Dear Devotees of Saint Philomena,
Today I send you the second in a series of newsletters that document the many
miracles of Saint Philomena I also want to announce we
are having our Summer Clearance sale in the gift shop here at the Sanctuary.
http://www.shopphilomena.com .
It is important to remember that the devotional items in our shop are designed
especially for the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale,
Italy. They are authentic symbols of Our Little Saint and have been blessed by
the Rector of the Sanctuary before shipped to you to use in your personal appeals to
Saint Philomena for her
assistance in your life and to spread knowledge of her Power with God among
those who will be uplifted by her story. For a limited time only, I am
offering a thirteen percent off all devotional items, for one week only and
guaranteed deliver before the great feast on August 10, 2014.
For many Saints, the veneration of the faithful finds important foundation in
the edifying events of their earthly life. For Saint Philomena, things were
different, since there were no records about her short life until her
martyrdom in the prime of her life. Therefore, Saint Philomena has ascended to
the glory of the Altars not for what we concretely know about her brief
earthly existence, but for the countless graces and miracles that God has
lavished through her powerful intercession. Because she lived her life
focusing on the love of Christ, she became very dear to God’s divine heart.
What is missing in the veneration of Saint Philomena, regarding historic
records, is abundantly compensated for by the richness and multiplicity of the
miracles she performed thanks to her intercession from the day of the
translation of her bones from Rome to Mugnano. Rightly, Pope Gregory XVI
defined her as the “Thaumaturge of the XIX century”.
Everyone who gets close to her with faith is helped in body and soul. For
example, the miracles performed by the Saint in Ars were so many that the
pious parish priest John Marie Vianney had to pray that these would diminish
in order not to be distracted from the caring of souls.
From the many miracles performed, we have chosen just a few of them which we
will divide in two groups. In the first group (see below) we will place the
extraordinary, and at the same time, widely corroborated by official acts and
authoritative recognitions. In the second (sending to you next week) we will
place the healings, and although reported by people worthy of trust, these can
give rise to some uncertainty for lack of documentation.
Msgr. Giovanni Braschi
Rector of the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena
Custodian of her Sacred Body
Miracles corroborated by official acts and authoritative recognitions
from Popes, Bishops, and important people.
Miracle of the healing of the Franciscan Sister Maria Gesualda
Garelli.
When Msgr. Anselmo Basilici, on June 16, 1835, came to Rome to the Holy See
to report to the Pope about the prodigy of Saint Philomena’s Relics, the
Saint was already highly venerated and well known in Rome.
Amongst the many miracles performed in the Eternal City, we remember the
one about the Franciscan Sister Maria Gesualda Carelli, because it was
certified by two eminent Cardinals.
This religious Franciscan had received the last Sacraments because she
was so ill that she could no longer open her eyes and feed herself.
Everybody was just waiting for her to die.
When her confessor applied on the agonizing face an image of Saint
Philomena, instantaneously Sister Maria Gesualda sat on the bed and shouted;
“I’m healed!”.
The Cardinal Galeffi, protector of the monastery of the Saints Cosma and
Damiano, ascertained the healing on the spot and Cardinal Zurla, vicar of
His Sanctity, dealt with the necessary legal information .
Miraculous healing of Giovanna Cescutti (Venice ,1835) for the
intercession of Saint Philomena.
This miracle happened a month before the one equally astonishing of the
healing of Pauline Jaricot at the Sanctuary in Mugnano del Cardinale, which
, as previously mentioned, amazed Don Francesco De Lucia himself. This
miracle echoed throughout Italy, also because a noble Neapolitan was its
witness: Don Gennaro Caracciolo dei Duchi di Rodi (Dukes of Rodes), knight
to His Majesty Ferdinand II of Bourbon, King of Naples, who was greatly
devoted to Saint Philomena together with the Royal family, and who was also
a benefactor of our Sanctuary which he visited in numerous occasions. After
the Miracle, the Venetian Curia had written an official and thorough report
on the exceptional event, outlined in legal format, with the proper stamps
and signatures, and assigned Cavalier Caracciolo to deliver it to Don
Francesco De Lucia, guardian of the Sacred Body of the glorious Martyr. Here
is a summary of the content of the document. Giovanna Cescutti, was a young
woman of about 20 years of age who lived in Venice. She suffered various
illnesses which could not be cured. She suffered extreme pains which often
left her at death’s door. One day she was stricken by a sudden illness, she
was at the end of her tether. In the evening of the 6th of July 1835 the
parish priest of Santa Maria del Giglio, Don Antonio Magnana, who had been
assisting the woman for a long time, call in her family to recite << to
Saint Philomena a prayer, which was barely voiced by the sick woman who was
so weak that could follow him only with her mind and heart>>. It was around
11 in the evening and the parish priest, ended the prayers of the sick and
thinking that the woman had passed away, asked the people there to recite
together 3 Our Fathers in honor of Saint Philomena. <<Once it was over,
Prodigy! (The young one said). She got up from her supine position in which
she had been laying the whole day, and with clear and vigorous voice she
proclaimed: Oh Dear! I am better, thanks to God I am in good health again
after 10 years suffering!>> This instant recovery from all her incurable
illnesses was of great amazement to all and it was confirmed by well known
doctors. On the 16th of July 1835 the miraculously cured woman went to Santa
Maria del Giglio to <<thank solemnly God in the Church>>. An epigraph in
Latin was also placed in the Church praising Saint Philomena. By coincidence
on the same day in which Cavalier Caracciolo came to Mugnano to deliver the
document detailing the miracle to Don F. De Lucia, Mons. Ferretti apostolic
nuncio of Naples came. He brought a splendid golden silver lantern sent by
Pope Gregory XVI with other precious gifts. The other primate read the
important document delivered from Venice and astonished by the miracle
obtained for the intercession of Saint Philomena, asked for a copy because
he thought the event was worthy to be know everywhere.
Support the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena
The Sanctuary of Saint Philomena is not a parish Church. We do not have parishioners who support this place of worship on a weekly basis. We are completely dependent on the love and generosity of you, the world-wide devotees, to keep the doors of the earthly home of Saint Philomena open.
We pray at the Sanctuary for the devotees of Saint Philomena to recognize and provide the means to pay our monthly utilities of gas and electricity. We also pray for the means to install a lift at the Sanctuary to enable physically challenged pilgrims to experience the entire home of their beloved Saint.
In order to ensure the Sanctuary is able to keep our doors open to you and to continue to offer God continual praise and to be the focal point through which our prayers are received by Saint Philomena and interceded for before God at the Sanctuary, you may donate in the following ways:
- Direct to the Sanctuary:
- By personal check payable to the "Sanctuary of Saint Philomena." For security reasons, please send your donation through registered or express mail to the Sanctuary's address at the bottom of this newsletter.
- Online - Go to our Support Page, Click Here
- By bank transfer to the Sanctuary's Bank account: BANCA UNICREDIT MUGNANO DEL CARDINALE(30525) BANK ACCOUNT:N° 000400102946 SWIFT CODE:UNCRITM1E94 IBAN:IT18D0200875790000400102946
- U.S.A. Tax-Deductible Donations may be sent to the new non-profit set up in the United States:
- Online - Go to our Support Page, Click Here
- Postal mail donations can be made to: Saint Philomena Sanctuary Support Fund, Inc. P.O. Box 4114 Bergheim, Texas 78004, U.S.A.
