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Oil of Saint Philomena
The tradition of the Holy Oil of Saint Philomena began the first week after the translation of the Saint’s relics to Mugnano del Cardinale on August 11, 1805.
For nine days the people prayed before the Saint; however, the ninth day was marked by many omens.
During Mass, a poor widow, Angela Guerriero, prayed with faith for her son Modestino, who was paralyzed and could not stand. As soon as she bowed her head, she heard a thud next to her, and turning to see if Modestino had fallen, she saw him running down the aisle toward Saint Philomena to thank her for his healing. After Mass, Modestino walked through the town and showed everyone his straight legs. Naturally, all the bells rang out in celebration, and Modestino was accompanied by the drums of the local band. For vespers, everyone tried to enter the church. A woman holding her two-year-old blind child, blindness caused by smallpox, tried in vain to get in; during the sermon, when the crowd was standing, she managed little by little, inch by inch, to approach the altar, dipped a finger in the oil from the lamp burning before the body of Saint Philomena and anointed the child’s eyes. Immediately and without pain, the eyelids opened, the eyes saw the light of the lamp, and the child laughed with joy.
Every year, devotees of Saint Philomena bring donations of oil to be blessed on the day of the Feast of the Patronage of Saint Philomena, the first Sunday after January 10 (the birth of Saint Philomena). The blessed oil will feed the votive lamp present before the Body of Saint Philomena and will be distributed to devotees all over the world.
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