Daughter of Light

Riveting, fictional account inspired by the life of Saint Philomena.

Saint Philomena was the daughter of a king in Greece. Her parents converted to Christianity because of the influence of their Roman physician named Publius. Publius promised the king and queen that if they turned away from their pagan gods, they would conceive the child they had so long desired. Just as promised, the king and queen conceived a daughter whom they named Philomena, which means friend or daughter of light. Philomena grew into a virtuous and beautiful princess.

When the Emperor Diocletian threatened to make war on their small kingdom, they went to Rome to ask for peace. The Emperor "fell in love" with the young Philomena and demanded that she be his wife. When she refused, he subjected her to a series of torments: scourging, drowning with an anchor, and being shot with arrows.

Eventually the emperor had her decapitated. Legend tells that her decapitation occurred on a Friday at three o'clock in the afternoon, as with the death of Jesus.