St. Dymphna
Who is St. Dymphna?
What is the legend associated with St. Dymphna?
What is St. Dymphna the patron saint of?
St. Dymphna (born 7th century?, Irelandâdied, Geel, Belgium; feast day May 15) was an Irish virgin martyr who is venerated as the patron saint of people with mental disorders and epilepsy and victims of incest. Most accounts say she lived in the 7th century, but some propose that she lived in the 5th or 6th century or as late as the 9th. Devotion to St. Dymphna spurred a unique community-centered approach to treating people with mental health conditions in Geel, the Belgian town where she was martyred. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, reverence for Dymphna grew with greater awareness of issues concerning mental health and sexual abuse.
Life and martyrdom
The account of Dymphnaâs life is based almost entirely on folklore, as little of her history is recorded. The earliest hagiography is from the 13th century, written by a church canon who noted that his account was taken from oral tradition. Popular legend describes her as the daughter of a pagan father who was a Celtic chieftain and a Christian mother who died when Dymphna was young. As she grew up she developed a remarkable resemblance to her mother, and at some point she was secretly baptized as a Christian. Meanwhile, her father was grief-stricken over the death of his wifeâby some accounts, to the point of madnessâand sought to remarry. He was advised by his counselors to marry his daughter because of her resemblance to his dead wife and because no other suitable replacement could be found. When the chieftain proposed to his daughter, she fled his incestuous desires with her priest and confessor, Gerebernus, and some companions to Antwerp (in what is now Belgium). They later settled some 25 miles (40 km) east in Geel (Gheel), where they built a habitation near a chapel dedicated to St. Martin of Tours and lived as hermits.
Enraged by his daughterâs flight, Dymphnaâs father pursued her and found her in Geel. When she and Gerebernus refused to return with him to Ireland, he ordered his attendants to execute the priest, which they did by beheading him. The chieftain then beheaded his daughter. She was 15 years old.
The date of her martyrdom is given as May 15 (her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church), but some religious texts note it as May 30.
Miracles and patronage
After their deaths, the bodies of Dymphna and Gerebernus were placed in a cave, until they were discovered in the 13th century and interred at their current site in the church devoted to Dymphna in Geel. It is said that when their remains were discovered numerous people with epilepsy or mental illness (which at the time were believed to be caused by demonic possession) were cured of their conditions. Another story claims that several people suffering from insanity were healed by sleeping on the same spot where she had been killed.
On account of these miraculous healings (and possibly because of her fatherâs presumed madness), Dymphna was popularly claimed as the patron saint of people with epilepsy and mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders. She is also called upon for protection by runaways, incest victims, and sexual and domestic abuse victims.
Veneration and pilgrimages
Dymphna is an Anglicized variant of the Irish name Damhnait. There is some debate over whether St. Dymphna is the same person as the Irish saint Damhnait of Tydavnet (Irish: Tigh Damhnait, meaning âHouse of Damhnaitâ), a village in County Monaghan. Popular belief says that they were the same person, compelling Tydavnet and Geel to be designated as twin towns in 1992. However, many religious scholars think that they were two entirely different holy women.
In Geel, construction of a church dedicated to Dymphna began in 1349. The church houses a wooden reliquary containing human bones that are believed to be her remains and those of Gerebernus (who is also recognized as a saint). The churchâs oak altarpiece features painted scenes of Dymphnaâs life. In art, she is often depicted with a sword in her hand and a small demon under her feet.
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Geel became a place of pilgrimage for those seeking to be healed from various illnesses and health conditions, and the town developed a tradition of caring for people with epilepsy and mental disorders. Originally, sick pilgrims were housed in the church. By the 17th century an attachment to the church was built with sick rooms for pilgrims. When these proved insufficient over time because of overcrowding, the townâs residents began providing shelter to patients in their homes. This practice continued into the 21st century and drew the interest of many psychologists and psychiatrists as a more-humane alternative to placing people with mental health issues in institutions.
Devotion to Dymphna has not only persisted but grown well beyond Belgium and Ireland, likely because of increased awareness of mental health issues and advocacy for abuse survivors. Along with annual feast day celebrations in Geel, a procession in her honor is held there every five years. The festivities include a theatrical event during which selected townspeople act out her life and martyrdom.
