St. Dymphna

Month of Saints - Day 23

Yesterday a friend asked me which Saint would I recommend asking the intercession of for a loved one suffering from depression.  I think today, as many of us approach the holiday season with joy, there are many for whom this is a season of loneliness, depression and heartache.  St. Dymphna is the patron Saint of depression - also of mental disorders, neurological disorders, runaways, and victims of incest.

Dymphna was born in Ireland in the 7th century.  Her father, Damon, was a king and a pagan, although her mother was a Christian. At the age of 14, Dymphna consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity.  Shortly after this, her mother died.  The king was so wrought with grief that his mental health began to deteriorate.  His counselors wanted him to remarry, but he had loved his wife so much that he refused unless a bride could be found that was as beautiful as she had been. When no suitable bride could be found, Damon started to desire his daughter because of the resemblance she had to his late wife.

When Dymphna learned of her father's intentions, she fled along with her priest confessor, a couple of servants and the king's fool.  The fled to the town of Geel in present day Belgium, where Dymphna opened a hospice for the poor and sick of the region.  It was through this use of her wealth that her father was able to trace her.  He found her there and had her priest confessor beheaded.  He tried to force his daughter to return to Ireland with him and when she refused, he drew his sword and cut off her head. She is believed to have been only 15 years old.

In 1349 a church honoring Saint Dymphna was built in Geel. By 1480, so many pilgrims were coming from all over Europe, seeking treatment for the mentally ill, that the church housing for them was expanded. Soon the sanctuary for the mad was again full to overflowing, and the townspeople began taking them into their own homes. Thus began a tradition for the ongoing care of the mentally ill that has endured for over 700 years and is still studied and envied today. Patients were, and still are, taken into the inhabitants of Geel's homes. Never called patients, they are called boarders, and are treated as ordinary and useful members of the town.

St. Dymphna's feast day is May 15.