ST. PHILOMENA VIRGIN MARTYR AND WONDER-WORKER (Page Three)
The Declarations of the Roman Pontiffs on various occasions since the discovery
of Saint Philomena's Remains
The Canonisation of saints is intimately connected with the existence of miracles, and it is the common teaching of theologians and canonists, that the decree of canonisation is infallible. Holy men and women are raised to the altars almost year after year, and this distinction is never given to them unless miracles have been worked in proof of their sanctity.
The Church before recognising claims to canonisation, always examines the very nature and reality of the miracles attributed to the servant of God. The approbation of the devotion to Saint Philomena, and the authorisation of the public cultus of the Saint by the Holy See was based more on the miracles wrought through her intercession than on the examination of her life, of which nothing was known except her name and the fact of her martyrdom-information disclosed to the world by the discovery of the tomb in the Catacomb of Saint Priscilla. The Sovereign Pontiff, who promulgated the decree sanctioning the cultus of Saint Philomena, had seen with his own eyes the extraordinary cure worked by the Virgin-Martyr on Pauline Marie Jaricot. Henri Gheon writes in his "Secret of the Cure of Ars": "The Pope decided to canonise this girl of whom nothing was known save her death for the faith and her long-delayed miracles. It is worth stressing this case of an unknown raised to the altars, a case unparalleled in the history of the Church.
In the ancient martyrologies of Rome and of Saint Jerome nothing is more common that these or similar phrases: “at Rome, one hundred and fifty martyrs, whose names God knows,” “Saint Maximus with one hundred and twenty soldiers, buried in the Catacombs, whose names God knows” etc. The acts of the martyrs are full of sentences such as these. There were according to Prudentius, a multitude of speechless tombs whose names were written only in the book of eternity. Therefore it cannot be wondered at, if, amid, the great multitude of martyrs the story of the earthly pilgrimage of a great number has been lost.
Of all the tributes paid to Saint Philomena it is a great consolation to know that the most touching and edifying have come from the divinely appointed Vicars of Christ. Since the finding of the relics in 1802, the Sovereign Pontiffs have not only lavished honours upon her, but one after another have had great personal devotion to her. This, in itself, is a sufficient answer to those critics, within and without the True Fold, who profess to find difficulties in accepting the fact of her life.
In the "History" edited by him, Father Bowden of the London Oratory observes "That the solemn approbation of the Church was not bestowed upon the devotion to Saint Philomena, until after frequent and fervent supplication to that effect had been sent to Rome from both the faithful and Bishops; in fact from the entire episcopate of Italy."
"With regard to the private acts of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Leo XII expressed the highest admiration for the extraordinary powers conferred by Almighty God on this hitherto unknown child and listened with delight to the accounts given him of the wonders she worked. He did not hesitate to give his permission for altars to be dedicated and chapels to be built in honour of Saint Philomena. In spite of the meticulous care which the Church exercises in dealing with such matters, the information he received was so obviously genuine and the facts related to him so irrefutable, that all doubts on the subject were removed."
"Pope Gregory XVI. treated the proposed cultus with the maturity and prudent circumspection which presides over all the decisions of Rome. This course was followed for obvious reasons: (i) It was an important matter requiring to be carefully and deliberately weighed; (ii.) on account of its novelty in the Church; (iii.) and the marvellous circumstances accompanying it. After the cure of Pauline Marie Jaricot in 1835, which we have already noted "Gregory XVI. requested the Sacred Congregation of Rites to debate whether or not a Decree should be promulgated authorising the public cultus of Saint Philomena. Their reply was in the affirmative. Even then, the Holy Father kept silence for over two years and only gave a definite judgement on the subject when he had prayed much, and had seen with his own eyes the extraordinary cure worked by the saint on Pauline Marie Jaricot (which has already been described), and had heard authentic reports of the many prodigies of the Virgin Martyr.
"The Decree, authorising the devotion, and the granting to the clergy of Nola (the diocese in which Mugnano is situated), the privilege of celebrating Mass in her honour was published by Gregory XVI. on January the 30th, 1837. In March, 1839, the same Pontiff, by Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, raised her feast to a double of the Second Class. "It is to be noted her that this is the only instance of a Proper Office being granted to a Saint from the Catacombs, of whom nothing was known except her name and the bare fact of her martyrdom."
"Gregory XVI. never called Saint Philomena anything but 'The Great Saint,' or 'The Thaumaturga of the Nineteenth Century.' His Holiness, also, gave the Saint the new title of Patroness of the Living Rosary, an association of prayer founded by Pauline Marie Jaricot in conjunction with the Association for the Propagation of the Faith. Finally, as a last act of homage, and with the object of manifesting his personal affection for Saint Philomena, this great Pope sent a magnificent gold and silver lamp to her shrine at Mugnano."
"When he was Archbishop of Spoleto, Pius IX. became a devout client of Saint Philomena, and with great earnestness he spread devotion to her. Later on, as Archbishop of Imola, the saintly Pontiff of The Immaculate Conception and of the Papal Infallibility, introduced into his Cathedral City the devotion to the little Saint. During his occupancy of that See he was miraculously cured of an illness in which his life had been very seriously endangered."
"Afterwards, when raised to the Chair of Peter, this great Vicar of Christ availed himself of his supreme power in order to shed still greater lustre on the name of Saint Philomena."
"During the period of his exile this great and illustrious Pope, in person, made a pilgrimage to her Sanctuary in Mugnano. At the Church of Saint Philomena he was solemnly received by the Bishop of Nola, the King and Queen, and all the members of the Royal Family of Naples. His Holiness celebrated Mass on the altar of the Saint, and, in memory of his visit, granted many spiritual favours and privileges to the Sanctuary of Mugnano."
"During his sojourn in Naples, he also declared Saint Philomena to be Secondary Patroness of the Kingdom; and later on, in 1862, he gave her as Patroness to the Children of Mary." Likewise he confirmed her title of Patroness of the Living Rosary.
"Lastly, as a final tribute of his love and gratitude, Pius IX., when he was about to yield up his soul to God, sent a most beautiful offering to the honoured shrine of his saintly benefactress."
"When Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Benevento, Pope Leo XIII. made two pilgrimages to Mugnano. After he became Pope, from the Vatican Exposition, he sent a valuable cross to the Rector of the Church where the relics of Saint Philomena are venerated. He also approved of the Confraternity of the Saint, raised it the rank of an Archconfraternity, and enriched it with numerous indulgences. This illustrious Pontiff blessed and approved of the Cord of Saint Philomena and attached many precious privileges and indulgences to its wearing."
Here, a word about the Cord of Saint Philomena would be most appropriate. The devotion of the Cord was adopted on account of the innumerable graces obtained through the intercession of the hidden saint of the Catacombs. "The Cord approved of by the Sacred Congregation of Rites is a cincture made of linen, wool or cotton, of a white and red colour, two knots are found at one end to honour the double role of Virgin and Martyr-the distinctive jewels in the crown of the Saint we are contemplating. Frequently it has been the instrument of striking cures, and other extraordinary favours, but it is, in an especial manner, efficacious for the preservation of the virtue of holy purity." Here again, we may pause to note the great love of the Church for this Martyr of the Apostolic Times. This extraordinary privilege of a cord is shared by her with only such saints as (i) St. Francis of Assisi, the Seraphic Patriarch and the Founder of the Franciscan Fathers, who minister to the spiritual needs of thousands of the Faithful in the Mother State of the Commonwealth, (ii) Saint Thomas of Aquin, the Angelic Doctor and the Prince of Theologians (iii) Saint Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church.
"The Pope of the Holy Eucharist, Pius X., also encouraged this devotion with great zeal and earnestness. He sanctioned the Centenary of the Cultus of the Virgin Martyr. He granted the necessary privileges for the commemoration of the feast and bestowed numerous indulgences on all the faithful who took part in its celebration. This holy successor of Saint Peter, whose memory is revered throughout the length and breadth of the Catholic world, also commanded that all the decisions, and the declarations concerning Saint Philomena, which had been made by his predecessors, should in nowise be altered. "By a Decree of April the 3rd, 1906, Pope Pius X. definitely sanctioned the Statutes of the 'Oeuvre de Sainte Philomene,' canonically erected at Rome, to propagate and increase devotion towards the Virgin Martyr. Finally, that same year, on June the 14th, the Associates of the Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena and Saint John Baptist Vianney, received from the Holy Father the Apostolic Benediction, as well as his wishes for the success of all their works."
We may conclude this section of our article by quoting the convincing argument of Father O'Sullivan in "Saint Philomena, the Wonder Worker":-"When the seal of God's Church is placed on a devotion and when Christ's Vicar on earth gives it his own solemn approbation, it becomes at once worthy of our profoundest respect and reverence. What then must be thought of a devotion that Pope after Pope has not only sanctioned by his supreme authority, but recommended by his own personal example and love? Surely nothing is more consoling for the clients of Saint Philomena than that the Vicars of Christ themselves should so clearly manifest their belief in her wonder-working powers, and give the example of unbounded trust in her powers of intercession."
The Cure of Ars and Saint Philomena
We cannot speak of Saint Philomena without speaking of the Cure of Ars, Saint John Baptist Vianney. To speak of him is to speak of her, since she was so closely, so inseparably bound to his work of intercession, conversion and miracle working. On one occasion the holy Cure had been taken to Lyons by his spiritual adviser. Father Belley, in order that he might visit the Jaricot family. It was at one of these gatherings that, for the first time, he met Pauline Marie Jaricot, the Foundress of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith-she whose miraculous cure, a few years later, caused the Holy Father to decide on the unprecedented canonisation of the Virgin Martyr. Pauline impressed this holy priest with such veneration for her favourite Saint that he became an ardent promoter of devotion to Saint Philomena. We have already stated that Miss Jaricot had received from Father de Mongallon, the Superior of the Brothers of Saint John of God, a relic of the little saint, and, of this treasure Saint John Vianney, in his turn, received a fragment. In this way, very humbly indeed, Philomena entered Ars. Little did the holy pastor of this isolated village realise what a place in his heart and in his life was to be occupied by this little Martyr of the early church.
In his "Life of the Cure of Ars," Father Trochu writes: "A change took place when the cult of Saint Philomena came to be established in the parish. From that moment the servant of God gave to her all the credit of the marvels that were being accomplished, so that he took delight in proclaiming them. To her he attributed all the prodigies that made Ars so famous. Thanks to him, devotion to the youthful saint spread rapidly, both in the surrounding districts and all over France. It is likely enough that if the Cure of Ars had not sounded her praises for the space of thirty years, Saint Philomena would not have enjoyed the immense popularity that came to her in the nineteenth century."
"In the village of Ars, the hidden saint of the Catacombs was destined to play a twofold note-one public and the other private and intimate. In the eyes of the crowd she would be the heavenly wonder-worker, at whose intercession any miracle would be granted; but, in addition, a pure and mysterious affection was to link her to the saintly parish priest; she would be his ideal, his sweet star, his guide, his comforter, his pure light.
This mystic friendship was destined to become so strong and so deep that it could be described in the following astonishing lines: From the start the beloved Saint responded to the affection of her servant As time went on the harmony between their hearts also grew, so that in the best years of his life there existed between them not merely a distant relationship but a close and direct friendship. Henceforth the saint on earth enjoyed with the saint in heaven a most sweet and intimate familiarity. On the one hand we see a ceaseless invocation, on the other a sensible assistance and a kind of real presence.
If we examine the numerous depositions that are found in the process of his canonisation, or the documents preserved at Ars, it becomes evident that the prodigies which surround Saint John Vianney with an anticipated radiance were really miracles wrought in conjunction with another, namely Saint Philomena.
When he thought that a certain cure was desirable, Father Vianney formulated his wish - either by word of mouth or within his heart; after which he left it to Saint Philomena to obtain its realisation from God. That is why he was wont to call her his "business agent, his intermediary, his consul with God."
"During the course of the very serious illness which in May 1843, threatened to carry off the holy Cure, Madame Claudine Raymond-Corcevay, of Chalon-sur-Saone, came to Ars in order to obtain her cure. She suffered from Laryngitis and bronchitis, and was unable to utter a word without experiencing pains in her throat as acute as though she had been burnt with a red-hot iron. Communication with the persons around her was possible to her only by writing on a slate. In fact, it was by this means that she addressed herself to the saintly cure on the morning when, as a convalescent, he left his room for the first time in order to go into the Church."
"My child," he told her, "earthly remedies are useless to you, far too many have already been applied to you. Yet the good God wishes to cure you; address yourself to Saint Philomena. Put your slate on her altar; compel her; tell her that if she is not willing to restore your voice to you, she should give you her own!" "At once," as the lady relates, "I went and prostrated myself at the feet of the little saint, and at the end of my prayer I was cured. I had not spoken for two years, and for six years had endured the most atrocious pains. On returning to the house of Madame Faver, with whom I lodged I read aloud before several people a few pages of a book which treated of confidence in Our Blessed Lady. I was indeed cured." "On August the 11th of that same year, the feast of Saint Philomena, Madame Raymond caused the church of Ars to resound with the notes of the beautiful voice that had been so wonderfully restored to her."
It would far exceed the limits of this brief biography were we to attempt even a brief summary of the marvels worked at Ars through the intercession of Saint Philomena. The above extract, as has been already stated, is taken from Father Trochu's work, which was compiled on strictly scientific lines-from the most reliable of all historical sources, namely:- The Acts of the Process of Canonisation. Hence Legend, that too pretty waiting maid of history, has not had time to transform and disfigure facts that are still fresh in the memory of those who witnessed them. Further, it may be mentioned, in passing that Holy Church has set the seal of her approval upon Father Trochu's book.
We know that Saint John Baptist Vianney consecrated himself by a special vow to the service of Saint Philomena. His exhortations were full of her praises. His modest church, where he enshrined the relic that had been given him, and which "soon became the instrument of a thousand miracles," was eloquently adorned with hundreds of crutches-mute witnesses of the power and benignity of the Virgin Martyr.
It has been justly said by Father Bowden of the London Oratory, who edited "The History of Saint Philomena," "that the Cure of Ars owes in part his celebrity in the Catholic world to Saint Philomena, while the Virgin Martyr, on the other hand, owes the rapid and universal spread of devotion to her in France, partly to the zeal of the Cure of Ars." We are then following a good and holy leader, if we imitate the example of Saint John Vianney, who honoured and venerated Saint Philomena.
It is worthy of special notice that the zeal and devotion of the Apostle of Ars has been emulated and imitated by men and women whose holiness has distinguished them in the annals of this century. The enlightened servants of God who found no difficulty in honouring the Virgin Martyr, Saint Philomena, were: Saint Madeline Sophie Barat, Foundress of those Sacred Heart nuns whose beautiful educational establishments adorn the principal cities of the Commonwealth; Madame d'Houet, Foundress of the Faithful Companions of Jesus and Mary; Blessed Julian Eymard Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose saintly sons keep constant vigil before the Holy of Holies in the City of Melbourne: Blessed Peter Chanel, the first martyr of Oceania; M. Dupont, the holy man of Tours; General de Sonis, one of the most saintly military leaders of the nineteenth century; and many others in every centre where the Church has raised the glorious Standard of the Cross.
(Saint Peter Chanel was born in France in 1803. He was ordained a priest in 1827 and became a Marist Father in 1831. His martyrdom took place on Futuna Island on the 28th of April, l84l. His remains rested in Sydney in 1849, and were returned to Futuna in 1977. St. Peter Chanel was declared a Saint in 1954 and his feastday is on the 28th of April).
