Murder of Saint Belina

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Saint Belina was a young woman who was murdered and made into a saint. In 1203 she was canonized by Pope Innocent III and was venerated in Troyes. Some of her relics were lost during the French Revolution, but some of her bone particles and her head are stored in a bust at the Mores Abbey in Launderville. Her feast day is February 19th. She is known both as Belina of Troyes, and Belina of Launderville due to the location of her murder. 

 There is little known about her life, but she was born to religious serfs of John Paterne, the Lord of Pradines and D'Arcy in Landerville, France. It was unknown when she was born. She was known as a gentle soul caring for others. In 1153 she was engaged to another young man of similar rank in the village. 

Her parents would ask Lord Paterne for his blessing. He would reject the proposal. He was also interested in having a beautiful girl. It was said that Belina rejected him and was disgusted with that idea. She wanted to marry the man she loved. She was not interested in the Lord or his position of power. 

Sometime after Belina would be tending to her father's sheep. This was when Lord Paterne would show up surprising her. He would try to force himself on her, but she would fight back and defend herself. During the struggle, Lord Paterne would bring out his sword and beheaded her. He would leave her body in the field.

It's not stated how the people knew it was known that it was him, but there was a revolt. The peasants were so outraged that they rose up against him. They would burn down his castle. He would escape with his life as he had disguised himself.

He however did not escape unfazed. Pope Anastasius IV excommunicated him and took away his titles. The king confiscated his land, and the French parliament condemned him to permanent exile.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Catholic Readings

Catholic Online

Murdered Saints: Saint Solange

Solange was born into a poor, but devout family in the town of Villemont, France near Bourges. She was devoted and consecrated her virginity at 7-years-old. Solange was popular and very beautiful some even said her mere presence cured the sick and exorcised devils. She caught the eye of many including the son of the count Poitiers who was highly taken.

In 880 the man would come to Solange as she tended her sheep. He would get rejected by the shepherdess. He did not take the rejection well and planned to take her for himself. One night he would kidnap her by force. She would struggle against him. While they were crossing a stream she struggled greatly and fell from the horse. She would then try to flee him for him to catch up. He would then behead her with his sword. 

Legend states that Solange's severed head invoked three times the Holy Name of Jesus and she was able to pick up her head and walk to the church of Saint-Martin (now Saint-Solange) in the village of Sain-Martin-du-Crot and dropping dead there. 

Immediately there was a cult surrounding her grew. Many miraculous cures were attributed to her intercession. In 1281 an altar was erected in her honor at that church, now known as the church of Saint-Solange. Her head is preserved there as a relic. A nearby field where she prayed is referred as the field of Saint Solange and locals would go there during great times of stress to form a procession through Bourges with the reliquary head to invoke her against drought. 

Her feast day is May 10th. She is the patron saint of Berry, France, Bourges, France, for rain, rape victims, and shepherds.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Catholic Online

Catholic Readings

Murdered Saints: Murder of Dymphna and Gerebernus

 

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. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Catholic

Loyola Press

Catholic Saints

Joan of Arc and her execution

15th Century miniature of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc who was also known as the Maid of Orléans was seen as a Military Leader, Heroine, and Martyr all before she was 19 years old.  

She was born in 1412 in Domrémy, Bar, France to poor tenant farmers. Joan grew up learning piety and domestic skills from her mother. Their home was also Joan never ventured far from home and was in charge of taking care of the animals. Joan also had a deep love for the Catholic Church. 

Joan was blessed with remarkable mental and physical courage. She was said to have had great common sense.  Joan eventually claimed to have extreme personal piety. She said she had direct communication with the saints. This was what allowed to make her the leader she became.

At the time she was born France was already fighting England in what was known as the 100 Year War. The war was over who would take over the French Throne. By the 15th century, Northern France was lawless and frontier for marauding armies. 

In 1415, King Henry V of England invaded northern France. England had gained support from Burgundians in France after they defeated French forces. 1420 a treaty called Treaty of Troyes, granted the French throne to Henry V and disinherited Charles of Valois.

Henry expected to inherit the throne after Charles IV's death. Both died months apart in 1422. This left Henry's infant son as ruler of both places. 

By 1422 England occupied northern France. Joan's village, like many others, were forced to leave their homes. In France, there were supporters for Charles's son to take the French Throne. Charles VII thought this was a good opportunity to do so. 

At 13 Joan had started to hear voices of Saints. She knew that she was given a task be God that was very important. She knew she had to save France by installing Charles as kind and kicking out their enemies. 

At 16 her father had tried to arrange her marriage. Joan stood in front of the court and fight the reason they weren't a match. She had convinced the court and won. 

In May of 1428, Joan made her way to Vaucouleurs. It was a nearby stronghold of those who were loyal to Charles and supported him. She was rejected by the local magistrate. Joan had attracted a small number of followers who believed she was to save France. They believed that a prophecy of a young Virgin saving France was of Joan. 

They eventually gave her a horse for her journey. Joan cropped her hair and dressed in men clothes. She made an 11-day journey across enemy territory to Chinon. It was where the crown prince's palace was and she was determined to help. 

Joan asked for an audience and announced she was to save France. Charles was unsure of what to think of her. She correctly identified him in disguise and spoke the future King Charles VII and won him over. She supposedly revealed to him only things God could have known and he believed her claims. No one knows what she revealed to him.

Joan promised him she would see him crowned king at Reims, and asked him for an army to lead to Orléans. Orléans was at the time under siege from England. Charles went against the advice given by his counselors and generals and granted Joan her army. 

In March of 1429, she set off to Orléans dressed in white armor and riding a white horse. Joan led several French assaults against them. This had caused the Anglo-Burgundians from the bastion and forced them to retreat across the Loire River. 

Charles did accept Joan's mission but didn't fully trust her judgment and advice. After her victory, she kept trying to hurry him to Reims to be crowned. He and his advisors were more cautious. However, Joan's reputation had spread far and wide among French forces. She and her followers escorted Charles across enemy territory into Reims. He was crowned Charles VII on July 18, 1429. Joan was by his side and occupying a visible place at the ceremonies. 

Joan tried to convince Charles that the French should press their advantage. That they should attempt to retake Paris. Charles wavered even though many warned him Joan was getting too powerful. 

In the spring of 1430, Joan was ordered to confront a Burgundian assault on Compiegne. In her effort to protect the town she was thrown from her horse. She was left outside the gates as they closed and was taken captive by the Burgundians. 

They took her to the castle of Bouvreuil, which was occupied by the English commander at Rouen. The Duke of Burgandy was ecstatic to have captured the girl of legend. In 1431 Joan went to trial under 70 charges that included witchcraft, dressing as a man and hearsay. 

The Burgundians were looking to get rid of Joan and discredit Charles. Charles, who owed her for getting him crowned, began to distance himself. He made no attempt to negotiate for Joan's freedom. She had even attempted to protect Charles by refusing to answer questions about him. 

Joan had spent a year in captivity by May 1431. She relentlessly signed a confession denying she never got messages from saints.  She defied the document days later by sporting men's clothes. This allowed them to announce her death sentence. 

On the morning on May 30th Joan was taken to the old marketplace of Rouen to be executed. There were estimated to have been around 10,000 people. Joan did not want to be burned to death. she would have preferred to have been beheaded. She was terrified and one guard noticed and gave her a small wooden cross. When she was tied to the stake and burned someone held up a cross for her to gaze at as she died. 

In the end, she claimed that the voices were real. That they were divine and had allowed her to save France and crown Charles as king. As Joan burned she called out to her three favorite saints and before she lost consciousness she screamed for Jesus. 

The 100-Year War lasted for 22 more years. Charles VII kept his crown and in 1456 he had Joan of Arc declared innocent of all charges and a martyr On May 16, 1920, she was canonized as the Patron Saint of France. 

SOURCES:
History
Britannica
Biography
National Geographic
Spark Notes