Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a member of the Archconfraternity of St. Philomena or some other organization to participate in the petition drive? No, anyone can participate.
I heard that St. Philomena is no longer a saint. Is this true? No, once the Church declares someone to be a saint, this can never be changed. Many Popes, Saints and Blesseds have testitifed to her intercession, as well as countless others.
What about the controversy surrounding her history? There has always been controversy surrounding St. Philomena because we have no historical evidence of her life. This is not to say that we do not know that she existed. Her relics were discovered in 1802 in the catacombs of St. Priscilla and are today available for veneration in the Diocese of Nola in Mugnano del Cardinale (Avellino) Italy. What we know for sure is that she is the only saint ever raised to the altar entirely due to her miraculous intercession. This a great honor and one unlikely to be repeated.
If she was discovered in 1802, then 2002 is the 200th Anniversary of her discovery. Is there anything special planned to celebrate this event? Yes, there will be many events planned in her shrine church in Italy and throughout the world. In fact this petition drive is a way to honor her in the special time.
What about the new Martyrology that was published recently. I heard that she is not in there. What does this mean? St. Philomena was not in the previous Martyrology either, we believe due to the lack of historical knowledge of her life story. Nothing has changed with the issuance of the new Martyrology.