Saint Philip of Jesus is now recognised as the first native saint of Mexico. He appears in the Roman Martyrology while being tortured in Japan. He had the opportunity to belong to the Franciscan monastery. Learn all about his history, miracles, prayers and much more.
Biography and history of Saint Philip of Jesus
San Felipe de Jesús, although he had Mexican nationality, his parents were Spaniards named Alfonso de las Casas and Antonia Martinez. The year 1572 is the reference year for San Felipe’s birth. His family maintained the spirit of religiosity to such an extent that 3 of his 11 siblings devoted themselves entirely to the Christian faith.
The father of San Felipe was a close friend of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. Felipe excelled in his studies, especially in grammar and spelling. St Paul’s College served as a place for Felipe to spend his best years in theological and grammatical studies. He was also a skilled craftsman and silversmith. The craftsmen adopted him as their patron saint.
Felipe was described as a hyperactive and restless young man with roots in his childhood. Even his nurse grew tired of the boy’s antics. He kept a small unripe fruit in his bedroom. The nurse often scolded the child for having this unripe fruit, saying repeatedly, “Oh Philip, this fruit will ripen the day you change your attitude and become a saint. And so it was, the fruit was ripe at the moment of Philip’s death.
San Felipe de Jesús was a young adventurer who, at the age of 21, made his first journey from Mexico to the Philippines. This place was not a religious attraction, but rather a place of exploration and adventure. When he arrived, Philip found the Philippines embroiled in military and civil unrest. Philip later decided to take vows of penance and join the Franciscan Order.
While in the monastery, he baptised himself Philip of Jesus. The saint was recognised for his gifts and willingness to help others, which led to his early vocation. One of the most difficult journeys for St Philip of Jesus was his return to Mexico in 1596, when he was transported by ship and faced such a storm that for a moment he thought he would be shipwrecked.
The ship suffered many mishaps until it happened to reach the port of Japan. St Philip of Jesus and the rest of the friars took the opportunity to evangelise the communities. At first this mission had positive results, but the anger of the governor Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not long in coming and he ordered the persecution of Philip and the rest of the friars. Toyotomi’s guards captured all the monks and paraded them through the streets.
Each of the monks had his right ear cut off. Another group were hanged to represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The purpose of his return to Mexico was to be ordained a priest because there was no bishop in the Philippines. The story of St Philip of Jesus is well remembered for repeating the name of Jesus several times on his deathbed.
The canonisation of St. Philip of Jesus took place on 8 June 1862, while two centuries earlier all the friars who accompanied Philip to his martyrdom had been beatified. The Mexican Church unanimously and unanimously proclaimed Saint Philip of Jesus as the patron saint of the Mexican capital. The citizens called him the protector against earthquakes or strong tremors. On the 5th of February, a large number of faithful gathered in the church to celebrate this martyred saint.
Saint Philip’s Day
The feast of Saint Philip of Jesus falls on 5 February, three days before Candlemas.
The canonisation of Saint Philip of Jesus took place on 8 June 1862, two centuries after the beatification of all the friars who accompanied him to his martyrdom. The Mexican Church unanimously and unanimously proclaimed St. Philip the Apostle as the patron saint of the Mexican capital. The citizens called him the protector against earthquakes or strong tremors. On 5 February, a large crowd of faithful will gather in the church to celebrate this martyred saint.
Mexicans remember with great faith that their martyred patron uttered the name of the Son of God on his deathbed. He was martyred by having two long spears driven through his body when the executioners noticed that the cross did not hasten his death.
He was a very restless boy, always looking for mischief to get noticed. On many occasions he annoyed his nurse. At first he did not follow the rules of the Franciscan convent, so he doubted his Christian faith. He excelled at smelting silver and making objects, but although he enjoyed this activity, his father disapproved of it and decided to send him to the Philippines.
St Philip of Jesus detested solitude. He felt that every moment he was alone he was falling into an abyss. Once again he questioned his Christian faith until a distant voice said to him, “If you truly love my commandments, renounce all your possessions, take up your cross and come to me”.
Although he was martyred on Japanese soil, a small shrine was built in Japan in honour of St. Philip of Jesus and the 16 Franciscan martyrs who were killed by the governor when he was offended by the spread of the Christian faith.
Prayer to St Philip of Jesus
The faithful in Mexico and all over the world invoke a prayer to St Philip of Jesus to obtain the benefits of this great saint. It is only a matter of saying them with great faith and the hope of being heard.
-Saint Philip of Jesus, who was a pioneer among the Mexican saints and was martyred by the Japanese emperor. On this occasion I come to call upon you with unique pride as a part of our religious sanctuary. Teach each of your children that generous spirit which characterised you, even to the point of giving away your possessions to protect the poor. O Saint Philip, grant that all may find their spiritual peace and recognise the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Treasure of the Virgin Mary.
O Philip, may every day of our life be illuminated by the lamp of virtue and duty. In your name I proclaim my true devotion, which means your wonderful name. Have mercy on each of your children, both those born in Mexico and in the rest of the world. Amen.
Prayer to St Philip of Jesus for conversion
All of us, at some point in our lives, have acknowledged that we are sinners. Now, with a prayer to St Philip of Jesus, we can ask for conversion and forgiveness for the sins we have committed.
-O great San Felipe de Las Casas Martínez, the greatest Mexican patron saint, you were an honourable and pious man until the moment of your death. I come kneeling at your feet so that you may be my refuge and my salvation. Look upon me with compassion, blessed San Felipe, for I feel tired in this difficult journey of life, full of sins and repentance that do not allow me to sleep in peace.
I need your help to forgive all my faults and to heal my troubled conscience. I acknowledge that on many occasions I have offended You, as well as God, and especially some of the established precepts of Our Holy Mother the Catholic Church. I ask You, through the mediation of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the courage possessed by the Holy Cross, to mitigate my faults and to live a decent life. Amen.
Powerful prayer to St Philip of Jesus
-O great Patriarch of Mexico and Latin America, Saint Philip, mighty martyr of great heart and Christian devotion. O saint who suffered in the distant Far East at the hands of the Japanese ruler. On this occasion we come to ask you to pray for us.
Your majestic faith was so sincere and pure that it traversed the length and breadth of the world. Holy miracle-working Saint, we acknowledge the intervention of Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Most High, to protect us from all adversity and danger. O Jesus, who so generously gave Yourself on the Cross for the salvation of sinful men, we ask Your blessing through this prayer in honour of this brave martyr who died in Japan.
Watch over us in the face of all storms, heavy rains or endless downpours, as well as earthquakes and violent tremors. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, I ask that our Christian faith may grow ever stronger, so that we may never forget that God is the Creator and Giver of life.
Lord Jesus, at the end of our journey of suffering on the earthly plane, we ask you to take us to the heavenly paradise, where you will share the joys with St Michael the Archangel and his choirs of cherubs. Grant that our death may be the happiest of all, so that we do not suffer from the sharp pains and agonising torments that afflict the heart.
Grant to each one of us the fullest happiness with which You live and reign in the vault of heaven, so that it may be the reward of reverence for the divine laws of Almighty God. We ask you to listen with great attention to this powerful prayer. O Holy Martyr, O Holy Wonderworker, O Holy Mighty One. Amen.
Prayer to St Philip of Jesus for urgent petitions
If you wish to make a prayer for an improbable or difficult cause, you can fully trust in St. Philip of Jesus, knowing that there are other specialists in this field, such as St. Expeditus, who is considered the patron saint of things that are difficult to achieve.
-St Philip, who cried out Jesus, Jesus… at the moment of your departure from this world to meet the Almighty God in heaven. My heart is without consolation and therefore I greet you with sadness. O Holy Wonderful Martyr, on this special day I come to you to make a humble request (the difficult one is made with great faith) so that I may feel some relief in my body and soul.
Without more to say, I long to be heard with great speed for my good. I turn to you and ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, your spouse, St Joseph of Nazareth, and of God Almighty, the Almighty and the Giver of all gifts. If I obtain this favour, I will honour you with a donation and a beautiful altar full of offerings. I hope to follow your example, so that with sacrifice and perseverance I may become a good Christian. Amen.
-Glorious Saint Philip of Jesus, you are a mirror of generosity in your homeland and throughout the world. You had the joy of being the first patron saint of the Aztec country and of knowing the true love of God in the sharing of his eloquent divine word. Give me your unshakeable faith so that I may live my religious sense better. Teach me to work on my faults so that I may polish them and never commit them again. Amen.
Miracles of St. Philip of Jesus
The first miracle in which St. Philip of Jesus was involved depended very much on his childhood mania. He kept a small unripe fruit in his bedroom. The nanny often reproached the child for having this unripe fruit, saying repeatedly: “Oh Philip, this fruit will ripen the day you change your attitude and become a saint”. And so it was, the fruit was ripe at the time of Philip’s death.
Another miracle he experienced on his own was the appearance of a voice that urged him to continue on the path of Christianity. “If you really want to come to me, you must renounce all your possessions, take up your cross and continue on my way. From that moment on, St. Philip of Jesus embraced his religious life without a moment’s hesitation, a life he would never lose until the day he died.
An event that took place after the death of San Felipe de Jesús can also be considered a miracle, since, as a result of his torture, the birds of prey did not feed on his body, but moved away because his sweat emitted something strange that kept the thirsty birds away from the inert body of the friar. According to the laws of nature, all bodies decompose within a few days of death, but San Felipe de Jesús remained intact, like a stuffed animal.
Some of the faithful looked at the bodies in the place of martyrdom. Others dared to take the friars’ belongings, including their clothes and even the crosses on which they had been humiliated. On the 5th of March, a month after their deaths, the bodies were still in the same condition, as if time had never passed for these humble and kind beings.
Novena to Saint Philip of Jesus
The novena or rosary to San Felipe de Jesús consists of a series of nine consecutive prayers to ask for favours or protection. It begins on 28 January and ends on 5 February, the day that corresponds to his feast day.
Opening prayer
Saint Philip of Jesus, a pioneer of Mexican saints, martyred by the Japanese emperor. On this occasion I come to invoke you with singular pride as a part of our religious sanctuary. Teach each of your children that generous spirit which characterised you, even to the point of giving away your possessions to protect the poor. O Saint Philip, grant that all may find their spiritual peace and recognise the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Treasure of the Virgin Mary.
First day
Blessed are you forever, Saint Philip of Jesus, protomartyr of our Mexican citadel. O blessed saint, I offer you this humble rosary to reform my devotion to you. Sweet mirror of generosity, sublime forerunner of truth and justice. You were welcomed with great joy under the protective mantle of the Most High, who rewarded your helpful spirit, always ready to fulfil His commandments.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray to you for the conversion of my sins, for I promise to follow your beneficent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. Amen. In addition to this novena, there are many others which help the devotee to achieve peace and tranquillity, such as the novena to St Clare of Assisi.
Second day
O Mexican Saint Philip, first-born patron of the land of the Aztecs and of Latin America. Today, for the second day, I ask you to empower me with your compassionate virtue so that I may be able to soften my character in concrete situations. Free me from wrong decisions and fill my spirit with temperance, so that I may know what decision to make, so that I may not hurt anyone with what I decide. Fill my mind with your pure wisdom, for now more than ever I need it. Illuminate my path under your holy lantern.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray for the conversion of my sins, for I promise from now on to follow your beneficent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. Amen. Other novenas focus on protecting the speaker from his enemies, such as the novena to St Mark of Leon for dominion.
Third day
-St. Philip, the supreme Mexican martyr, who left all his material goods to follow the plans of Almighty God. Charismatic and eloquent Saint, today I come to you to ask for the protection of my family, for they are the ones I adore most and for whom I would give my life. Watch over them from all the threats that threaten them, from the enemies who want to separate us with slander. Drive away the gossip and slander around them. Nourish my holy home with the virtue of family unity and communion.
O our Saint, O strong Saint, O miraculous Saint, I pray to you for the conversion of my sins, for I promise to follow your benevolent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. No Catholic can ignore the knowledge of the Rosary to the Virgin Mary, as it is one of the most prayed novenas in the world.
Fourth day
-Blessed Saint Philip of Jesus, who, together with your brothers, suffered the greatest of sufferings at the hands of the tyrannical Japanese Toyotomi. In the name of this painful martyrdom, I ask you to make my death as painless as possible. Fill the hearts of my family with much strength so that they may quickly overcome my departure at the hour of death. In the same way, intercede with Almighty God that my journey may be to the heavenly passage and that we may celebrate victory together.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray for the conversion of my sins, for I promise to follow your beneficent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. Many devotees manage to invoke the novena to St Augustine as a means of finding wisdom to face difficult moments with the gift of discernment.
Fifth day
O Saint Philip, who, on your deathbed, cried out the name of the Son of God and is now at the hand of God. In the name of your Son Jesus Christ, I ask you to give me the virtue of altruism, so that I may help the poor, widows, orphans and others who are homeless. Feed them, give them useful advice and guide them to lead a worthy Christian life. Take care of each of these unprotected beings who have no one on earth to look after them.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray to you for the conversion of my sins, for I promise from now on to follow your benevolent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. As a sign of interest, and if you observe that one of these abandoned beings is going through complex situations, it is time to make the novena to San Expedito, which is very effective in any case.
Sixth day
O loving Saint Philip, you who were compassionate and kind to the Franciscan friars and who also took the cross in your right hand as a sign of the oath of eternal love before God, I ask you to bring love into my life. I feel that every moment of loneliness consumes my soul and threatens my days. Make my heart beat for the coming of my soul mate. When love comes to my door, I will not let it slip away.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray to you for the conversion of my sins, because from now on I promise to follow your benevolent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. Another specialist in love cases is the Holy Red Death, who is able to bind that special being that you do not want to let go, or on the contrary, you wish to have back.
Seventh day
O mighty Saint Philip, who in a previous life was a silversmith. I implore you to help me get out of this financial and spiritual rut that is the result of my unemployment and instability. I ask you in the name of God and the Virgin Mary to give me the optimism I need to avoid falling into depression. Grant that I may find a job suited to my needs, since I am the breadwinner of my family. Grant that I may be able to pay off all my outstanding debts so that I may have peace of mind.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I ask you for the conversion of my sins, because I promise to follow your good example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. Faithful devotees have a special counsellor in the Holy Golden Death to help them solve financial and work problems.
Eighth day
O blessed Mexican saint, glorious Saint Philip of Jesus, you are a mirror of generosity in your homeland and throughout the world. You had the joy of being the first patron saint of the Aztec land and of knowing the true love of God in the sharing of His eloquent Divine Word. Give me your unshakeable faith so that I may live my religious sense better. Teach me to work on my faults so that I may polish them and never commit them again. Amen.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I pray to you for the conversion of my sins, for I promise from now on to follow your benevolent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life. A truly special patron, because he deals with many different kinds of cases, is St Benedict of Palermo, the patron saint of hardworking and humble people.
Ninth day
O Saint Philip, the greatest of Mexican emperors. On this ninth day I come before you to thank you. Thank you for making the land of the Aztecs proud with your blessings and protection. Thank you for defending our rights as Christians with great courage. O Mighty One, bless all Mexicans and the rest of Latin America.
O our saint, O strong saint, O miraculous saint, I ask you for the conversion of my sins, because from now on I promise to follow your benevolent example of righteousness and good deeds for the rest of my life.
Film about Saint Philip of Jesus
Due to the importance of the biography of Saint Philip of Jesus for Mexicans, film and television producers decided to make a movie or feature film about his life. Julio Bracho was in charge of the production in 1949, the same year the film was released with great success at the box office.
The first Mexican actor, Ernesto Alonso, played the role of San Felipe de Jesús. The acting baton was shared with another leading lady, Rita Macedo.
Hymn to San Felipe de Jesús
One of the most honourable hymns to San Felipe de Jesús was written by the Bishop of Mérida, Yucatán. Bishop José Palma
Long live Saint Philip, full of courage! Divine youth, angel of love. Like St Philip, I will carry the cross so that I may follow, so that I may follow Christ Jesus. Since your youth you have run, tender Felipillo, to Jesus you will respond with a sincere heart, where truth endures. Great and outstanding missionary of charity.
Long live Saint Philip, full of courage! Divine youth, angel of love. Like St Philip, I will carry the cross so that I may follow, so that I may follow Christ Jesus. You always shine with abundance, you always have joy and youth. You carry only the holy cross in your hand and your life will be an offering for Jesus.
Long live St Philip, full of courage! Divine youth, angel of love. Like St Philip, I will carry the cross so that I may follow, so that I may follow Christ Jesus. Long live St Philip, long live St Philip!
