Saint Philomena

location: north wall, most eastern window
size: 93″ x 41″
damage: possible warping between head and halo, bullet-wound crack on left hand with thin rightward crack, reparations to cracks below feet, bottom tile cracked (between anchor and feet), small open gap on bottom right curve of donor scroll
dedication: 1951. IN MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND Edmund Van Demaele
background: beige-brown tiled floor, hanging red curtain with floral design and golden tassels, and cloudy blue sky behind
frame: partially visible columns supporting an arabesque multi-lobed and ornamented arch
description: young maiden dressed in multi-colored robes (green, pink and various purples) holds a bouquet of white flowers, touches her chest and looks upward peacefully. She wears a crown of flowers and has blue ropes around her waist. On her right is an anchor, and to her left is a large blue vase. Her shoes may be an anachronism.
meaning: only evidence of her story is a nun’s vision to explain the archaeological discovery in an Italian catacomb. Philomena was a Greek princess, who was persecuted for her faith. The anchor and ropes are a symbols of her martyrdom, while the vase may be symbolic of the vile of liquid found in her tomb.