Dymphna was the daughter of a pagan Irish chieftain named Damon, and a beautiful devoted Christian woman whose name has not come down to us. Her mother died when Dymphna was fourteen.
Damon is said to have been afflicted with a mental illness, brought on by his grief. He searched the Western world for a woman to replace his wife, but none could. Returning home, he saw that his daughter was as beautiful as her mother, and maddened by grief, he made advances on her. She fought him off, then fled to Belgium with St. Gerebran, her confessor and family friend.
Dymphna's father searched for them, and his search led to Belgium. There an innkeeper refused to accept his money, knowing it was difficult to exchange. This told Damon that his daughter was close (it would be unusual for a village innkeeper to know a lot about foreign currency, and his knowledge indicated that he had recently seen it). The king concentrated his search in the area. When he found them in Gheel, he beheaded Gerebran and demanded that Dymphna return to Ireland with him. When she refused, he drew his sword and struck off her head.
She was then only fifteen years of age. Dymphna received the crown of martyrdom in defense of her purity about the year 620. She is the patron of those suffering from nervous and mental afflictions. Many miracles have taken place at her shrine, built on the spot where she was buried in Gheel, Belgium.
Check out Dymphna's Well for a cool blog that has St. Dymphna as it's patron!
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