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The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary of Saint Philomena is the main Catholic place of worship in Mugnano del Cardinale, in the province of Avellino. Inside, the body of Saint Philomena, virgin and martyr, has been kept since August 10, 1805. In the Sanctuary are the tombstones of the Saint, the miraculous Altar and the Miraculous Statue, the chair of Pauline Jaricot on which she was sitting when she received the miracle. It is one of the nine sanctuaries of the Diocese of Nola...

Main altar with the statue of Our Lady of Graces

Renaissance-style dome with the internal depiction of the 4 evangelists

Saint Philomena

Countless miracles have been attributed to Saint Philomena and many have sought her intercession since the discovery of her tomb in the oldest catacombs of Saint Priscilla in Rome in 1802. She is prayed to by people of different ages, cultures, and social positions all over the world. Numerous devotees have entrusted themselves to her protection: the ailing Miss Pauline Marie Jaricot, founder of the “Propagation of the Faith” and beatified in Lyon on May 22, 2022; the young epileptic Giovanni Mastai Ferretti, who would become Pope under the name Pius IX, and later beatified; the shy priest Giovanni Maria Vianney, the Holy Curé of Ars, indicated by St. Pius X as the guarantor of Saint Philomena.

All were perfectly healed of their illnesses and made instruments of Divine Providence in the life of the Church, to the very ends of the earth, including the Americas and the Indies.

LITANY OF SAINT PHILOMENA VIRGIN AND MARTYR

formulated by the Curé of Ars: Giovanni Battista Maria Vianney

Pilgrims from all over the world come to the Sanctuary to pray at the foot of the altar of St. Philomena

The doors of Santa Filomena

The most significant date is August 10th of each year, the day on which the martyrdom of Saint Philomena is commemorated. The protagonists of this festive ritual are the "battenti," devotees who undertake a long barefoot journey of devotion to the Saint, continuously striking their feet on the ground in a rhythmic and measured way. According to tradition, they wear white shirts and trousers, which represent purity; the bare feet and a red sash instead symbolize the martyrdom of Saint Philomena.

Madonna delle Grazie

The Sanctuary was built between 1580 and 1600 in honor of Our Lady of Graces. On the main altar stands the wooden statue of Mary Most Holy of Graces, a work by the Neapolitan Giacomo Colombo, dating back to the mid-18th century.