The Cord of Saint Philomena
The devotion to the Cord of Saint Philomena is the spontaneous result of the mercy of the faithful towards the Thaumaturgy. Its use was approved on 15 December 1883 by Pope Leo XIII, with the relevant indulgences.
In consideration of the countless graces received by intercession of the Saint, the desire of being under her powerful patronage blossomed. Everyone wanted to wear, in her honour, the blessed Cord in order to be protected in all the eventualities of life. The marvellous fruits of this devotion made her very famous.
The Saint Cure of Ars, who had many times experienced the Saint’s powers, loved seeing the faithful wearing the precious Cord and he would suggest this pious practice to everyone.
This pious devotion is a powerful aid not only to receive healings of the body, but in particular it is a defence against impure spirits. Regarding this, we wish to point out how the belts of some religious orders and the sacred parameters of the Mass are a symbol of chastity.
In this way, Saint Philomena will preserve, chaste and pure, safe from temptation, those who honour her virginal purity with this holy livery. Many steeped in the new rationalism of our days, find it hard to understand how a simple cord of thread can have the virtue of healing sickness of body and spirit. But these people are short on religious education, and do not realize that a Blessing from the Holy Church can deliver extraordinary virtues even to the simplest of souls. The hand of the blessing Priest, transmits to the substances healthy virtues for the body and the spirit, thanks to the merits of Jesus Christ’s Redemption.
Saint Ignazio of Loyola, in his Exercises, insists on the necessity of having at heart all the observances approved by the Church, even if originated by popular devotions.
Therefore, if the Church approves the devotion of the Blessed Cords in honour of the Saints, we can be sure, in practising it, to be in right Faith and to accomplish meritorious actions.
The Cord of Saint Philomena is made with threads of cotton or wool of white and red colour. In one of the extremities it has two knots to remember the Virginity and Martyrdom of the Saint. This is worn under ordinary clothes like a belt.
The Cord of Saint Philomena is both a Symbol and a Prayer. A Symbol, because with it we wish to tie ourselves with the Saint with sincere devotion; a Prayer, because, holding it, we pray Saint Philomena to constantly offer us her protection.
Purpose of this devotion is therefore to obtain, by intercession of Saint Philomena, the effective means to:
• preserve chastity, everyone according to their state;
• fight the constantly increasing disbelief and strengthen oneself in faith and spirit;
• profess a constant and a particular love to the Saint Thaumaturge, in order to merit her favours in the fight against sickness of the body and soul.
The practise of the Cord is accomplished by:
• carrying with devotion the blessed Cord as a distinctive sign of the commitment taken, under the auspices of Saint Philomena and in her honor, to preserve the sacred purity and to defend the Faith;
• applying ourselves in prayer, in imitation of Saint Philomena’s model of chastity and Faith, to preserve one and the other, for the merit of her constancy in bearing the martyrdom;
• avoiding with great care all the dangerous situations regarding chastity, avoiding rigorously books and shows capable of staining purity, and of darkening the sacred light of the Faith;
• solemnizing the feast of Saint Philomena, receiving the Sacred Sacraments in those days, and that is: on the 10th of January, recurrence of her birth; the 25th of May, recurrence of the finding of her precious Body; the 10th of August, recurrence of her glorious death, and of the translation of the Body to Mugnano del Cardinale; the 13th of August, main feast of Saint Philomena, according to the decree of the High Pontiff;
• making the “Month of Saint Philomena,” from 1st of July to 10th of August, in memory of the 40 days that the Martyr spent in jail, according to the revelations made to Sister Marie Louise of Jesus;
• having the picture of Saint Philomena in our home, paying her a tribute of honour every day and, if possible, say the evening prayer, together, in front of her picture.
Any priest, authorized by the Rector of the Sanctuary, has the faculty to bless the Cord of Saint Philomena using the Roman Ritual formula. The people who wear the Cord of Saint Philomena normally recite every day the following prayer:
Oh Saint Philomena Virgin and Martyr, pray for us, so that through your powerful intercession, we may receive the purity of spirit and heart, which leads to the perfect Love of God. Amen.
The blessed Oil of Saint Philomena
How was this sacramental born? The answer is very simple: On the octave of the translation of Saint Philomena’s Relics to Mugnano del Cardinale, a woman from Avella, as we have mentioned earlier in this book Chapter III, dipped her finger in the oil lamp that was burning in front of the Saint’s altar anointing the eyelids of her blind child, who immediately regained her eyesight to the amazement of all present. From that moment, the Oil from the lamp of Saint Philomena is used as sacramental, for corporal and spiritual benefit. The healings received with the use of this sacramental have never ceased. Here follow some of the recent testimonies:
A dear friend of mine, to whom I will only refer with his initials G.B, was deeply devoted to Saint Philomena. He had his blood pressure cured by large doses of very strong medicine, which completely compromised his health, damaging vital organs as reported in his medical records. On the night of the 24th of June 2010 he came to see me about some demanding work he was carrying out in honour of Saint Philomena. Before leaving he asked me if he could pray in our Little Saint’s chapel and cross himself with the blessed oil.
The following day the medical tests carried out by the doctors to monitor his health, showed a complete recovery from the grave pathology. This, of course, was of great astonishment to all medical staff. After a week, further analyses were carried out which confirmed the prodigious recovery. The relative documentation of this case is kept in the Sanctuary Archives.
The following is the report of other recent testimonies:
Dear Rector,
I am very happy that I received the blessed oil of Saint Philomena for me and my young grandchildren. This blessed oil has been very useful to two of my grandchildren, one of whom had been diagnosed with blood poisoning caused by chickenpox. Thanks to the blessed oil of Saint Philomena, she miraculously healed.
Her brother Gregory was scheduled for surgery to remove a cyst from his stomach, and thanks to application of the blessed oil, there was no need for surgery.
I thank Saint Philomena for having interceded for my grandchildren and I thank you all for your prayers.
Angers (France), 5 December 2005
Mme. Belin Yvette
Dear Rector,
One morning three years ago I woke up with severe back pain and for this reason I did not manage to go to work. I remembered that my parents had donated a small bottle of Saint Philomena’s blessed oil to me, bought during one of their pilgrimages to the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena. Although with difficulty, I managed to apply some of the oil to the inflamed part of my back and I immediately felt a strong heat and after awhile my pain disappeared completely. I thank Saint Philomena for the help that she gives me every day.
Kervignac (France)
Myriam Gauthier
The blessed Oil of Saint Philomena is offered every year during the celebration of the Feast for the Patronage of Saint Philomena, on the first Sunday after the 10th of January, to the devotees coming from different regions of Italy and abroad. The blessed Oil is required to replenish the votive lamp that burns day and night in front of the Saint’s relics. The celebration is hosted by the Bishop, the Rector of the Sanctuary with the participation of many priests. The blessed Oil of the Saint is poured into small red bottles bearing the official stamp of the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale (Avellino) and it is distributed all over the world to all devotees who request it.
Only the oil that has been blessed during the celebration of the Feast of the Patronage is the official sacramental. Any other oil that burns in front of any statue in any other devotional center of the Saint is not deemed as officially sacramental. The purpose of this directive of the Sanctuary is to maintain the spiritual union of the devotees with the Sanctuary where the sacred relics of Saint Philomena rest.
The blessed Oil can be obtained by specific request to the Sanctuary or the authorized centers from the Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena.
Little Rosary in honour of Saint Philomena
The Little Rosary is made of red beads and white beads. The red beads indicate the Martyrdom of the Saint, while the white beads indicate her Virginity and Purity. On the Cross or on the Medal we recite the Creed to ask the gift of faith. On the first three beads three Our Fathers are said to the SS. Trinity to thank her for the graces conceded to our Saint, and because she has been assigned to us, together with other Saints, as help in these difficult times. Then, this invocation is recited at each one of the following thirteen beads, in remembrance of the thirteen years lived by the Martyr on Earth:
Farewell to you, Saint Philomena, my dear Patroness: may you be my advocate to your divine Spouse. I pray you to intercede for me now and at the time of my death. Beloved of Jesus and Mary, to you we turn in our moment of need, please pray for us. Amen.
(During the recital of the Little Rosary the invocation Farewell to you… can be substituted with the recitation of thirteen Hail Mary’s, followed by the short prayer Saint Philomena, pray for us). After the Little Crown the litanies in honour of Saint Philomena are recited.
Litany to Saint Philomena
Lord, have mercy on us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christ, hear us.
Christ, grant us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christ, grant us.
God, Father of Heaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Have mercy on us.
God Son Redeemer of the world. . . . . . . . Have mercy on us.
Hail Mary, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Candid lily between thorns, . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Fervent Rose of love, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Indestructible pillar of faith, . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Emulate of Angels, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Mirror of innocence, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Prodigy of patience, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Sanctuary of every virtue, . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Model of virgins, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Heroine of martyrdom, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Example of sanctity, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Guide of pilgrims, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Health of the sick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Refuge for sufferers, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Protector of the young, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Great Thaumaturge, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Glory of Jesus Christ, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
In Jesus Christ beloved, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Church Ornament, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Powerful in Heaven, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Forgive us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Grant us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, Saint Philomena! . . . . . . . . So that we are worthy of Christ’s promises.
Final prayer
O Saint Philomena, glorious Virgin and Martyr, that from Heaven you deign yourself of shower the earth with an extraordinary amount of graces, I bless the Lord for the Gifts that he granted to you during your life and especially at the time of your death, I praise and glorify Him for the honour and the power with which He praises you and I beg you to obtain for me from God the grace for which I am asking through your intercession. Amen.
