Saint Dymphna: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
no edit summary
(Created page with "{{Saints |SaintName= Saint Dymphna |SaintStage= Saint |SaintBirthDate= Unknown (c. 7th century AD) |SaintBirthPlace= Ireland |SaintBirthCoordinates= |SaintDeathDate= c. 620 AD |DeathPlace= Gheel, Brabant, Frankish Kingdom (now Belgium) |SaintDeathCoordinates= 51.1650° N, 4.9920° E |SaintCauseOfDeath= Martyrdom (beheading) |NotableAddress1= Shrine of St. Dymphna, Gheel, Belgium |NotableCoordinates1= 51.1655° N, 4.9918° E |NotableAddress2= |NotableCoordinates2= |Not...")
 
No edit summary
Line 3: Line 3:
|SaintStage= Saint
|SaintStage= Saint
|SaintBirthDate= Unknown (c. 7th century AD)
|SaintBirthDate= Unknown (c. 7th century AD)
|SaintBirthPlace= Ireland
|SaintBirthPlace= Clogher, Ulster, Ireland
|SaintBirthCoordinates=  
|SaintBirthCoordinates= 54.4108° N, 7.1710° W (approximate)
|SaintDeathDate= c. 620 AD
|SaintDeathDate= c. 620–650 AD
|DeathPlace= Gheel, Brabant, Frankish Kingdom (now Belgium)
|DeathPlace= Gheel, Brabant, Frankish Kingdom (now Belgium)
|SaintDeathCoordinates= 51.1650° N, 4.9920° E
|SaintDeathCoordinates= 51.1650° N, 4.9920° E
Line 32: Line 32:
|Profession= Virgin, Martyr
|Profession= Virgin, Martyr
|ReligiousAffiliation=  
|ReligiousAffiliation=  
|Patronage= Mental illness, epilepsy, incest victims, runaways
|Patronage= Mental illness, epilepsy, incest victims, runaways, anxiety, depression
|Attributes= Sword, lily, crown, bound hands
|Attributes= Sword, lily, crown, bound hands, lamp
|PrimaryShrine= Shrine of St. Dymphna, Gheel, Belgium
|PrimaryShrine= Shrine of St. Dymphna, Gheel, Belgium
|AdditionalVeneration= Eastern Orthodox Church
|AdditionalVeneration= Eastern Orthodox Church
}}
}}


'''Saint Dymphna''', born in [[Country|Ireland]] in the 7th century, was a Christian virgin and [[martyr]] whose tragic death made her a patroness of mental illness. Daughter of a pagan king, Damon, and a Christian mother, she fled to [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]], [[Country|Belgium]], after her father’s incestuous pursuit following her mother’s death. Living piously in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], she was beheaded c. 620 AD by her father’s men, refusing his advances.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her sanctity, akin to an [[Bishop|Archbishop of Paris]] in moral courage, drew pilgrims to her shrine, where healings of mental disorders were reported, per 13th-century hagiographies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
'''Saint Dymphna''', born in the [[City]] of [[Clogher]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Ulster]], [[Country|Ireland]], in the 7th century, was a Christian virgin and [[martyr]] revered as the patroness of mental illness, anxiety, and depression.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Daughter of a pagan Irish chieftain, Damon, and a devout Christian mother, she was baptized secretly and raised in faith.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Patron Saint of Anxiety: The Story Behind Saint Dymphna |url=https://connectusfund.org/the-patron-saint-of-anxiety-the-story-behind-saint-dymphna |website=ConnectUS |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> After her mother’s death, her father’s descent into madness led to an incestuous obsession, prompting Dymphna to flee to the [[City]] of [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]], [[Country|Belgium]], with her confessor, Saint Gerebernus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious or Depressed? Turn to Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.churchpop.com/anxious-or-depressed-turn-to-saint-dymphna-7-things-to-know-about-the-patron-of-mental-afflictions/ |website=ChurchPOP |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> There, she lived piously in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], aiding the poor, until her father tracked her down and beheaded her c. 620–650 AD for refusing his advances.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her martyrdom, followed by reported healings of mental disorders at her Gheel shrine, cemented her cult, per 13th-century records.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


Canonized pre-Congregation, Dymphna’s feast day, May 15, attracts devotees to the Shrine of St. Dymphna in [[Gheel]], in the [[Diocese|Diocese of Antwerp]], where her relics rest.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Patron of mental illness and incest victims, her sword and lily symbolize martyrdom and purity. Her legacy, rooted in [[Gheel]]’s [[Rite|Latin Rite]] traditions, endures among [[Saints]], inspiring care for the mentally ill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
Canonized pre-Congregation, Dymphna’s feast day, May 15, draws pilgrims to the Shrine of St. Dymphna in [[Gheel]], within the [[Diocese|Diocese of Antwerp]], where her relics, discovered in 1286, are venerated.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Patron of mental illness, epilepsy, incest victims, and runaways, her attributes—sword, lily, and lamp—symbolize martyrdom, purity, and hope.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious or Depressed? Turn to Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.churchpop.com/anxious-or-depressed-turn-to-saint-dymphna-7-things-to-know-about-the-patron-of-mental-afflictions/ |website=ChurchPOP |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her legacy, rooted in [[Gheel]]’s [[Rite|Latin Rite]] traditions, inspired a unique model of psychiatric care, with families hosting patients, a practice traced to her intercession.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Venerated among [[Saints]], Dymphna’s story endures in global devotion, particularly for those seeking mental healing.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==


=== Birth ===
=== Birth ===
Saint Dymphna was born in [[Country|Ireland]], c. 7th century, to a pagan king, Damon, and a Christian mother. Her Christian upbringing shaped her faith.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Ireland’s landscapes framed her origin.
Saint Dymphna was born in [[Clogher]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Ulster]], [[Country|Ireland]], c. 7th century, to Damon, a pagan chieftain, and a Christian mother whose name is unrecorded.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Patron Saint of Anxiety: The Story Behind Saint Dymphna |url=https://connectusfund.org/the-patron-saint-of-anxiety-the-story-behind-saint-dymphna |website=ConnectUS |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Raised in secret as a Christian, her faith was nurtured in Ireland’s rugged north.


Her piety led to a martyr’s path.
Her piety set her on a martyr’s path.


=== Early Life ===
=== Early Life ===
Dymphna’s youth was marked by her mother’s death, prompting her father’s deranged pursuit. Fleeing with a priest, Gerebernus, to [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]], she lived in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], aiding the poor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her faith shone before her martyrdom c. 620 AD.
Dymphna’s youth was shaped by her mother’s piety until her death, possibly when Dymphna was 14. Her father’s subsequent madness and incestuous fixation forced her to flee [[Country|Ireland]] with Saint Gerebernus, a priest, and two servants, landing in [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> In [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], she lived ascetically, building a hospice for the poor and sick, her charity earning local reverence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious or Depressed? Turn to Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.churchpop.com/anxious-or-depressed-turn-to-saint-dymphna-7-things-to-know-about-the-patron-of-mental-afflictions/ |website=ChurchPOP |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


Her life was a flight to holiness.
Her flight was a stand for holiness.


=== Occupation ===
=== Occupation ===
Dymphna’s occupation was as a Christian virgin in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], c. 620 AD. She served the poor, practicing the [[Rite|Latin Rite]], until her father’s men found her.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Beheaded, her work ended in martyrdom.
Dymphna’s occupation was as a Christian virgin and benefactor in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]], c. 620–650 AD. She served the destitute, practicing the [[Rite|Latin Rite]] in prayer, until her father’s men arrived.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Beheaded for refusing her father’s demands, her work ended in martyrdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


Her labor was charity, sealed in blood.
Her labor was charity, sealed in blood.


=== Vocation ===
=== Vocation ===
Dymphna’s vocation emerged in [[Country|Ireland]], a call to purity. In [[Gheel]], her resistance to her father’s advances, like an [[Bishop|Archbishop of Paris]], led to her death c. 620 AD, a martyr among [[Saints]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
Dymphna’s vocation arose in [[Country|Ireland]], a call to chastity and faith. In [[Gheel]], her refusal to yield to her father’s advances culminated in her martyrdom c. 620–650 AD, marking her among [[Saints]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


Her vocation was a saintly stand.
Her vocation was a martyr’s resolve.


=== Death ===
=== Death ===
Saint Dymphna met her end c. 620 AD in [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]], [[Country|Belgium]], beheaded by her father’s men.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her relics rest in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]] shrine, a pilgrimage site.
Saint Dymphna met her end c. 620–650 AD in [[Gheel]], [[State/Administrative subdivision|Brabant]], [[Country|Belgium]], beheaded by her father’s men alongside Gerebernus.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her relics, unearthed in 1286 after miraculous signs, rest in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]] shrine, a pilgrimage hub.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


Her death birthed devotion.
Her death sparked devotion.


==Significant events==
==Significant events==


* Fled to [[Gheel]], c. 620 AD.
* Fled to [[Gheel]], c. 620–650 AD.
* Martyred, c. 620 AD.
* Martyred, c. 620–650 AD.
* Relics discovered, 1286.


==Parishes==
==Parishes==
Line 81: Line 82:


=== Servant of God ===
=== Servant of God ===
No “Servant of God” process; Dymphna’s veneration began in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dymphna/ |website=Catholic Saints Info |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
No “Servant of God” process; Dymphna’s veneration began in [[Gheel]]’s [[Parish]] after her martyrdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


===Venerable===
===Venerable===
No Venerable status; sanctity was immediate.
No Venerable status; her sanctity was immediate.


=== Beatification ===
=== Beatification ===
Line 90: Line 91:


=== Canonization ===
=== Canonization ===
Canonized pre-Congregation, by the 13th century, among [[Saints]].<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
Canonized pre-Congregation, by the 13th century, affirmed among [[Saints]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


==Miracles==
==Miracles==
Line 101: Line 102:


=== Other notable miracles ===
=== Other notable miracles ===
- Healings of mental illness at her shrine, per 13th-century records.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
- Healings of epilepsy and mental illness at her Gheel shrine, recorded from the 13th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Dymphna |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
- Miraculous signs (e.g., white stone marking her tomb) led to relic discovery, 1286.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious or Depressed? Turn to Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.churchpop.com/anxious-or-depressed-turn-to-saint-dymphna-7-things-to-know-about-the-patron-of-mental-afflictions/ |website=ChurchPOP |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


==Patronage==
==Patronage==


Saint Dymphna is patron of mental illness, epilepsy, incest victims, and runaways.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
Saint Dymphna is patron of mental illness, epilepsy, incest victims, runaways, anxiety, and depression.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Patron Saint of Anxiety: The Story Behind Saint Dymphna |url=https://connectusfund.org/the-patron-saint-of-anxiety-the-story-behind-saint-dymphna |website=ConnectUS |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


==Feast day==
==Feast day==
Line 113: Line 115:
==Veneration==
==Veneration==


Saint Dymphna is venerated at the Shrine of St. Dymphna in the [[Parish]] of [[Gheel]], her May 15 feast inspiring care for the mentally ill in [[State/Administrative subdivision|Belgium]], like an [[Bishop|Archbishop of Paris]].<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>
Saint Dymphna is venerated at the Shrine of St. Dymphna in the [[Parish]] of [[Gheel]], her May 15 feast inspiring psychiatric care in [[State/Administrative subdivision|Belgium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Dymphna |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dymphna-561 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref> Her cult, linked to Gheel’s family-based mental health model since the 14th century, thrives globally, with churches in the [[United States]], like St. Mary’s in Massillon, Ohio, honoring her.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious or Depressed? Turn to Saint Dymphna |url=https://www.churchpop.com/anxious-or-depressed-turn-to-saint-dymphna-7-things-to-know-about-the-patron-of-mental-afflictions/ |website=ChurchPOP |access-date=2025-05-10}}</ref>


==Books==
==Books==


==Written about the saint==
==Written about the saint==
* 13th-century hagiographies (archived in Gheel)
* 13th-century hagiographies (archived in Gheel, referenced in *Catholic Saints Info*)


==Written by the saint==
==Written by the saint==

Navigation menu