Sanctuary of Saint Philomena, Catholic sanctuary in Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy.
The Sanctuary of Saint Philomena is a Catholic church in Mugnano del Cardinale, a small town in the province of Avellino in southern Italy, where the relics of the saint are kept. The interior holds a sealed chamber displaying her remains alongside a small glass vial said to contain traces of her blood.
In 1802, a tomb was found in the Roman catacombs with inscriptions pointing to a young martyr named Philomena. A priest named Francesco De Lucia then secured the transfer of the relics from Church leadership and brought them to Mugnano del Cardinale in the early 1800s.
The sanctuary is one of the few places in the world dedicated to Saint Philomena, whose following spread rapidly across Europe during the 19th century. Visitors can still see votive offerings left by worshippers as tokens of gratitude for prayers they believe were answered.
The sanctuary sits in the center of Mugnano del Cardinale and is easy to reach on foot from the town's main streets. Visiting outside the main pilgrimage days gives more space to look at the relics and explore the interior calmly.
The Vatican removed Saint Philomena from the official calendar of saints in 1961, judging the historical evidence for her existence too thin. Despite this, the sanctuary continues to draw worshippers from around the world who come to pray and leave candles at the shrine.
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