Themes
Reviewed by
Tiffany Buck
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Genre
Audience
Author’s Worldview
Catholic
Year Published
2023
“My children, Saint Philomena has great power with God, and she has, moreover, a kind heart; let us pray to her with confidence.” Saint John Vianney
Years ago, a dear friend went to Rome and discovered Saint Philomena at a particularly difficult time in her life. It was as if God hand-picked a saint for her. I was fortunate enough to get to know this saint in such an intimate way. Sadly, I couldn’t seem to find a book on her for my daughter until this one came along.
Tucked away in the dark catacombs of Rome, laid the bones of Saint Philomena along with a vial of dried blood. A forgotten and unknown saint, she slept in darkness for more than a thousand years. In 1802, workers discovered her tomb with symbols on it a lily, arrows, an anchor, and a palm, representing an early 4th century Roman virgin martyr. God’s timing is always perfect. He wanted the story of the young⎯ “daughter of light’s” to be told.
Saint Philomena was born to Christian parents of Greek noble blood. She was baptized as an infant and spent many happy years in her homeland before war broke out. Her parents fled to Rome seeking the help of Emperor Diocletian. The emperor agreed as long as Philomena became his wife. Her parents thought this was a fair exchange, but Philomena had already promised her heart to Jesus. Furious over her decision, Diocletian tortured her for forty days before killing her.
In My Name is Philomena, Fr. Peregrine Fletcher writes and illustrates the story of Saint Philomena for children. He uses poetry to tell the story and the audience’s interest, no matter their age. It is the kind of book families will enjoy reading around the table. Adults and older children will appreciate the history as well as the carefully chosen words and expressions. Young children’s ears will delight in the rhyming flow of words.
In addition to being a compelling storyteller, Fr. Fletcher is also a talented illustrator. His drawings reflect the light of Jesus in Saint Philomena. Her faith and trust in God never crumbled, even in the face of torture and death. One tender illustration shows Saint Philomena chained to one side of the pillar during her scourging, on the other side is Jesus comforting her. With each illustration, whether in sweetness or torture, the expression on Saint Philomena’s face is one of trust and total surrender.
Saint’s stories always point to God. Within the pages and illustrations of this book, children read of a saint who willingly accepted her fate as a martyr in order to be with Jesus. Reading this book challenges children to trust God in all things and to have courage.
