Editing Philomena (section)

==Discovery of her remains==
On May 24, 1802, in the [[Catacombs of Rome#Catacombs of Priscilla|Catacombs of Priscilla]] on the Via Salaria Nova, an inscribed ''[[loculus (architecture)|loculus]]'' (a space hollowed out of the rock) was found, and on the following day it was carefully examined and opened. The ''loculus'' was closed with three [[terracotta]] tiles on which was the following inscription: ''lumena paxte cumfi''. It was and is generally accepted that the tiles had not been positioned in the sequence of the words and that the inscription originally read, with the leftmost tile placed on the right: ''pax tecum Filumena'' ("Peace with you, Philomena"). The skeleton of a female between thirteen and fifteen years old was found within the ''loculus''. Embedded in the cement was a small glass vial with vestiges of what was taken to be blood. By the assumptions of the time, the remains were taken to be those of a virgin martyr named Philomena.<ref>''[[Butler's Lives of the Saints]]'', edition quoted in [http://www.le.ac.uk/users/grj1/ssmain.html ''Saints at a Glance'' by Dr G.R.Jones], [[University of Leicester]] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606141913/http://www.le.ac.uk/users/grj1/ssmain.html |date=2011-06-06 }}</ref>

The belief that such vials were signs of the grave of a martyr was rejected by the investigations of [[Giovanni Battista De Rossi]] (1822–1894),<ref name=CathEnc>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12025b.htm Kirsch, Johann Peter. "St. Philomena." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 29 Apr. 2013]</ref> but more recently, this original view has found advocates, such as theologian [[Mark Miravalle]].

In 1805, [[Canon regular|Canon]] Francesco De Lucia of [[Mugnano del Cardinale]] requested relics for his oratory and, on 8 June, obtained the remains discovered in May 1802 (then reduced to dust and fragments).<ref>"corpus … in pulverem et in fragmina redactum", as described in the document with which the remains where handed over (quoted in [http://www.philomena.us/Present%20Ecclesial%20Status-St.%20Philomena%20Nov%204.htm Present Ecclesial Status of Devotion to St. Philomena] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050425144752/http://www.philomena.us/Present%20Ecclesial%20Status-St.%20Philomena%20Nov%204.htm |date=2005-04-25 }})</ref> The relics arrived in Mugnano on August 10, and were placed in the Church of Our Lady of Grace.<ref name=EncSanti>[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/65825 Enciclopedia dei Santi: Santa Filomena di Roma]</ref> A new Church of Our Lady of Grace was built, containing a chapel to which the sacred relics were moved on 29 September 1805.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.philomena.us/saint-2/history-saint-philomena/discovery-translation-shrine/ |title="Discovery and Translation to the Shrine", Sanctuary of Saint Philomena |access-date=2014-03-07 |archive-date=2016-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402003926/http://www.philomena.us/saint-2/history-saint-philomena/discovery-translation-shrine/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1827, [[Pope Leo XII]] gave the church in Mugnano del Cardinale the three inscribed terracotta slabs taken from the tomb.<ref name=CathEnc/>