Description

Oil Dedicated To St Dymphna

Prayer:

Saint Dymphna, compassionate patroness and refuge for those who have endured the darkness of incest, we turn to you with heavy hearts and seeking spirits. In your own life, you faced tribulations and found solace in God’s embrace. We implore your intercession on behalf of all victims of incest, that they may find healing for their wounded hearts and minds. May your strength be a guiding light for those who are on the path of recovery, and may your compassionate presence provide comfort to those who carry the scars of such traumatic experiences. Saint Dymphna, advocate for the broken-hearted, help us create a world where the vulnerable are protected and the wounded find support and understanding. Amen.

Scripture:

Romans 14:13 

“Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

The St Dymphna is dedicated to the 7th century Irish saint who is the patron for mental illnesses.

St Dymphna Healing  was born in Ireland sometime in the seventh century to a pagan father and devout Christian mother. When she was fourteen, she consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity. Soon afterward, her mother died and her father – who had loved his wife deeply – began to suffer a rapid deterioration of his mental stability.

So unhinged was Dymphna’s father, Damon, that the King’s counselors suggested he remarry. Though he was still grieving for his wife, he agreed to remarry if a woman was as beautiful as she could be found.

Damon sent messengers throughout his town and other lands to find a woman of noble birth who resembled his wife and would be willing to marry him, but when none could be found, his evil advisors whispered sinful suggestions to marry his own daughter. So twisted were Damon’s thoughts that he recognized only his wife when he looked upon Dymphna, and so he consented to the arrangement.

Dymphna flees the country

When she heard of her father’s misguided plot, Dymphna fled her castle with her confessor, a priest named Gerebran, two trusted servants, and the king’s fool. The group sailed toward what now called Belgium, and hid in the town of Geel.

Though it becomes uncertain what exactly happened next, the best-known version claims the group settled in Geel, where St Dymphna Healing built a hospital for the poor and sick, but in using her wealth, her father was able to discover her location.

When Damon found his daughter was in Belgium, he traveled to Geel and captured them. He ordered the priest’s head to separated from his body and attempted to convince Dymphna to return to Ireland and marry him.

Martyrdom of Dymphna

When Dymphna refused, Damon became enraged and drew his sword. He struck Dymphna’s head from her shoulders and left her there. When she died, Dymphna was only fifteen-years-old. After her father left Geel, the residents collected both Dymphna and Gerebran’s remains and laid them to rest in a cave.

In defense of her purity, Dymphna received the crown of martyrdom around the year 620 and became known as the “Lily of Éire. In 1349, a church honoring St. Dymphna built in Geel, and by 1480, so many pilgrims were arriving in need of treatment for mental ills, that the church expanded. The expanded sanctuary was eventually overflowing again.  The townspeople accepted them into their homes.  This began a tradition of care for the mentally ill that continues to this day.

Unfortunately, in the 15th century, the original St. Dymphna Church in Geel burned to the ground, and the magnificent Church of St. Dymphna erected and consecrated in 1532, where it still stands above the location her body originally buried.

Miracles

Many miracles have proven to take place at her shrine in the church. Her remains placed in a silver reliquary in the church. Some of her remains can also found at the Shrine to St Dymphna Healing in the United States.

The priest who had helped Dymphna also sainted, and his remains moved to Xanten, Germany.

Saint Dymphna the patroness of those suffering nervous and mental afflictions as well as victims of incest.

Traditionally, Saint Dymphna often portrayed with a crown on her head, dressed in royal robes, and holding a sword. In modern art, Saint Dymphna shown holding the sword, which symbolizes her martyrdom, quite awkwardly. Also, some holy cards feature her wearing green and white, holding a book and white lilies.