Devotion in honor of St. Dymphna, virgin and martyr, patroness of those afflicted with nervous disorders : brief history of her life f)Q:Voiia^ hor\c><" St; O^rvtph^yzK (^0^) f 2)eiJtaUa^ in e4uUio*t Ui « 0̂4io^l, St. ^ff4fvpJuia Virgin and Martyr Patroness of Those Afflicted With Nervous Disorders Brief History of Her Life THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN LONGVIEW HOSPITAL CINCINNATI 16, OHIO The Feast of St. Dymphna is celebrated May 15th. (Copyrighted) PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. DYMPHNA O God, we beseech Thee through Thy Servant, Blessed Dymphna, who didst seal with her blood the love she bore Thee, her Eternal Spouse, to grant relief to those in our midst who suffer from mental afflictions and nervous disor- ders. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 100 days’ Indulgence. (Archbishop of Cincinnati) Nihil Obstat; ROGER HUSER, O.F.M., J.C.D. Imprimi Potest; ROMUALD MOLLAUN, O.F.M., S.T.D. Provincial Nihil Obstat; STANLEY BERTKE, S.T.D. Imprimatur; t KARL J. ALTER, D.D., LL.D. Archbishop of Cincinnati February 9, 1951 DEVOTION IN HONOR OF ST. DYMPHNA HE name of St. Dymphna is an object of veneration everywhere, but especially is it so in the city of Gheel, where the devotion to the saint is so natural to the inhabitants that it need not be aroused. The reason is of course evident. St. Dymphna dwelt in the city of Gheel until the time when she sanctified Gheelian soil by shedding her blood. Hers was the first shed for Jesus Christ and His Faith in Brabantine territory. Sovereign Pontiffs and the Bishops have always shown their veneration for St. Dymphna and have favored with indulgences the church which is built over the sainPs tomb; the tomb which God has favored with so many miracles through her intercession. Amidst such surroundings the people of Gheel can- not remain indifferent toward this holy virgin and martyr. In the older litanies St. Dymphna is mentioned not only 6 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna under the title of Patroness of Gheel, but also as Patroness of Brabant. The afflicted who have invoked the . name of St. Dymphna have not found her wanting. Since she resisted cour- ageously the insane, raging love of her father, God has made her the special protectress of all who are afflicted with nervous disorders, and the many mirac- ulous cures at Gheel have established her in that title. We ought to invoke the powerful aid ^f St. Dymphna with faith and confi- dence. We ought to celebrate her feast, honor her holy relics, attend the devotions held in her honor, and visit her Shrines. We ought to pray to her daily, and above all our younger gener- ation ought to imitate her virtues, par- ticularly her purity. Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna 7 LITANY IN HONOR OF ST. DYMPHNA Virgin and Martyr Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, Virgin and Mother of God, conceived without sin, pray for us. St. Dymphna, pray for us. St. Dymphna, noble by birth but \ more noble in virtue, St. Dymphna, docile to the lessons of your pious mother, St. Dymphna, obedient to your saintly confessor, Gerebeme, Pray for us 8 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna St. Dymphna, who abandoned the] I court of your father, to escape the danger of impurity, St. Dymphna, who chose a life of poverty on earth so that you might lay up treasure in Heaven, St. Dymphna, who sought consola- tion in prayer and devout attend- ance of Holy Mass. St. Dymphna, brilliant example of Christian youth, St. Dymphna, who died a martyr, be- headed by yoin- own father. So that we may be humble and obedient, placing no trust in our- selves. So that we may carefully preserve the virtue of chastity according to our state by avoiding all danger- ous occasions of sin. So that we may persevere in om Faith, So that we may learn to have con- fidence in the Lord during our afflictions. Pray for us Devotion in Honor of St. Dympmna 9 So that we may obtain the spirit of prayer, the source of all graces, So that we may love our Lord and God with all our heart and above all things. So that we may receive the grace of final perseverance, St. Dymphna, Patroness of Gheel, St. Dymphna, Protectress against all nervous disorders, St. Dymphna, consoler of the af- flicted, St. Dymphna, renowned for many miracles, particularly in Gheel, In moments of temptation. In times of contagious diseases, in time of war and persecution against the faith. In our last illness. At the hour of death. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, 0 Lord, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, 0 Lord, Pray for us 10 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna Lamb of God, Who takest away the ^ sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ hear us, Christ graciously hear us. Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us, Our Father, etc. Pray for us, St. Dymphna, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us Pray O God, Who gave St. Dymphna to the infant Church in Brabant as a model perfect in all virtues, and Who ordained that Thy handmaid should -seal with her innocent blood and with numerous miracles the teachings of the Gospels for the spread of the true faith, grant we be- Devotion in Honor of St. Dympmna 11 beech Thee that those especially who honor the Holy Relics may continue to enjoy her powerful protection so that being fortified in faith and gratefully imitating her other virtues may be able to gain a new glory from Thy infinite and supreme majesty^ through Christ our Lord. Amen. NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST. DYMPHNA For preservation from nervous dis- orders through her intercession and for true wisdom through imitation of her virtues. (During the novena the devotee should receive the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist at least once.) 12 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna ] I FIRST DAY Intention—Faith O God, Source of our salvation, Who I in the midst of a pagan people didst enlighten St. Dymphna by the true faith, which she professed under the guidance of her holy confessor, Gere- berne, with such constancy that she suffered martyrdom, we beseech Thee through the intercession of these two saints that Thou wouldst deign to i| strengthen our faith which Thou hast | given to us so that by wisely subject- ! ing our souls to Thy Supreme Author- ity, and by faithfully regulating our | lives by our faith we may honor Thee i with our whole heart and soul until the hour of our death, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna 13 SECOND DAY Intention—Hope O Almighty and Infinitely Good God, Who hast promised eternal salvation to those who obey Thy Commandments and profit by Thy grace, we beseech Thee, through the intercession of St. Dymphna, who fled from the danger of sin by quitting the palace of her father and who hoping thereby to gain eternal salvation fled to Brabant to live in pov- erty, grant that we also who are striving for eternal happiness may overcome all obstacles in the pathway of virtue and may attain eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. 14 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna I ] THIRD DAY Intention-Charity O God of Love, Most Perfect Being, Creator of All That is Good and Beau- tiful, deign to help us by Thy power- ful grace through the intercession of St. Dymphna, who in her youth loved Thee above all Creatures and loved her neighbor as herself for Thy Sake as the Image and Likeness of Thee, as the price of the Blood of Jesus and as co-heir of heaven, so that we may faith- fully adhere to the two great command- ments of charity not only in word, but in action and in truth, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna 15 FOURTH DAY Intention—Piety O God, Our Creator and Supreme Master, we beseech Thee through the intercession of St. Dymphna, who served Thee with great zeal even in her child- hood, hearing Thy word with great de- light, assisting at Holy Mass with great respect, and receiving Holy Commimton from the hand of St. Gerberne with ten- der devotion that Thou wouldst grant us the same virtue of piety so that hav- ing honored Thee during this life as our Creator we may possess Thee hereafter as our final reward through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times; Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. I ( i 16 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna | • ' - - - — i FIFTH DAY ^ Intention—Prudence O God, Ruler of the universe, Who ^ allowed St. Dymphna to discover an efficacious means of avoiding the crim- inal intentions of her father, deign to grant through the merits of Thy holy servant, that we may become simple as doves and wise as serpents so that through prudent advice and sound judg- ment we may perceive that which is to be avoided and that which is to be fol- ' lowed in order to happily achieve the great work of our salvation through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times; Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna 17 SIXTH DAY Intention—Justice O God, Source of eternal justice, we supplicate Thee through the intercession of St. Dymphna, who in order to render to Thee that which is Thine, fled from her country and her father, that Thou wouldst deign to make us seek after justice so that we may perform rightly our duties toward Thee as we see them, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. 18 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna SEVENTH DAY Intention—Fortitude O God, rewarder of those who remain firm in their good resolutions, we be- seech Thee through the mediation of the merits of St. Dymphna, who through love of virtue had the courage to suffer privation, persecution and even martyr- dom that Thou wouldst grant us forti- tude so that we may courageously and perseveringly overcome omselves and finally conquer the enemy of our salva- tion through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Devotion in Monor of St. Dvmphna 19 EIGHTH DAY Intention—Temperance O God, Who hast made St. Dymphna resplendent in the virtue of temperance so that she mastered sensual inclinations and tempered the use of temporal goods, uniting with this the beautiful virtues of modesty, docility and humility which is called the foundation of all virtue be- cause humility banishes from the soul pride which is an obstacle to grace, we beseech Thee through the intercession of St. Dymphna that Thou wouldst deign to guide and direct us so that being pre- served from all nervous disorders we may come to a happy end in the good counsels Thou hast given through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. i i 20 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna - NINTH DAY Intention—Chastity O God, Lover of innocent souls, Who ; gave to St. Dymphna the virtue of an- gelic purity which rendered her reserved in all her actions, so modest in her dress, so attentive in her conversation, so cir- cumspect in her bearing that she shed her blood to preserve this precious vir- tue, we beseech Thee that Thou bestow upon us the virtue of chastity so that we may enjoy peace of conscience in this life and the pure eternal joys of heaven hereafter through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five times: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. These prayers in the form of a novena were approved by Pope Urban VIII in 1635. Devotion in Honor of St. Dympiina 21 St. PcU^uui, ViciiffU AI&iamuU, Me>ntcd ^ilo^ide^ * The success of the Colony of Gheel, Belgium, all these years can be attributed to the intercession of St. Dymphna. ^Reprint from Tabernacle and Purgatory, published by Benedictine Convent Sisters, Clyde, Mo., May, 1946. 22 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna St. Dymphna, Patroness of Those j Afflicted with Nervous and Mental Disorders “T SLE of Saints,” has long been a title popularly given to the island evangelized ^ by St. Patrick, which nestles in the blue waters of the Atlantic. And appropriately it is so called, for the names of the Irish saints would more than fill the Church’s calendar. Yet it is to be regretted that Cath- olics for the most part are entirely unfamiliar with so many of these glorious saints, yes, even ignorant of their very names. One such forgotten or unknown saint, who, on account of her spotless virtue and glorious martyr- dom, is sometimes referred to as the ‘‘Lily of Eire,” is St. Dymphna. True, the records of the life and martyrdom of this holy virgin ^ are for the most part meagre and unsatis- factory, but sufficient is known regarding the principal facts of her life and of her many well-authenticated miracles to attest to an ex- alted sanctity. St. Dymphna was bom in the sixth century, when Ireland was almost universally Cath- olic. Yet, strange to say, her father, a petty j king of Oriel, was still a pagan. Her mother, a descendant of a noble family, was, on the I other hand, a devout Christian, who was re- markable for both her piety and her great j beauty. Dymphna was, like her mother, a Devotion in EIonok of St. Dymphna 23 paragon of beauty, and a most sweet and winning child, the “jewel” of her home. Every affection and attention was lavished upon her from birth. Heaven, too, favored the child witli special graces. Dymphna was early placed under the care and tutelage of a pious Christian woman, who prepared her for baptism, which was conferred by the saintly priest. Father Gerebran. The latter seems to have been a member of the house- hold, and later taught little Dymphna her letters along with the truths of religion. Dymphna was a bright and eager pupil, and advanced rapidly in wisdom and grace. When still very young, Dymphna, like so many other noble Irish maidens before and after her, being filled with fervor and love For Jesus Christ, chose Him for her Divine Spouse and consecrated her virginity to Him and to His Blessed Mother by a vow of chastity. It was not long, however, until an un- expected cloud overshadowed the happy childhood of the beautiful girl. She lost her good mother by death. Many were the secret tears she shed over this bereavement, but at the same time she found great comfort in the Divine Faith which, though she was still of tender age, already had taken deep root. Dymphna’s father, too, greatly mourned his deceased wife and for a long time con- 1 1 24 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna v tinned prostrate with grief. At length he ’ was persuaded by his counsellors to seek solace in a second marriage. So he com- missioned certain ones of his court to seek out for him a lady who would be like his first spouse in beauty and character. After visit- ing many coimtries in vain, the messengers returned saying that they could find none so charming and amiable as his own lovely daughter, Dymphna. Giving ear to their base suggestion, the king conceived the evil design of marrying Dymphna. With persuasive and fiattering words he manifested his purpose to her. Dymphna, as may be expected, was greatly horrified at the suggestion, and asked for a period of forty days to consider the proposal. She immediately betook herself to Father Gerebran, who advised her to fiee from her native country, and since the danger was inuninent, he urged her to make no delay. With all speed, therefore, she set out for the continent, accompanied by Father Gere- bran, the court jester, and his wife. After a favorable passage, they arrived on the coast near the present city of Antwerp. Having stopped for a short rest, they resumed their journey and came to a little village named Gheel. Here they were hospitably received and began to make plans for estabhshing their future abode at the place. Devotion in IIonok of St. Dymphna 25 The king, in the meantime, having dis- covered Dymphna's flight, was fearfully angry and immediately set out with his fol- lowers in search of the fugitives. After some tinie, they were traced to Belgium and their place of refuge was located. At first, Dym- phna s father tried to persuade her to return but Father Gerebran sternly re- buked him for his wicked intentions, where- upon he gave orders that Father Gerebran should be put to death. Without delay, his wicked retainers laid violent hands upon the priest and struck him on the neck with a sword. With one blow of the steel the head was severed from the shoulders and another glorious martyr went to join the illustrious heroes of Christ’s kingdom. Further attempts on the part of Dym- phna s father to induce her to return with him proved fruitless. With undaunted cour- age she spurned his enticing promises and scorned his cruel threats. Infuriated by her resistance, the father drew a dagger from himself struck oflF the head ot his child. Recommending her soul to the mercy of God, the holy virgin fell prostrate of ber insanely raving father, thus the glorious crown of martyrdom was accorded to St. Dymphna in the fifteenth year of her age, on the fifteenth day of Mav between 620 and 640. The day of her deaA has been assigned as her feastday. I 26 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna j The records of Dymphna's life and death 1 say that the bodies of the two martyred j saints lay on the ground for quite some | time after their death, until the inhabitants 1 of Gheel removed them to a cave, which i was the customary manner of interment in \ that part of the world at the time of the ‘ martyrdom. But « after several years had i elapsed, the villagers, recalling their holy deaths, decided to give the bodies a more suitable burial. When the workmen re- moved the heap of black earth at the cave’s entrance, great was their astonishment to find two most beautiful tombs, whiter than snow, which were carved from stone, as if by angel hands. When the coffin of St. Dymphna was opened there was found lying on her breast a red tile bearing the inscrip-- tion: “Here lies the holy virgin and martyr, Dymphna.” The remains of the saint were placed in a small church. Later necessity obliged the erection of the magnificent “Church of St. Dymphna” which now stands on the site where the bodies were first buried. St. Dymphna’s relics repose there in a beau- tiful golden reliquary. Miracles and cures began to occur in con- tinually increasing numbers. Gradually St. Dymphna’s fame as patroness of victims of nervous diseases and mental disorders was spread from country to country. More and more mentally afflicted persons were brought ' Dkvotion in IIonor of St. Dymimina 27 to the shrine l)y relatives and friends, many coining in pilgrimages from far-distant places. Novenas were made, and St. Dymphna’s relic was applied to the patients. The re- markable cures reported caused confidence in the saint to grow daily. At first the patients were lodged in a small annex built onto the church. Then gradually it came about that the patients were placed in the homes of the families living in Gheel. From tliis beginning Gheel developed into a town world-famed for its care of the insane and mentally afflicted. An institution, called the “Infirmary of St. Elizabeth,” which was con- ducted by the Sisters of St. Augustine, was later built for the hospital care of the patients. Most of the latter, after some time spent in the institution, are placed in one or other of the families of Gheel, where they lead a comparatively normal life. Every home in Gheel is proud to welcome to its inmost family circle such patients as are ready to return to the environment of family life. Generations of experience have given to the people of Gheel an intimate and tender skill in dealing with their charges, and their remarkable spriit of charity and Ghristlike love for these afflicted members of society gives to our modern-day world, so prone to put its whole reliance on science and to for- get the principles of true Christian charity, a lesson the practice of which would do 28 Devotion in Honor of St. Dymphna i 3 } much to restore certain types of mentally I aflBicted individuals to an almost normal out- look on life. Renowned psychiatrists are in full agree- ment with this statement, and testify that a surprisingly large number of patients could . leave mental institutions if they could be as- sured of a sympathetic reception in the world, such as the people of Gheel take pride in showing. In fact, psychiatrists state that in- stitutions can help certain cases only to a given extent, and when that point is reached, they must have help from persons outside the institution if the progress made in the institution is to have fruition. Gheel is the living confirmation of this statement and an exemplar of the Gospel teachings on charity. In concluding the life of St. Dymphna and her assistance in mental illnesses, many will be glad to know that a chapel located on the Longview Hospital grounds, Cincinnati, was solemnly dedicated on June 23, 1940. A League in honor of St. Dymphna, offering many spiritual benefits for the living and deceased, has also been established in Cin- cinnati by the late Most Reverend Archbishop, John T. McNicholas. The League enjoys the continued approval and blessing of the present Archbishop of Cincinnati. Furdier information about the League, pictures, prayers, and medals may be obtained from: THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN St. Dymphna Chapel Longview Hospital, Cincinnati 16, Ohio • : • HT'V';. {' -' mm : ' * / A ’> S e «i - f-V, . 'f .' / , . V ' rV. tfvijvit' ' ' -, - ’;: • . ,/S • -V»- - .' ••' v'^-'l. '*, <•/' %• C( ' '" v< - . - ., ^ ‘ I ; V ; ;V' 'V';' / '• ^ A,;./’'' ' • cjpAc r. •"t • At ,. ;;a 'C ' a-'w '« - ^ iV