Today is the feast day of Saint Dymphna, the Still Kids organization’s patron saint. I’m excited to announce that it is also the day that we formally registered Still Kids federally and with the State of Minnesota as an official 501(c)(3).
Saint Dymphna is the patron saint of mental illness, both mental health professionals and those suffering from mental illness. In art, she is often depicted slaying the demons of mental illness.
According to tradition, she was born in Ireland in the 600’s (the 7th century), born a princess to her father, a petty king, and her beautiful, devout Christian mother. At 14, she took a vow of chastity and devoted herself to Christ. It was a short time after that her mother passed away. Her father suffered from a severe depression and, in his grief, his counselors advised he take a new queen. He agreed, on the condition she be as beautiful as his late wife. He searched everywhere, and in his madness, and due to his evil advisors, began to want the one woman who resembled his lost wife: Dymphna.
Dymphna fled with her priest, Father Gerebernus, also now a Saint. They sailed and landed in Geel, modern day Belgium. She began a hospital for the mentally ill and started a grand tradition in the town of caring for the afflicted, in the thousands, that lasts to this day. However, through the use of royal coins, she was tracked down and beheaded by her father, on the 30th of May, 650.
A church was built in Geel to honor St. Dymphna, where her body was originally buried that May. On May 15 of the next year, her body was moved and her feast day honored. She is often depicted holding a sword (a symbol of martyrdom) and pure white lilies.
We honor St. Dymphna and pray for her intercession as we continue our mission!
Good St. Dymphna, great wonder
worker in every affliction of mind
and body, we humbly implore
your powerful intercession with
Jesus through Mary, for the
health of the sick.
St. Dymphna, patroness of
persons with mental health
conditions, always look out for
those men and women, for their
healing and recovery, and for an
end to stigma and indifference in
society. Amen.
St. Dymphna, pray for us.
Source: USCCB (see here)
Still Kids 