St. Philomena is a young virgin martyr of the early Church whose tomb was discovered in the catacombs of Rome in 1802, and whose intercession was soon credited with so many favors that she became known as the “Wonder-Worker of the Nineteenth Century.” St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, called her his “dear little saint,” and Pope Gregory XVI approved her public veneration. Catholics pray to her especially for purity, for young people, and in impossible cases.
Below is the traditional novena prayer to St. Philomena from a 1911 prayer book, how to pray the novena, and her story, including what changed in 1961.
The novena prayer to St. Philomena
This prayer is from Father Lasance’s With God (1911). Pray it each day of the novena, naming your intention at the point indicated:
O glorious virgin and martyr, beloved child of God, blessed Philomena! I rejoice in thy glory, and give God thanks that He has bestowed on thee such power, for the glory of His name, for the edification of His Church, and to honor thy merits in life, and thy sufferings and martyrdom in death. Looking up to thee in heaven, I rejoice to see thee so exalted, so powerful, so pure, so generous. I congratulate thee on being so faithful to the precepts and counsels of Jesus Christ, while on earth, and on being so munificently rewarded by Him in heaven. Moved by thine example to the practice of solid virtue, filled with hope at the view of the rewards bestowed upon thee, I resolve to imitate thee in the avoidance of all evil, and in the fulfilment of God’s holy will. Assist me, O glorious little saint, by thy powerful intercession, and obtain especially for me perfect purity — invincible fortitude in all trials, temptations, and sufferings — generosity which refuses nothing to God — and love stronger than death for the one true Faith — a ready and willing obedience to the Holy Roman Catholic Church and to our sovereign Pontiff, the common Father of all the faithful, the Pastor of pastors and of their flocks, and vicegerent of Jesus Christ throughout the universe.
Beside these favors which I have now asked through thy powerful intercession, O blessed Philomena! I also ask an additional grace and favor, which I have the fullest confidence of obtaining through thy powerful intercession. (Here mention the graces and favors.)
Surely God, who is so good, and for whom thou hast given up thy life — God who is so good, and who has bestowed so many gifts and favors upon and through thee — God who is so good as to have died for me, and to give Himself to me in holy communion — God who is so good as to have revealed the burning love of His sacred Heart for me, surely He will not refuse to hearken graciously to thy prayers, to my supplications, and even to His own desire to help the afflicted. For this do I hope, while I put all my confidence in God and in thee, O blessed Philomena! Amen.
How to pray the St. Philomena novena
- Pray the novena prayer above each day for nine days.
- Add an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
- Many add the invocation, St. Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us.
- A traditional time is August 2 to 10, ending on the eve of her feast on August 11.
Some devotees also wear the cord of St. Philomena, a red and white cord, as a sign of their desire for purity.
The story of St. Philomena
On May 24–25, 1802, excavators in the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome found a tomb closed by three tiles bearing the inscription LUMENA PAX TE CUM FI, which read in the right order gives Pax tecum, Filumena, “Peace be with you, Philomena.” Inside were the bones of a young girl and a small vial thought to contain blood, signs then taken to indicate a martyr.
In 1805 her relics were brought to Mugnano del Cardinale, near Naples, where many cures were reported. The healing of Venerable Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, in 1835 made her famous across Europe. In 1837 Pope Gregory XVI authorized her public veneration, and St. John Vianney attributed to her the many favors received at Ars.
What changed in 1961?
Very little is known historically about St. Philomena. In 1961 the Congregation of Rites removed her feast from the calendar, as part of a general revision of saints’ days with scarce historical evidence. This did not declare that she is not a saint, and devotion to her continues to be approved: her sanctuary at Mugnano is still a place of pilgrimage, and many dioceses and religious communities honor her on August 11.
A short prayer to St. Philomena
Written for this page:
St. Philomena, faithful to Christ even unto death,
pray for the young people of our time.
Obtain for them purity, courage and a love for Jesus stronger than every fear,
and help me in my present need. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Philomena the patron saint of?
Young people, purity, babies and children, the Children of Mary, and impossible cases.
When is St. Philomena’s feast day?
August 11, in her sanctuary and in many local calendars. It is not on the General Roman Calendar since 1961.
Is St. Philomena still a saint?
Yes. The removal of her feast from the universal calendar was a liturgical decision, not a judgment that she is not a saint.
More prayers
- Patron saint of lost causes
- Novenas: how to pray a novena
- The St. Rita prayer
- Patron saints of the family
Texts and sources
- Novena prayer: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), “Prayer for a Novena in Honor of St. Philomena,” public domain (Wikisource).
- History: Catholic Encyclopedia (1911), “St. Philomena”; the 1961 instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites revising the calendar.
- The short prayer was written for this page.