St. Philomena, whose name means 'daughter of light,' was the daughter of a Greek royal family. When her parents sought peace with the Roman Empire, the Emperor Diocletian was struck by the young saint's beauty and insisted on marrying her. 

Bound by her vow to Christ, Philomena rejected the Emperor’s offer. Neither promises of power nor the infliction of brutal torture could shake her resolve. She ultimately gave her life for the Faith, her relics remaining hidden in the catacombs until their glorious revelation to the world in the 19th century.