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Martyrdom of St Dymphna and St Gerebernus by Jacques de l'Ange |
In the 7th Century, Ireland Dymphna was born as Irish Royalty. Her father was Damon, the king of Oriel. Her mother was secretly a devoted Christian and would raise Dymphna in secret as one too. When she was 14 she would consecrate herself to Christ and hold a vow of chastity.
Soon her mother would die and Damon's mental health would deteriorate. Damon had deeply loved his wife and took her death badly. His advisors would press Damon to remarry and he would agree. The only condition was that his bride needed to be as beautiful as the late queen. After searching fruitlessly for this woman he focused on his daughter who was as beautiful as her mother.
The teenager would find out about her father's plans of marrying her. To keep her vows and escaping an unwanted fate. She would flee with her confessor Father Gerebernus. They would take a ship and would settle in what is now Geel, Belgium. Thinking that she would be safe from her father's clutches she would use her wealth to open a hospital for the poor and sick of the region. Some of the coins she used would allow her father to know her whereabouts.
Her father would go to Geel with his men. He would order them to behead Gerebernus and to force his daughter back to Ireland. The now 15-year-old would refuse to go back to Ireland to be her father's bride. This would anger the king and he would behead his daughter in a rage. He would leave Dympha and Gerebernus where they were killed and left to go back to Ireland.
The residents of Geel would retrieve the bodies and bury the two in a cave. Years later their remains would be buried in a more suitable place. Both Gereburnus and Dymphna were canonized as Saints.
In 1349 a church was built to honor St. Dymphna built in Geel. Many Europeans would come to church by 1480. These people would seek treatment for psychiatric disorders and the church would expand for their guests. Even though there was expansion they would get an overflow of people. The people of Geel would take patients into their own homes. The patients would never be called that though and be called boarders.
The boarders would be treated like family by their hosts. Most would work menial labor in return and become a part of the community. Some would live the rest of their lives in Geel some months or decades. In the 1930s it's said that there were over 4,000 boarders in the town.
The remains of St. Dymphna were later put into a silver reliquary and placed in a church in Geel named in her honor. The remains were moved to Xanten, Germany. The original church of St. Dymphna burned down in the late 15th century. A second church was built and consecrated in 1532 where they believed her body was first buried. Many miracles are believed to have happened here.
St. Dymphna is known as the Lily of Eire because of her spotless virtue. She is the patron saint of mental illness and anxiety. The chief feast day is May 15 the final day of their martyrdom.
St. Gerebernus is a saint against fever, gout, and for Sonsbeck, Germany.
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