The Devotion of the Creed Thrice Recited to Saint Philomena
1. Hail, St. Philomena, Virgin and Martyr of Christ! We pray thee to intercede for the just, that they may persevere in good and grow daily from strength to strength.
I believe in God . . . .
2. Hail, St. Philomena, Virgin and Martyr of Christ! We pray thee to intercede for sinners, that they may be converted and live the life of grace.
I believe in God . . . .
3. Hail, St. Philomena,Virgin and Martyr of Christ! We pray thee to intercede for heretics and infidels, that they may come to the True Church and serve the Lord in spirit and in truth.
I believe in God . . . .
(Specify your petition or thanksgiving)
Prayer
O great Wonder-worker of our days, most kind St. Philomena, thou who, so often and with so much compassion, art moved in beholding the miseries of mankind and in delivering them from misfortunes and disasters by working astounding miracles, ah! show thyself toward us also a loving protectress and deliverer. Obtain that we may be aided in all our necessities, spiritual and temporal, and especially in the greatest sorrows that afflict us (here mention your particular intention).
Say three ‘Glory Be’ to thank the Blessed Trinity for the graces given to St. Philomena during her martyrdom.
This devotion was revealed by St. Philomena herself to Mother Maria Luisa di Gesù, a Dominican nun in Italy, as the latter desired to know a very acceptable practice that she might perform to please the Virgin-Martyr. In a subsequent vision, narrated at great length, she saw St. Philomena, when these three Creeds were recited, rise each time and unite herself with the person saying these prayers – the Saints always rise and offer their prayers for the intentions of their clients when they are invoked, she adds – but when the final Creed for the conversion of unbelievers was offered, St. Philomena’s fervor was greater and her organlike voice pealed forth. ”It seemed that on breathing the fragrance of this flower,” writes Mother Maria Luisa, ”her voice must be heard through all the earth.” An angel offered the Creeds like crimson flowers to St. Philomena that she might inhale their perfume, and similarly with the other saints. After these things had been shown to the mystic, she heard a voice from the clouds surrounding a brilliant throne that said, ”This is for as many as wish to profit by it.”
On another occasion, Mother Maria Luisa had a vision in which she saw Our Lady and St. Philomena. St. Philomena confided her to the protection of the Mother of God: ”Stand firm beneath the protection of Mary.” Again, she saw St. Philomena laying her crown before Mary’s throne while saying, ”Lady of Heaven, I have come to ask for grace.” Whereupon, she solicited more than thirty graces for different persons. Our Lady replied, ”To Philomena, nothing is refused!” St. Gabriel wrote down the concessions with a golden pen. Then, St. Philomena turned to Mother Maria Luisa and asked, ”Have you seen how this was done? I asked the graces from Mary and, through Mary, they were granted to me.”
(Reprinted from the original with thanks as the current color scheme of the website has become too hard to read.)
To learn more about the short life of Saint Philomena, please read this article.
