Today, 10 August, is the feast of ...
Laurence, martyr (258): One of the seven deacons who served the Roman
church. Martyred during the Emperor Valerian's reign. Valerian had
Laurence bound upon an iron bed and slowly roasted him to death. According
to the legends, Laurence's face appeared to be surrounded with a beautiful
light, and his body gave off a sweet smell. Having suffered a long time,
he turned to the judge and said with a cheerful smile: "Let my body be
turned, one side is broiled enough." When the execution turned him, he
said: "It is cooked enough, you may eat."
Philomena or Philumena (date unknown): Butler states: "On May 24, 1802, in
the catacomb of St Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova an inscribed loculus
was found, and on the following day it was carefully examined and opened.
The loculus was closed with three tiles, on which was the following
inscription: lumena paxte cum fi ... It is now generally accepted that the
tiles were put in a wrong order ... and that the inscription should read:
pax tecum Filumena. Within the loculus was found the skeleton of a female
between thirteen and fifteen years old ... Embedded in the cement was a
small glass phial with vestiges of what was taken to be blood.
Accordingly, in accordance with the knowledge of the time ... the remains
were taken to be those of the virgin martyr Philomena..."
Carolyn Muessig
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