May 15
Saint Dymphna was born in Ireland in the seventh century. Although her mother was a Christian, her father was not. At age 14, Dymphna consecrated herself to Christ and made a vow of virginity. When her mother died, her father (who had loved her mother very much) began to show signs of mental instability.
Dymphna’s father was determined to find a wife as beautiful and as charming as his wife who had died. However, none could be found. His advisors recommended that he marry his own daughter, since she resembled her mother so much! Sadly, Dymphna’s father agreed with this plan.
When Dymphna realized what was going to happen, she consulted with her confessor, a priest named Gerebran. He advised her to flee, and she did, along with Gereban, two trusted servants, and the king’s fool. (The “fool” was a court comedian, who was obliged to offer entertainment to the king.) They took a boat and landed in Geel, Belgium. There Dymphna established a hospice for those of unsound mind.
Her father eventually found his daughter and her companions and captured them. He ordered the priest to be murdered, and when Dymphna refused to leave with her father, he himself killed her. The residents of Geel gathered both bodies and laid them to rest in a nearby cave.
Dymphna was canonized about the year 620 and became known as The Lily of Eire. In 1349, a church was built in Geel to honor her. Her remains are in a silver reliquary in this church. Some of them have been given to the Shrine of Saint Dymphna in Massillon, Ohio.
The town of Geel has become, ever since Dymphna’s arrival, a town of refuge for those who are mentally ill. The townspeople have a tradition of inviting mentally ill people to live with them as members of their households. After being evaluated by a psychiatric hospital, those with mental illness are matched with host families who will help care for them not as patients, but as “boarders” in their homes. The host families receive a stipend from the country of Belgium and training and support in dealing with the problems of those who are mentally ill. This kind of care integrates the mentally ill into society while still meeting their needs for a stable home. May the life of Saint Dymphna remind us to be compassionate helpers and friends to those who suffer from mental illness, and to pray for and support them and their caregivers.
(Image © Гибаничар, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)