THE WONDER WORKER ST. PHILOMENA
Feeling the ravages of world war II in china.american born Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our lady of Sorrows ,Sr.Mary Dulcissima and Sr.Mary Agatha,arrive in California in May 1949.Upon findind new apostolic work in this new west coast mission field,orignally founded by Bishop Raphael Agelo Palazzi to provide missionariesfor china,they recognized that it depended on very life of their little community .For a short time thet served as catechist in then Dioces of Montery Freson,USA but our lord soon made known to the newly arrived sisters the real apostolic ministry to which they were being called.
At that time the Franciscan Fr.Owen de Silva ,OFM was a retreat master,giving retreats for men at St. Francis retreat centre in San Juan Bautista,when he realized the need for a similar retreat house for women,However this would require an order of sisters to look after domestic need of the women but where to find such sisters?
Deciding to invoke the intercession of the Wonder Worker St.Philomena, the Franciscan friars began a novena to this virgin Saint of the catacombs,begging God to somehow work this out and make his known,one day the Franciscan Fathers consultef with HIs Excellency Bishop Aloysius Willinger C.Ss.R of the Monterey Frescon dioces about the matter of establishing anew retreat house tobe solely at the service of women.the bishop thinkingit a fine idea metioned the possibility that sisters who had arrived from china might be interested in this ambitious and much needed project.Travelling to the old missiion in San Miguel ,Fr.Owen wasted notime meeting with the sisteres to present the proposal.Durring the course of discussion Fr. Owen was suprised to learn that the sister too,had been begging St.Philomena to find them a new missionary apostolatewhich would assure their becoming solidly established in the diocese....to be continued
