St. Dymphna

ARTIST: Brenda Nippert

ARTWORK NARRATIVE:

Dymphna was the daughter of a Christian woman and a pagan king. When she was 14, she Consecrated herself to God. Shortly after, her mother died. Her father was so distraught at the loss of his wife that he began to lose his mind. As his mental health deteriorated, he began to desire his daughter, who looked just like her mother. When Dymphna realized her father’s intentions, she ran away from Ireland and hid in Belgium.

Her father was very determined and eventually found her there. He tried to convince his daughter to return to Ireland and marry him. When Dymphna refused, he got so mad, that he drew his sword and struck off his daughter’s head.

The town in Belgium where Dymphna was hiding, is to this day a safe haven for the mentally ill. Many patients have gone there through the centuries seeking treatment for mental illnesses. Patients were, and still are today, taken into the villager’s homes and treated like part of their family. The town of Geel, Belgium, has been studied for over 700 years for its success in helping the mentally ill.

Her feast day is May 15.

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Dymphna was the only child of a pagan king who is believed to have ruled a section of Ireland in the 7th century. She was the very picture of her attractive young Christian mother.

When the queen died at a very young age, the royal widower's heart remained beyond reach of comfort. His moody silences pushed him on the verge of mental collapse. His courtiers suggested he consider a second marriage. The king agreed on condition that his new bride should look exactly like his former one.

His envoys went far afield in search of the woman he desired. The quest proved fruitless. Then one of them had a brilliant idea: Why shouldn't the king marry his daughter, the living likeness of her mother?

Repelled at first, the king then agreed. He broached the topic to his daughter. Dymphna, appalled, stood firm as a rock. “Definitely not." By the advice of St. Gerebern, her confessor, she eventually fled from home to avoid the danger of her refusal.

A group of four set out across the sea — Father Gerebern, Dymphna, the court jester and his wife. On landing at Antwerp, on the coast of Belgium, they looked around for a residence. In the little village of Gheel, they settled near a shrine dedicated to St. Martin of Tours.

Then spies from her native land arrived in Gheel and paid their inn fees with coins similar to those Dymphna had often handed to the innkeeper. Unaware that the men were spies, he innocently revealed to them where she lived.

The king came at once to Gheel for the final, tragic encounter. Despite his inner fury, he managed to control his anger. Again, he coaxed, pleased, made glowing promises of money and prestige. When this approach failed, he tried threats and insults; but these too left Dymphna unmoved. She would rather die than break the vow of virginity she had made with her confessor's approval.

In his fury, the king ordered his men to kill Father Gerebern and Dymphna. They killed the priest but could not harm the young princess.

The king then leaped from his seat and with his own weapon cut off his daughter's head. Dymphna fell at his feet. Thus Dymphna, barely aged fifteen, died. Her name appears in the Roman Martyrology, together with St. Gerebern's on May 15.

In the town of Gheel, in the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium, great honor is paid to St. Dymphna, whose body is preserved in a silver reliquary in the church which bears her name. Gheel has long been known as a place of pilgrimage for persons seeking relief or nervous or emotional distresses. In our century, the name of St. Dymphna as the heavenly intercessor for such benefits is increasingly venerated in America.

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