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St. Philip Neri Comments

If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of holiness that would Philip Neri. Born in 1515 in Florence, he showed the impulsiveness and spontaneity of his character from the time he was a boy. In fact one incident almost cost him his life. Seeing a donkey loaded with fruit for market, the little boy had barely formed the thought of jumping on the donkey's back before he had done it. The donkey, surprised, lost his footing, ... Continue Reading

1 - 20 of 41 Comments

  1. Liam Keyes
    1 month ago

    Where can I get some prayer cards of St. Philip Neri.

  2. Pat DeVito
    6 months ago

    I have been told that I should say the Novena to St. Philip Neri. I can't find the Novena.

    Can you PLEASE send me the novena?

    PLEASE

    Pat

  3. Christopher Neri
    6 months ago

    This was very helpful, and he is probally my favorite Saint since I am related to him.
    I reccommend using this sight for research for it was very reliable

  4. Diane
    8 months ago

    Disappointed, that the movie I purchased on DVD, did not accurately portray the real Philip Nerri. In the movie he was very poorly dressed and took care of the street children. Those who make movies of saints should study them well and portray them accurately. Other than that, he was such a wonderful example of a Christian.

  5. Marianne Johnpillai
    8 months ago

    I bought a DVD on the life of St Philip Neri and it was so different to what is written in this article. It was an Italian movie, dubbed in English. He was also shown to have died not after a long illness.. but just climbing into his bed and then the next thing, he dies peacefully. Rather confusing when there is such a lot of differences in his actual life and what the movie showed.

  6. fiona rodrigo
    10 months ago

    i 'm from sri lanka we do have a CHURCH IN HIS NAME AND I PERSONALLY DIDN'T KNOW OF HIS GREATNESS.WILL BUILD UP FAITH IN HIM AND LET HIM INSPIRE US .

  7. Mona
    11 months ago

    Dear Saint Philip Neri please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path and for his parents that they find the strenght and wisdom to guide him. Thank you.

  8. RJ
    1 year ago

    St Philip Neri reminds us that life can have it's humorous side and praise God that He does have one!

  9. mlc
    1 year ago

    Thank you for the wonderful article on St. Philip Neri. He has only recently come to my attention ( I am sad to say). Wish I had known him all of my long years. I love his way of approaching people with humor and wisdom. Actually, I know a priest who was born on May 26TH and his parents named him Philip. Into his ninties he never lost his youthful exuberance and good humor and people flocked to his confessions. He was a very saintly humble man. And another priest who is thirty six years old and St. Philip Neri is his favorite saint. They are very much alike. Faith is a beautiful thing and it gives me joy to know that someday we will meet St. Neri and all of the good saints in Heaven.
    St. Neri, please pray for my humility and love!

  10. philip neary
    1 year ago

    i was named after this saint and on reading this article, im proud of it. it sounds like he was great person

  11. Brandon
    1 year ago

    Chose this AWESOME person to be my confirmation Saint! I believe that what he did and what he stood for was amazing!!! Humour is a gift from God, something we often do forget!

  12. Agatha
    1 year ago

    It is indeed surprising to learn of his humility and humor.
    By reading the life of St.Philip Neri I feel called to a life of humility.

  13. Chavez
    1 year ago

    A strong saint. I am proud to always be a member of his named church and school in Albuquerque, New Mexico aka Old Town. Super article.

  14. Sue O'Dougherty
    1 year ago

    I was looking for strength to continue looking for (really even focus enough to look for...) paid employment. So Saint Phillip Neri may help me to use my time well! Would he find humor in this? Is this a joke? The b.a. I got seems useless these 30 years later and the b.a. (bank account) is telling me that a negative number is a real number. I better google this real number thing... see, a life time learner!
    Ah! Be cheerful -- it is stronger;it is of God. Let's fake it till we make it ...to heaven.

  15. Eumoh
    1 year ago


    What a great inspiration reading about Phillip Neri for the first time. Humility is the 'Key Word'. I pray Saint Phillip will pray for us and may Christ have mercy on us to be able to be humble in our daily endeavors.

  16. Eric
    1 year ago

    Like Mariana, I too share my birthday on this fascinating saint's feast day. St. Philip Neri has taught me to consider the virtue of humility as something to be sought through creative means. Also, like Mariana, he encourages doing things differently and then studying the reactions and outcome and then praying about this. This seems to be almost a scientific approach to spirituality by testing theories and allowing God to then guide us by the results. God shows us through St. Philip Neri that even humor has a place in His infinite store of treasures. God bless you.

  17. pam
    1 year ago

    this is very inspiring the way people accepted a persons faith in the previous generations as so much to say that are the words of the bible being over looked in order to predict the end of the world as we know it or rather as the generations before us knew it imagine if Phillip Neri lived today and acted the way he did in his life time truly the court department of community services doctors lawyers family friends that we all see in church would have him locked up in a mental hospital. I believe in god and the catholic faith and thank god for the bible and saints the world killed Jesus and have also put a stumbling block in front of so many people that would have done so much good in this world and allow so many wicked people free access to destroy so many lives.

  18. Catherine
    1 year ago

    What a truly wonderful article! You hear of so many who did physical mortification with hair shirts etc, and at last there is a saint who did not do it and yet he was still able to serve God completely in humility. His sense of humour was also so very refreshing. I have a new-found love and respect for this saint of whom i knew very little about.

  19. Rehana Mwalimu
    1 year ago

    One of the most famous members of the Oratorian order, Cardinal Newman, wrote[4] of Neri nearly three hundred years after his death, "he contemplated as the idea of his mission, not the propagation of the faith, nor the exposition of doctrine, nor the catechetical schools; whatever was exact and systematic pleased him not; he put from him monastic rule and authoritative speech, as David refused the armor of his king.... He came to the Eternal City and he sat himself down there, and his home and his family gradually grew up around him, by the spontaneous accession of materials from without. He did not so much seek his own as draw them to him. He sat in his small room, and they in their gay, worldly dresses, the rich and the wellborn, as well as the simple and the illiterate, crowded into it. In the mid-heats of summer, in the frosts of winter still was he in that low and narrow cell at San Girolamo, reading the hearts of those who came to him, and curing their souls' maladies by the very touch of his hand.... And they who came remained gazing and listening till, at length, first one and then another threw off their bravery, and took his poor cassock and girdle instead; or, if they kept it, it was to put haircloth under it, or to take on them a rule of life, while to the world they looked as before."

    May the Lord be praised forever for sending us such an amazing, Super Saint!

  20. christie
    1 year ago

    This is the first time I've read about St. Philip Neri, and I'am aged 65. I've begun to see how much there is to the beauty and mystery of God and His people. Reading the internet about our heroic saints has helped me in my faith journey. To find out how this brilliant, beloved saint defended his detractors makes me think of myself. I've to be more considerate and thoughtful in my speech, before judging others, whom I perceive as "not liking" me or "talking behind my back".
    It is interesting to observe St. Philip's humour. I think I'm OK here, because, I love humour which makes life more lively, cheerful and fun.
    I'm impressed with St. Philip's holiness. I wish him to pray for us to be holy as this is what God wants from us.


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