Who exactly is St Dymphna? You may have heard the name. When I served at St James church in Tupelo, Mississippi, I had some parishioners who were devoted to St Dymphna, particularly because of her role as patron saint of those suffering from mental and nervous system illnesses. Dymphna lived in 7th century Ireland, born to a devout Christian mother and a pagan father. Her mother died when she was a young teenager. Her dad suffered mental illness. In his delusion, he desired to marry his daughter. She fled to Europe, to current day Belgium, in the town of Geel, where she founded a hospital to help the poor. Her father found out where she was hiding, killing her in a fit of rage. There is a large church in Geel built in her honor. There have been many healings and miracle attributed to her. Dymphna is a popular saint to this day.
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