A friend of mine whom I have never met just had a newborn baby son! He is beautiful, but is sick. Please take a moment and say the prayer to Saint Philomena for this fragile child.

Verifiable history of Saint Philomena is hard to come by, but tradition holds that was a young girl of Grecian royalty. She was courted by the Roman emporer Diocletian who offered to settle a war between Rome and Greece if he could marry Philomena. She refused the pleas of the emporer and her parents, saying she had promised her virginity and fideility to Christ. She was imprisoned, beaten and martyred by drowning. Her remains were discovered in 1802 and she was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI sometime around 1834.

O faithful virgin and glorious martyr, Saint Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a safe and healthy start for this baby boy. I am thoroughly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the passion and death of Jesus thy spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in his saints. Amen.

Saint Philomena, patron of newborns and the sick, pray for us.