Who, you ask, is St. Philomena?
Nothing was known of this little known saint until her relics were discovered in the ancient Catacombs. Yes, in those dreary dark clefts was stored a treasure of the church. Philomena was a daughter of a childless couple who converted to Christianity in honor of her conception. She was given the name Philomena, meaning "Friend of the Light." Philomena's parents, now devoted to the faith, watched their daughter grow into a beautiful young woman. Eventually, Philomena's fate was decided by an Emperor who wanted to make her his Empress. She rejected the offer having made herself, at the age of eleven, the spouse of Christ. Philomena fled to a different region but the Emperor finally caught up with her and killed her.
But before her death the cruel Emperor had her tied to a pillar and scourged, and put in prison to die only to have heavenly angels arrive pouring a sweet balm on her wounds. In the morning the ruler was infuriated to see her not only alive, but glowing with health and more beautiful than ever!
He again tried to persuade her to be his Empress. Philomena, inspired by the Holy Spirit rejected his sophisticated advances sending the Emperor into another rage. He ordered an anchor tied around her neck, and Philomena thrown into the Tiber river. But the heavens showing their power and bewildering the Emperor further, sent two more angels, cutting the cord around her neck and bringing her to surface without a drop of water on her.
This miracle converted the onlookers, yet the ruler declared her a witch to be slain with arrows. Poor Philomena, as if she hadn't been through enough! Philomena, wounded and dying was again cast into prison. The heavens ordained Philomena into a peaceful sleep and upon awakening was more beautiful than ever. The thwarted ruler ordered torturous arrows to be thrown at her once more, but instead the arrows stuck to their bows. The arrows were heated in red hot fire and aimed at Philomena. But her Divine Master turned the arrows back on her foes, six of whom were killed. More conversions came about because of this miracle, the people showing blatant dissasatisfaction towards their ruler.
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