St. Philomena’s father was the governor of a small provision in Greece. He used to always pray with his wife to the idols to grant them a child.
When the palace’s doctor, who was also a devout Christian, saw their suffering with no avail, the Holy Spirit moved him to preach Christianity to them. He promised to pray for them if they agreed to get baptised. The grace of God had filled his words, which enlightened their minds, so they became Christians. God blessed them and they received a gift according to their faith.
In 291 AD, when the mother’s time came to give birth, they named the child Lomena referring to the light of faith, but at the time of her baptism, they named her Philomena, which means the daughter of light, since she was born to this faith. Her parents’ love towards her was great that they never left her a single moment.
For this reason, they took her with them on a journey to Rome because of war, which threatened their safety. She was 13 years old at the time.
When they arrived at Rome, they went to the palace of Emperor Diocletian. When he saw Philomena, he was captured by her beauty. He promised her father to put all his power under his command if he let him marry Philomena.
When they went back to their room, her parents tried to convince her to marry the emperor. She cried and said: “Do you want me to renounce my vow to my Lord Jesus Christ, which I took since my childhood, because of a man? I have vowed my virginity and purity to Christ and I don’t have control over them anymore.”
Her words caused them to lose hope in the emperor’s request, so they brought her to him. The emperor tried to entice her and persuade her using promises as well as threats, but all to no avail. He ordered her to be imprisoned in one of the palace’s cells, where they put her in chains hoping that pain and shame would change her mind.
The emperor continued to torture her for 40 days, bust she held more to her beloved Lord Jesus Christ. The emperor was then sure he will not be able to change her mind, so he ordered her to be killed by stabbing her with a spear in her neck. She was martyred on a Friday around 3pm, which is on the same day and time our Lord Jesus died on the cross.
When the palace’s doctor, who was also a devout Christian, saw their suffering with no avail, the Holy Spirit moved him to preach Christianity to them. He promised to pray for them if they agreed to get baptised. The grace of God had filled his words, which enlightened their minds, so they became Christians. God blessed them and they received a gift according to their faith.
In 291 AD, when the mother’s time came to give birth, they named the child Lomena referring to the light of faith, but at the time of her baptism, they named her Philomena, which means the daughter of light, since she was born to this faith. Her parents’ love towards her was great that they never left her a single moment.
For this reason, they took her with them on a journey to Rome because of war, which threatened their safety. She was 13 years old at the time.
When they arrived at Rome, they went to the palace of Emperor Diocletian. When he saw Philomena, he was captured by her beauty. He promised her father to put all his power under his command if he let him marry Philomena.
When they went back to their room, her parents tried to convince her to marry the emperor. She cried and said: “Do you want me to renounce my vow to my Lord Jesus Christ, which I took since my childhood, because of a man? I have vowed my virginity and purity to Christ and I don’t have control over them anymore.”
Her words caused them to lose hope in the emperor’s request, so they brought her to him. The emperor tried to entice her and persuade her using promises as well as threats, but all to no avail. He ordered her to be imprisoned in one of the palace’s cells, where they put her in chains hoping that pain and shame would change her mind.
The emperor continued to torture her for 40 days, bust she held more to her beloved Lord Jesus Christ. The emperor was then sure he will not be able to change her mind, so he ordered her to be killed by stabbing her with a spear in her neck. She was martyred on a Friday around 3pm, which is on the same day and time our Lord Jesus died on the cross.