The National Center of the
Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena
for the United States
Located at:
Holy Martyrs Catholic Church
120 Allison Road, Oreland, Pennsylvania 19075
215-884-8575  Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez Announces The Suspension Of All Public Masses In The Archdiocese Of Philadelphia Effective At Noon March 18, 2020The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez has suspended all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia effective at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th and until further notice. Last week, the Archbishop dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. Both decisions were made in response to the growing concern over the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the directives provided by government and health department officials at the local, state, and national levels. These measures will be re-evaluated pending future developments. Archbishop Pérez said, “As the Archbishop of Philadelphia, my first priority is to ensure the health and welfare of those entrusted to the pastoral and temporal care of our Church. So, in light of the developing Coronavirus pandemic, a decision has been made to suspend the public celebration of all Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the time being. All of us need to do our part to slow the spread of this illness. Like you, we are monitoring coronavirus developments and look forward to continuing our lives on a more normal basis. While things may look and feel different during these uncertain times, I want to be very clear that the Catholic Church in Philadelphia is not closing down. It is not disappearing and it will not abandon you. Time and again as our history has proven the Church has risen to meet great challenges and provide a beacon of hope and light. As your Shepherd, I promise that the Church remains steadfast and is prepared to walk with you and serve you. Neither the Church nor its charitable works will stop. God is always by our side. He never abandons us. I invite you to join me in prayerful solidarity for the intentions of the sick, suffering, and their caregivers as well as government and health officials. With God’s grace and blessing, we will navigate the difficult waters of this challenge as a united human family, for after all is said and done, we are people of Hope!” Though public Masses are suspended in all churches in the Archdiocese, the right and need of the faithful to hear the Word of God and celebrate the Sacraments is not put aside. Pastors, along with all those who work with them, will be as attentive as possible to all the spiritual, pastoral, and charitable needs of the people they serve. Priests will continue to offer the sacrifice of the Holy Mass during this period and to honor all requested Mass intentions. Churches can remain open as a location for private prayer at the discretion of the pastor. Baptisms, Confessions, Marriages, and Funerals will take place as usual but with due regard for the limitation of participants and reasonable social distancing. During these days the Parish Office may be open on a very limited basis. When possible, make every effort to conduct parish business through email or a telephone call. If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the parish office. In conjunction with directives already in force in hospitals and institutions, all visits to the sick with Holy Communion, including in private homes, by priests, deacons, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are suspended. In such instances, only priests will be available to celebrate the Sacraments for those in immediate danger of death. In all circumstances, government and health agency directives for group size and social distancing are to be observed as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia strives to meet the pastoral and temporal needs of all those in need. On Sunday, March 15th, the Archdiocese featured a live streaming broadcast of the 11:00 a.m. Mass on its website and Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page for the benefit of those wishing to participate in the liturgy remotely. This broadcast will continue each Sunday on an ongoing basis. Additional information regarding opportunities for prayer and devotions are available on the Archdiocesan website. www.archphila.org * * * * * * * * Mass will be broadcast on TV or online via one of the following: Channel 6, WPVI TV – ABC Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Warminster PA National Catholic Broadcasting Channel EWTN – Daily Mass at 8 AM The Feast of the Birth of St. Philomena 2020 Friday, January 10, 2020 Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, Oreland, Pa National Center of the Universal Archconfraternity of St. Philomena Mass at 8:30 am followed by Devotions and Veneration of her Relic. Reception to follow in the Hospitality Room on the lower level. All are welcome! Saint Philomena, Powerful with God, Pray for us!  Exposition of Sacred Relics Pray in the presence of over 150 Sacred Relics on the Solemnity of All Saints And All Souls Day, November 2nd The relics will remain on display following Mass at 8:30 am until 10:30 am  Included in the exposition is a relic of the True Cross of our Lord, relics from Mount Calvary and the Birthplace of the Lord, the Cloak of St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Anthony of Padua, St. John of the Cross, St. John Neumann, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Damian of Molokai, Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin, St. Therese, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God Fr. Walter Ciszek, and many others. ✠ ✠ ✠ Holy Martyrs Catholic Church Coffee and light snacks will be served in the Father Szal Conference Room You are invited to bring a church or school group, please call to if you would like to arrange for a presentation. Next Stop --- The Shrine of the Miraculous Medal  Resurrexit Sicut Dixit, Alleluia!  Easter 2019 From the Rector of the Sanctuary Dear devotees of Saint Philomena and the beloved Family of St. Philomena in the world, It is the Easter Joy of Our Lord and I feel the duty to express to you my feeling and my gratitude. Almost 36 years have passed since I made my first entry into the House of St. Philomena as Custodian of her Sacred Relics. In all these years we journey and walked together, we shared the wonderful adventure of the faith to our Lord and the great challenge of promoting the devotion of St. Philomena in the world. We experienced the consolation of the Divine Providence of God who has never failed His support for the Sanctuary through the generosity of the devotees who are committed in making the Sanctuary live in the full tradition of history and profound spirituality. I am impressed by the disastrous event that hit the city of Paris and the whole France, the fire of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris. We pray to St. Philomena so that as soon as possible this Cathedral which is a symbol of Catholic in France and in all Europe soon can return to its old glory. I felt your affection and your closeness in the period of my rehabilitation after the heart surgery that I underwent, when I had a moment of difficulties. My thoughts goes to the devotees who with their frequent visit make the spirituality of the Sanctuary refresh and to the pilgrimages who come from afar gratify the Sanctuary with so many beautiful figures of men and women who make their devotion to St. Philomena in family and in their professional life a sign of thanksgiving. The most gratifying consolation for me coming from my close collaborators , from the member of the Universal Archconfraternity of St. Philomena and from the Feast Committee of Our Lady of Grace, St. Philomena and St. Anthony who coordinate the various activities of the Sanctuary in our community. Special thanks to the Director of the Universal Archconfraternity, Mrs. Marie Burns for her effective collaboration and to the Sisters of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Mother of the Church Institute, Sr. Marichu. D.M. and Sr. Paz, D.M. and Giuseppe, secretary for the French language. We are aware of our limitation but together with you we are sure that we can now move forward in the work of promoting the devotion of St. Philomena trusting in her powerful strength and intercession so help us God of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the maternal care of our Blessed Virgin Mary. Dear Devotees, I wish you a Holy Easter and I remind you all with My Blessings of Saint Philomena. The Rector, Don Giovanni Braschi US National Center Office  HOLY WEEK 2019 at the US National Center Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 pm Adoration at the Repository until 10pm Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion 3:00 pm Holy Saturday Blessing of Easter Food 12:00 Noon in the Church Easter Vigil 7:00 pm Easter Sunday Masses 8:00 & 10:30 am 20 + C+M+B + 19
 "In the silence of the night a voice rings out." In the silence of the night a voice echoed across the fields near Bethlehem, linking the glory of God in heaven with the peace of men on earth. The same voice later spread out from the countryside around Bethlehem to more and more places throughout the world, and today it echoes in the silence of Christmas night in every continent of the world. The same voice has rung out for thousands of years And in a special way this Christmas voice, the voice of the CHRIST MASS , rings out in this place to which Christians come, like the Bethlehem shepherds long ago, to gather around the crib. They come to this place that so clearly reminds us of the shelter in which God came into the world because he could not find a proper roof. "In the silence of the night a voice rings out, 'Rise up, shepherds, God is being born.'" . . . "Run with all speed to Bethlehem." On December 24, 1969, these words began the Christmas Homily of a young priest, Father Karol Wojtyla, now Blessed Pope John Paul II Today, in an age when too often — like at that first Christmas — God is denied a place on earth --- we recall His coming among us — and we celebrate the dawn of our salvation. As We have found our way, once again, by way of various paths to the FEAST of Christmas.   The Celebration of the Birthday of Saint Philomena at the National Center of the Archconfraternity Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, Oreland, Pennsylvania Thursday, January 10, 2019 Mass at 8:30 am followed by Devotions A reception will be held in the Father Szal Conference Room The Feast of Saint Philomena
Saturday, August 11, 2018 at the National Center of the Universal Archconfraternity of St. Philomena Holy Martyrs Catholic Church 120 Allison Rd., Oreland, Pa. Mass at 8:30 am followed by Novena Prayers and Veneration of the Relic of St. Philomena. The Rosary is prayed daily at 8:00 am A Reception will follow in the Father Szal Conference Room. Saint Philomena Sacramentals will be available. For more information contact the Parish Office - 215-884-8575  Easter Message from Monsignor Giovanni Braschi 2018
 Statue of Saint Philomena at Holy Martyrs Catholic Church
Donated to the National Center of the Archconfraternity
by a devotee from New York
 Contact us at:
or call 215-884-8575
Message from Monsignor Giovanni Braschi on the Birthday Feast of Saint Philomena
Dear Devotees, I give thanks and praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ that I can once again welcome a new year. What a beautiful way to do this with the celebration of the birthday of Saint Philomena. Because of the revelations of Sister Maria Luisa di Gesu, a simple holy nun, we celebrate Saint Philomena's birth on this day. Under the guidance of the sister's spiritual director, she wrote of the visions of Saint Philomena she had received, and it was revealed that the birthday of Saint Philomena was January 10th, as we read below: On 21 December 1833, the Holy Office declared that there was nothing contrary to the Catholic faith in the revelations that Sister Maria Luisa di Ges (1799-1875), a Dominican tertiary from Naples, claimed to have received from the Saint herself. "My dear sister, I am the daughter of a Grecian King and my mother was of royal blood too. However they did not have children therefore they prayed much and offered gifts to their false gods. There lived with our family a Roman doctor, whose name was Publius, who is now Saint in Heaven, though not a martyr. Touched by their desperation and grieved by the infertility of my poor mother, inspired by the Holy Ghost, he spoke to them of our Faith, and assured them that they would have children if they received holy Baptism. His words were followed by the grace of God which enlightened their minds, and melted their hearts. They embraced Christianity and soon after, my mother gave birth to me on the 10th of January. I was named Lumena, because conceived and born in the Light of Faith, to which my parents had become greatly devoted. At my Baptism I was named Philomena, which means daughter of light, which describes the grace which enlightened my soul. Grace was also showered on those who wrote my book in Mugnano -also my sepulchral monument - they were not aware that in reality they were guided by God's Grace which inspired their minds like the ones who originally wrote on my tomb in Rome." -Words of Saint Philomena to Mother Luisa di Gesu (August 1833) It is not important if you chose to believe these visions of this holy servant of God or not, because this is the day we give thanks for the birth of Saint Philomena and her existence in our life and in the world. It is a wonderful start to our year and is quickly followed by the feast of the Patronage of Saint Philomena during which we have our very special blessing of the oil of Saint Philomena. This annually takes place the Sunday following the January 10th. Let us begin our year celebrating that we have Saint Philomena, who is Powerful with God, in our life and we know with this simple fact that we can conquer anything! Her Sacred Body is kept here in her Sanctuary in this small northern Italian town of Mugnano del Cardinale, where the church of our Lady of Grace was waiting to welcome her. Having Saint Philomena in our life guides us on a straight route to Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord Jesus Christ. January 10th, we commemorate the Birth of our dearest Patroness, Saint Philomena, Virgin, Martyr and Wonderworker. 07:30 Mass at the Altar of the Sacred Body of Saint Philomena17:00 Mass at High Altar before the external procession After Mass the external celebration for St. Philomena begins. In a tradition more than fifty years old, the people of Mugnano de Cardinale cut a tree from the mountain behind the Sanctuary. A parade of locals drives to the Sanctuary with sections of the very large tree attached to their various vehicles - from farm tractors to utility vans to trucks. Some even drag their allotted portion of the huge tree with teams pulling with ropes. The crowd cheers them on as they turn the corner with their gift in honor of their beloved Saint. All the while fire crackers and other noisy booms are heard to acknowledge the day she first arrived in Mugnano del Cardinale over 200 years ago. On that day she was greeted with the sounds of church bells and large cannons. The city made as much noise as they could in their excitement, gratitude and pride of being the home of this great Saint. Surely their celebration awoke such love in St. Philomena's heart that she wanted to shower them with graces from God. And she has. Saint Philomena, Pray for us! Sending you a blessing from the altar of the Sacred Body of Saint Philomena, Msgr. Giovanni Braschi Rector of the Sanctuary Custodian of the Sacred Body President of the Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena Christmas Message from Monsignor Giovanni Braschi, Rector of the Shrine of St. Philomena, Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy
Dear devotees of Saint Philomena, In this Christmas season, we prepare with joy for the coming Jésus Christ our Saviour. In many realities today, this is not place for Christ, as like as it happened at the time of His birth. Many people think Christmas is the kingdom of children, a fantasy, forgetting that the Holy Christmas is the memorial of our salvation: "Christ, the son of God, become man to save men". Pope Francis reflected on this and he said: "Christmas is the celebration of the presence of God who He came between us to save us". "The birth of Jesus is not a fable! This is the history of a real historical event, happened in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. The faith allow us to recognize in Christ Child, through the Virgin Mary, the true Son of God, became man for our love". This is our God who approach us "Through Christ Child, we contemplate the face of God, which doesn't show itself us through the force or the power, but through the weakness and the fragility of a newborn. This child shows the trust and the tenderness of the boundless love, the love with which God loves us all". During this Holy season we go to the cave to venerate this newborn, together the shepherds and the Three Kings. The Advent preparation, our prayer and our penance, doesn't make us reach empty hands in front of Christ Child. We offer to the newborn King our virtues and our life.The Philomenian Family in the world, united for the Holy Christmas, trasform itself in messenger of peace for the powerful intercession of Christ Child, of Mary Mother of God and Saint Joseph. May the Peace of Christ be always in your hearts and in your houses, may you can be united in the faith and in the love with the family and the friends, continue helping especially those who are most in need and the blessing that He promised can be part of your life forever. In prayer union I bless you from the Sacred Altair of Saint Philomena. Mons. Giovanni Braschi   Statue of Saint Philomena
in the Office of the National Director of the Archconfraternity
gift of a devotee
Click on the picture for more information about the statue and the artist
To obtain the Blessed Oil , the Chaplet, and the Cord of St. Philomena
as well as other sacramentals
click the Religious Goods Tab at the top of this page
For more information contact the Parish Office -215-884-8575
 Pilgrims visiting from Washington State.
MASS INTENTIONS
may be scheduled at Holy Martyrs Roman Catholic Church
please contact the Church Office at 215-884-8575
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 The Statue of Saint Philomena at Holy Martyrs Church,the National Center of the Archconfraternity,
with the Second Class relic from her Shrine in Mugnano del Cardinale.
 Statue of St. Philomena and Blessed Francis X. Seelos in the Church.
Blessed Francis Seelos worked at St. Philomena Church in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
with Saint John N. Neumann, Fourth Bishop of Philadelphia.
 First Class Relic of Saint Philomena at the National Center of the Universal Archconfraternity
Watch Sunday Night Prime on EWTN with Father Andrew Apostoli and Father Jason Kulczynski
The Saints Choose Us Click on the picture above to watch Sunday Night Prime on EWTN with Father Andrew Apostoli and Father Jason Kulczynski, U.S. National Director of the Archconfraternity of St. Philomena, discussing Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and St. Philomena.  Original illustration by Matthew Alderman commissioned for the U.S. National Center of the
Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena.
Click on the image above for more information on the print and the artist
  Representatives of the Universal Archconfraternity of St. Philomena USA at the
East Coast Catholic Family Conference in Trenton, New Jersey sponsored by WFJS Radio and Domestic Church Media   Donations support the Shrine of Saint Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale, Avellino Italy and the efforts of the Archconfraternity in the United States.
 Statue of Saint Philomena at the former location of the
U. S. National Center of the Universal Archconfraternity “My children, St. Philomena has great power with God. Her virginity and generosity in embracing heroic martydom has rendered her so agreeable to God that He will never refuse anything that she asks for us.” -St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars U.S. National Center of the Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena
Holy Martyrs Catholic Church
120 Allison Road
Oreland, PA 19075
215-884-8575
email: philomenausa@gmail.com
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