St. Dymphna might not be very well known to Catholics who don’t pray to the saints. Those that do seek the help of the saints however do know of her powerful intercession for mental health issues. Anxiety, overthinking, mental issues, depression, and stress are all issues for which St. Dymphna can intercede in your behalf.
Who was St. Dymphna?
St. Dymphna was a Welsh-born nun many people revered as a holy saint. She is still venerated in her diocese of Wherwell, as well as in Poland, where she is referred to as one of the “saints of the dragon.”
Dymphna, the patron saint of mental illness, is also the patron saint of incest victims. In addition to her association with incest victims, she is also the patron saint of unmarried mothers, the deaf, and the mentally ill. The church gives her feast day is June 3. According to some sources, Dymphna is also the patron saint of incest victims due to her refusal (and for it, her beheading) to allow her father to have an incestuous relationship with her.
Can I pray to St. Dymphna for the mental health of my loved ones?
Keep in mind that there are many problems that might be affecting the mental health of your loved ones. While St. Dymphna can help with anxiety, overthinking, and stress, you might want to consider the Prayer to the Sorrows Of Mary against sorrows.
What can I do if a loved one won’t pray for themselves?
Sometimes when going through dark periods some people might find themselves unable even to look for help and pray. Do you have somebody you care about going through this? The St. Dymphna prayer can help your loved ones as well, and there are also other powerful prayers to your family and loved ones you can say.
What is the St. Dymphna Novena?
The ultimate goal of any Catholic prayer is to obtain the graces needed to live a sinless life. Catholic Novena prayers, such as the Veneration of the Blessed Mother of St. Dymphna, can help us do this. The Veneration of St. Dymphna is a popular prayer throughout the Catholic Church. St. Dymphna Novena is a Novena prayer that combines the Veneration of the Blessed Mother of God and the Novena to St. Dymphna. The Novena uses a simple format, asking her to intercede for the prayer’s supplicant.
A novena is a prayer or series of prayers, usually recited over a specified period of time. In the past, novenas were traditionally done for the health of the sick, but today they are done for almost any need or concern. There are several forms of novena that are used for different purposes. Some are long prayers, usually requiring several hours of prayer on consecutive days. Other novenas are set to periods of nine days, nine days of fasting, nine days of abstinence, or nine days of fasting and abstinence. Most novenas are intended to be practiced in an enclosed, supported environment, although they are sometimes done outside of church or some other place where they are protected from the elements and distractions.
The NOVENA TO ST. DYMPHNA
Pray the following prayer once a day for 9 days. The St. Dymphna Novena is a powerful prayer to the patron saint of mental illness.
St. Dymphna, a great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, the Health of the Sick.
You are filled with love and compassion for the thousands of patients brought to your shrine for centuries and for those who cannot come to your shrine but invoke you in their homes or hospitals. Show the same love and compassion toward me, your faithful client. The many miracles you have wrought through your intercession give me great confidence that you will help me in my present need. (state your specific request or intention here!)
I am confident of obtaining my request if it is for the greater glory of God and the good of my soul. For the sake of Jesus and Mary, whom you loved so earnestly, and for whom you offered your life in martyrdom, grant my prayer.
St. Dymphna, young and beautiful, innocent and pure, help me to imitate your love of purity. You chose to be martyred by your own father’s sword rather than consent to sin. Give me strength and courage in fighting off the temptations of the world and evil desires.
As you have given all the love of your heart to Jesus, help me to love God with my whole heart and serve Him faithfully. As you bore the persecution of your father and the sufferings of an exile so patiently, obtain for me the patience I need to accept the trials of my life with loving resignation to the will of God.
St. Dymphna, through your glorious martyrdom for the love of Christ, help me to be loyal to my faith and my God as long as I live. And when my hour of death comes, stand at my side and pray for me that I may at last merit the eternal crown of glory in God’s Kingdom.
Good St. Dymphna, I beg you to recommend my request to Mary, the Health of the Sick, and Comforter of the Afflicted, that both of you may present it to Jesus, the Divine Physician.
O God, You gave St. Dymphna to Your Church as a model of all virtues, especially holy purity, and willed that she should seal her faith with her innocent blood and perform numerous miracles. Grant that we who honor her as patroness of those afflicted with nervous and mental illness may continue to enjoy her powerful intercession and protection and attain eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
