All Day
August 11, 2026
St. Philomena was a virgin martyr, a Greek princess taken prisoner by the Emperor Diocletian when she refused to be his bride.
Diocletian tortured her for 37 days; he attempted to drown her and kill her with flaming arrows. All this time, she stayed faithful to Christ, for whom she had given her heart. Finally, after thinking he was victorious in killing her, she triumphed with Jesus in heaven, becoming His bride. She got the everlasting happy ending!
Known as the "Wonder-Worker," her remains were discovered in 1802 in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, with an inscription "Pax tecum, Filumena", suggesting she was a virgin martyr.
Little is known about her life, but she is revered for her purity, courage, and intercessory miracles.On 25 May, 1802, while exploring the graves of Roman martyrs in the Catacomb of Priscilla, a tomb was discovered; as it contained a glass vessel it was assumed to be the grave of a martyr and contained the message, "Peace be with you, Philomena."
Though her feast day no longer is on the General Roman Calendar, Catholics worldwide still revere her as a patron of youth, babies and a model of courage and purity, and a heroic witness of the faith. she is a patron saint of youth, babies, and the impossible.
Her feast day is August 11, and she is a patron saint of youth, babies, and the impossible.