What is the Cord of St. Philomena?
The Cord of St. Philomena is an approved sacramental – meaning it is a sacred sign established by the Church to help prepare one to receive grace, to incite good thoughts and increase devotion and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin (like a rosary, scapular, crucifix, and holy water). Each sacramental conveys particular blessings.
The Cord of St. Philomena offers the particular blessing of purity of heart.
The Cord is made with red and white cotton threads and is to be worn around the waist under clothing.
History
The pious practice of wearing the Cord born spontaneously among the Saint’s devotees, and first distributed by the saintly Curé of Ars, himself, was approved by the Congregation of Rites on September 15, 1883. Later, on April 4, 1884, Pope Leo XIII enriched it with indulgences. In the early Church, virgins wore a cincture or cord as a sign and emblem of purity. That is why the Cord has always been considered a symbol of chastity as well as mortification and humility. The wearing of a cord or cincture in honor of a saint is of very ancient origin, and we find the first mention of it in the life of St. Monica. In the Middle Ages cinctures were also worn by the faithful in honor of saints, though no confraternities were formally established, and the wearing of a cincture in honor of St. Michael was widespread throughout France. Later, ecclesiastical authority set apart special formulae for the blessing of cinctures in honor of the Most Precious Blood, Our Lady, St. Francis of Paola, and St. Philomena. This extraordinary privilege of a cord is shared with the still other saints, such as, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Joseph.
Benefits
Many records tell of the favor granted to those who wear the Cord. We read of striking cures; for instance, when wound about diseased limbs, the Cord has driven out the pain and healed them. There is also the story of the child who fell into a pool of water but was preserved because of the Cord of St. Philomena around his waist. The Cord itself remained perfectly dry. Pope Leo XIII, by a rescript dated March 14, 1893, granted 100 days indulgence to the faithful who wear the Cord of St. Philomena and recite the prescribed prayer with devotion and contrition.
St. Philomena is the patron saint of:
~ Infants, children, students, youth ~
~ Those trying to conceive ~
~ Desperate or forgotten causes ~
~ Prisoners ~
~ Priests ~
Commitment
To wear the Cord of St. Philomena is to desire to unite oneself more closely with the Saint, appealing to her intercession for virtue, particularly the virtues she exemplified so well in her short life – purity, courage and fidelity. The Cord should be worn permanently and continually, accompanied by the prescribed daily prayer. As with all sacramentals, it is not a good luck charm, but a help to receive grace. Children, however young, may receive the Cord.
Information sourced from Santuario di Santa Filomena in Italy
The Cord
Our thin double red and white cotton cord has 13 knots – one for each year of her earthly life – just like the Chaplet of St. Philomena has 13 beads which represent the 13 years that she lived on earth before her martyrdom. There are also two knots on the ends representing her virginity and her martyrdom. Each cord is approximately 36” in length.
How to Begin
No ceremony is required in conferring St. Philomena’s Cord, but it should be blessed beforehand and passed or sent by one person to another. To begin receiving the graces that come from St. Philomena’s Cord, three simple things are required: (1) it should be blessed (2) you wear it (3) say the prayer daily. The cord we will send to you will already be blessed. When giving it to someone, be sure they understand the commitment involved. As with all sacramentals, it is not a good luck charm, but a help to receive grace. When worn out, the new Cord also must be blessed. Children, however young, may receive the Cord. Every priest has the faculty to bless the Cord of St. Philomena according to the formula in the Roman Ritual.
For these reasons, we offer the blessed handmade Cord and it should be requested one at a time.
Each cord is approximately 36” in length. It should be tied around the waist to fit comfortably, and excess cord can be wrapped around and tucked as needed. The blessed Cord comes with a trifold brochure which includes information about the Cord and the prayer.
The Cord’s obligations are two–fold: (1) wearing the Cord – which does not need to be taken off and on – but only replaced when needed after years of use; and (2) praying the prescribed prayer daily.
To encourage devotion to St. Philomena and encourage individuals to grow in virtue with the help of her intercession, we offer the blessed Cord free of charge. While these blessed Cords are not available for purchase, it would be helpful for the continuation of this aspect of our apostolate if those requesting a blessed Cord can donate to assist with the costs of producing and shipping the blessed Cords.
The suggested donation for one blessed Cord is Twelve Dollars ($12), but you may donate any amount by choosing “Custom Amount.”
If you would like to receive a St. Philomena Cord but are unable to make a monetary donation, please contact us and we will review the requests on a case-by-case basis. Please understand that this aspect of the apostolate may be discontinued at any time.