FOR MY BIRTHDAY, I'D LOVE...

...were you to consider purchasing and making known, Wonder Worker, British author, Cecily Hallack's biography of St Philomena and magnum opus. Newly edited and forwarded by Dr Keith Berube. 

I'm enraptured in particular by how devotion to Philomena spread in France. Philomena's first major disciple was Pauline Jaricot, a native of Lyon. She was born into wealth, her father had a silk factory and she was a socialite in her youth. 

Pauline had grave health problems before she went on a pilgrimage to Mugnano, venerated Philomena's relics and then enjoyed a miraculous healing. Before she'd been laid low with a life-threatening heart condition, merciless palpitations, dire exhaustion and extreme trouble breathing. 

Pauline was beatified in 2022, and her heart examined by pathologists to determine the veracity of the miracle she received through the intercession of Philomena and it was concluded that her heart was free of the defects that had plagued her before she prayed at the throne of the Greek Princess. 

Just after Pauline got her health back, in 1835, when she was 36, she was given a relic of St Philomena, fragments of her humerus bone, the upper arm which in Philomena's life was covered by her long dark hair. Pauline gave some of this relic to the Curé of Ars, Fr. John Vianney, who lived 20 miles from her, in the town encircled by many lakes. 

This gaunt French priest was much given to extreme mortification, with the exception that when he staggered from exhaustion he had to be revived with red wine. He became known for the miracles he worked and which were worked through his devotion to Philomena and he was known to say, "Go to Philomena; whoever you ask of her, she will obtain for you." Shortly after he built a chapel for Philomena and soon the walls were lined with the crutches. 

Cecily Hallack defined their relationship as such, "The Cure of Ars never knew close friendship with any woman. God had chosen for him a companion no longer of this world, a little maid of olden days, who was to be at once his lady, betrothed, sister and daughter - all in one! Speaking to her as a father, he may easily press her with his entreaties."

As I wrote before, Fr. Vianney tried to micromanage Philomena and demanded a tad rudely that she perform her miracles when the sick returned home. Philomena went on near total strike. This put Fr. Vianney in his place and he spoke out loud from his pulpit, "Great Saint, if you do not work miracles, you will lost your reputation!" Philomena was listening; at that exact moment, someone in the church who had been struggling with disease, knew a miraculous cure. 

Others caught the love of Philomena bug from Fr. Vianney. A young man who hailed from Sempigny, Northern France was very rich. He made two vows, first he vowed his virginity to Philomena and he vowed to build a chapel in her honor. When the chapel was complete, the walls were soon decorated with ex-voto offerings from the grateful faithful who had known Philomena's help. 

Today, I turn 42, and I'm very much at peace and joyful. I live a simple, modest life but have everything I need and good friends near and far. 

Wonder Worker is available at the Spirit Daily bookstore.