to pray for the Church in heaven. She agreed, but asked that if she returned to Rome cured, the Pope would approve the cult of Philomena. Pope Gregory agreed, but was confident that… we will never see her again. Pauline arrived in Mugnano on August 8th, 1835. By the morning of August 10th, there was still no miracle. One account continues: By this time, the entire town of Mugnano was well aware of the drama taking place at the of their little martyr. As the days passed and Pauline was not cured, the townspeople became increasingly worried, and adopted a good-hearted, but perhaps peculiarly southern Italian form of petition to St. Philomena: pounding on her grave, they reminded her that her reputation was at stake: “Do you hear us, Philomena? If you do not cure this pious lady, we will pray to you no more! We will have nothing to do with you! Return her to health right now!” Later that day, at the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Pauline Jaricot was completely and instantaneously cured. She walked back to Rome unaided and visited the stunned Pope Gregory, who had Pauline walk throughout the halls of the Vatican repeatedly, requesting her to stay in Rome for an entire year to verify her miraculous cure. Then on January 13th, 1837, granting a Mass in her honor and thereby approving the public devotion, Pope Gregory XVI raised Philomena to the dignity of the altar, based solely on the witness of undeniable miracles which he recognized as of greater importance than the details of personal history. Indeed, in the Church’s wisdom and until recent times, heaven’s approbation was the sine qua non for the veneration of the , regardless of hagiography. Instrumental in Pauline Jaricot’s cure, St John Vianney tirelessly promoted St Philomena. He received apparitions of her and commissioned a painting. He attributed the miracles obtained at Ars to her intercession, including his own miraculous cure from grave illness. So also, St , prompted by Vianney, was cured from serious illness through Philomena. Pope Gregory’s successor, Blessed Pius IX, also a great devotee of St Philomena, was cured of epilepsy through her. He visited her shrine at Mugnano many times, even once as Pope after he had been forced to leave Rome. St Pius X also had great devotion to Philomena, lamenting the incredulity concerning her: I am very saddened by all which is being written about [ Philomena]. How can such things be possible? How can they not see that the great argument in favor of devotion to St. Philomena is the Curé of Ars? Through her, in her name, by means of her intercession, he obtained countless graces, continual wonders. His devotion to her was well known by everyone; he recommended her constantly. Questions about Philomena originated in 1903 with the archeologist Orazio Marucchi who posited that the apparent mis-ordering of the tiles proved that they had been re-used from an earlier grave so that we had no idea who was in the grave. His claims did not go unchallenged. In 1907, the Jesuit archeologist Guiseppe Bonavenia recalled the frequent custom in the catacombs of beginning epigraphs on the second tile with “Peace be to you.” Also, there was no damage to the tile edges which militated against re-use. Indeed, tests confirmed only one type of cement was found on the tiles. In addition, it was noted that the early Christians did not re-use brick tiles but only expensive marble. Indeed, Marucchi never examined the gravesite nor the tiles themselves. A contemporary historian criticized his conclusions as superficial: “… Evidently he was prejudiced against Saint Philomena, and not disposed - as is suitable for a scientist - to investigate the merits of this affair in an objective manner.” Certainly St. Philomena was never formally canonized, and her name was never inserted into the Roman . There remain, however, the innumerable and indisputable miracles wrought in her name, the official recognition which the Church gave to her throughout the nineteenth century and the personal devotion of and canonized saints. Like , Philomena was martyred for preserving her virginity. One author wrote on the resurgence of devotion to her: the youth of today need an example of heroic Christian purity, even when they do not find support for purity from their society, their friends, even at times from their own parents. Many of today’s youth are being exposed to numerous occasions of blasphemy and impurity through pornography, immodest clothing, obscene movies, and oftentimes, most tragically, with the consent of their parents. Today’s youth need a young heroic witness for the upholding of Christian purity even if their peers and their own parents are not encouraging them. He concludes: I can echo the words of St. Augustine, “Late have I loved Thee”… St. Philomena… has come late into my life, but with tremendous power… [She] has brought great graces to our marriage, new peace and grace of purity into our family life, a newly resolved commitment to Christian holiness… My wife and I… can testify to her great power with God and have experienced her almost tangible presence in our home. I invite you to welcome St. Philomena into your families, into your marriages… into your hearts. Trust in her friendship. She and the Blessed Mother, who always accompanies her daughter, will not disappoint you. St Philomena, pray for us.