How

[Catitude]

So why don't we all tell the group how we first found out about our little saint.

I read about her when I was a little girl. This Catholic bookstore had a coloring book about her, and I've been hooked ever since. No odd miracles or odd stories, just plain and simple.

[threeboys]

Hello to everyone in the group. I first learned about Saint Philomena when a friend at a Catholic Bookstore recommended a book about her several years ago.

For those who don't own an ipod or listen to podcasts, the most recent "Saintcast" on sqpn.com is on St Philomena. It is must listening for those who are interested in her. I believe you can listen to the program just using your computer without an ipod or similar device.

The show notes have a link to an article by Mark Miravelle Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville entitled "Present Ecclesial Status of Devotion to St. Philomena"

[Catitude]

Thanks for the info threeboys.

[JohnMPhilomena]

OK - I've been meaning to post my "How I met St Philomena" story for quite a while, but hadn't gotten around to it. A little background first. I was raised Methodist, but was non-practicing. I married a good Catholic woman who along with our 8 children prayed for my conversion for close to the last quarter century. I even prayed to believe, but did not.

My 3rd child had a religious calling and is now in her 3rd year as a novice nun at a convent in Michigan. She has taken the name Mary Philomena. So, while I was vaguely aware of St Philomena, I knew almost nothing about her.

In January of this year (2009), I had a very powerful conversion - in answer to my wife's and children's prayers and the intercession of St Philomena and St John Marie Vianney (Cure d'Ars - parish priest of Ars France who claimed that all the miracles he performed were through the intercession of St Philomena). So I took the bait hook, line, and sinker, and joined the Catholic church. But still did not really know much about St Philomena. So Here's the story:

4-13-09 Holy Saturday
I went in our library for no particular purpose and began to search for a book to read. Not really searching for anything in particular, I started looking at my wife's religious section (which I had largely ignored over the past 23 years) and began looking for a simple book to read. I know the basics, but am very fuzzy on some of the specifics since I have not had much of a religious upbringing. Nothing really jumped out at me except a James Patterson (a favorite author of mine) book that was out of place. So I moved that book to the proper area of our library and next to it, almost completely hidden, was a small paper back book (only 50 pages) - "It's Time to Meet St. Philomena" by Mark Miravalle.

When I picked the book up, I instantly got shimmers (my name for the goosebumps that I feel when a religious experience is happening to me). I don't know whether the shimmers are caused by God, my guardian angel, or some Saint, but I have been getting them since my conversion in January. I sat down and began to read the book and the shimmering went on and on the whole time. I told my wife that St Philomena was really talking to me.

The book was great and I developed a great devotion to Philomena. It was now almost time for me to be confirmed in the church and I had to select a confirmation name. I was conflicted, because I had been considering St John Vianney as my patron saint because he had written the words that my wife read aloud that were responsible for my conversion. But now I had grown to know and love St Philomena and also had a desire to be closer to my daugter (Mary Philomena). And of course Mary is our Blessed Mother, so who couldn't have a devotion to her!

People kept asking me who my patron saint would be and what my confirmation name would be. I was very conflicted, but finally the answer came. John Vianney's name was Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, so I could follow his lead and pick all three! And I became John Marie Philomena. Mary Philomena says it must be the most powerful confirmation name ever! Blessed be God forever!

John Marie Philomena

[JohnMPhilomena]

Sorry - I have another lengthy one for you.

The following is a letter from my daughter who is a novice nun in response the the question "How did you meet St Philomena?"

Dear Dad,
I am so excited about the St Philomena group that you joined! I will just tell you how I first met St. Philomena and you can re-word however you want when you put it on the forum.

I was thirteen at the time and I think it must have been shortly after my Confirmation. I was helping mom organize things in her room and I found a holy card of St. Philomena. It had only a little information about her, but I was so excited (I got a lot of shimmers!)

I had never seen a holy card of her in the house. Now anyone in the house could tell you dad that I had a HUGE holy card collection at that age. I loved to read about the saints and was always looking up stories about them from the books in our library. So, I regarded this holy card with suspicion, immediately getting the feeling that St. Philomena herself had put it there. I went to mom and asked her if she had ever heard of a St. Philomena and she said that she hadn't. "But haven't you ever seen this holy card?!" I asked her, shocked because I had found it in her room. She said that she had never seen it.

I felt a deep attraction toward our dear little saint and began to pray to her for your conversion. I was always looking for a saint that I could pray to for you. (I even found a patron saint of engineers , on a couple of occasions, but could never remember his name since it was difficult for me to pronounce!) Over the years I prayed to St. Philomena often and always referred to her as my sister.

Almost as soon as I entered the convent I knew that I was meant to take her name. It was surprising that even though there are so many St. Philomena devotees in the convent, no one had taken her name yet, even when they had put her name on their list of three choices.

When I wrote to all of you saying that I had something to tell you about St. Philomena when you came on visiting day, I had planned on telling the rest of the family that I wanted them to pray to her as a special patron for your conversion. I really had no intention of telling you all that I wanted to take her name at that point, but when they asked me what it was I wanted to tell them I first avoided the subject and then told everyone that I felt called to take the name Sr. Mary Philomena. I still remember your reaction— "But why do you want Philomena?" Now who can describe why God chooses a specific saint to help us to attain holiness? Who can describe what it feels like when you are speaking to an intimate companion in heaven? Certainly it was St. Philomena who first chose me, but I was at a loss for words. I simply answered, "I just love her." And your answer came, "And you don't love the rest of them?" Little did we know at the time that in a year you would have had your conversion. One of the first things that I noticed when you converted was how perfectly you seemed to understand the Communion of Saints, just through you own personal experience of intercessory prayer. As soon as you left the room I told everyone that we must pray to St. Philomena for your conversion.

After I received her name I continuously kept up a Novena prayer to St. Philomena, promising her that I would give her all the credit for your conversion. For the next five months I said this prayer until January 7th, the feast of St. Raymond of Pentefort, the day of your conversion.

You see- our dear little saint is quite powerful.

John Marie Philomena

[Silyosha]

I became aquainted with our dear St. Philomena at first by just looking at her picture! In the particular one I was looking at, she resembles my sister (and me, by proxy, since we're twins) so of course I was interested. I began reading about her life and all the miracles attributed to her, and from then on I absolutely fell in love! She's so wonderful! I pray to her for a lot of things, from the healing of family members to difficult tests, and she always helps. I feel as if she's watching over me and I love her very much.
Great group!

[Silyosha]

Originally Posted by JohnMPhilomena

OK - I've been meaning to post my "How I met St Philomena" story for quite a while, but hadn't gotten around to it. A little background first. I was raised Methodist, but was non-practicing. I married a good Catholic woman who along with our 8 children prayed for my conversion for close to the last quarter century. I even prayed to believe, but did not.

My 3rd child had a religious calling and is now in her 3rd year as a novice nun at a convent in Michigan. She has taken the name Mary Philomena. So, while I was vaguely aware of St Philomena, I knew almost nothing about her.

In January of this year (2009), I had a very powerful conversion - in answer to my wife's and children's prayers and the intercession of St Philomena and St John Marie Vianney (Cure d'Ars - parish priest of Ars France who claimed that all the miracles he performed were through the intercession of St Philomena). So I took the bait hook, line, and sinker, and joined the Catholic church. But still did not really know much about St Philomena. So Here's the story:

4-13-09 Holy Saturday
I went in our library for no particular purpose and began to search for a book to read. Not really searching for anything in particular, I started looking at my wife's religious section (which I had largely ignored over the past 23 years) and began looking for a simple book to read. I know the basics, but am very fuzzy on some of the specifics since I have not had much of a religious upbringing. Nothing really jumped out at me except a James Patterson (a favorite author of mine) book that was out of place. So I moved that book to the proper area of our library and next to it, almost completely hidden, was a small paper back book (only 50 pages) - "It's Time to Meet St. Philomena" by Mark Miravalle.

When I picked the book up, I instantly got shimmers (my name for the goosebumps that I feel when a religious experience is happening to me). I don't know whether the shimmers are caused by God, my guardian angel, or some Saint, but I have been getting them since my conversion in January. I sat down and began to read the book and the shimmering went on and on the whole time. I told my wife that St Philomena was really talking to me.

The book was great and I developed a great devotion to Philomena. It was now almost time for me to be confirmed in the church and I had to select a confirmation name. I was conflicted, because I had been considering St John Vianney as my patron saint because he had written the words that my wife read aloud that were responsible for my conversion. But now I had grown to know and love St Philomena and also had a desire to be closer to my daugter (Mary Philomena). And of course Mary is our Blessed Mother, so who couldn't have a devotion to her!

People kept asking me who my patron saint would be and what my confirmation name would be. I was very conflicted, but finally the answer came. John Vianney's name was Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, so I could follow his lead and pick all three! And I became John Marie Philomena. Mary Philomena says it must be the most powerful confirmation name ever! Blessed be God forever!

John Marie Philomena

What a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing. I think I'll take Philomena as my confirmation name too.

[Lightofthewords]

I know of saint philomena by the prayer "Help me to obtain purity so I may understand the perfect love of god" I am not pure, and I love this saint, I know nothing about her, but she brings me peace.

she feels close to me when I pray that prayer. pray for me

[JohnMPhilomena]

Originally Posted by Lightofthewords

I know of saint philomena by the prayer "Help me to obtain purity so I may understand the perfect love of god" I am not pure, and I love this saint, I know nothing about her, but she brings me peace.

she feels close to me when I pray that prayer. pray for me

You certainly came to the right saint when asking for help with purity. I believe St Philomena is second only to Blessed Mother in that regard.

Her story can be found on http://www.philomena.us/ (under the "About" tab select "The Story".

John Marie Philomena