Depressed? Here’s a patron saint for you

𝘚𝘵. 𝘋𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘯𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an “estimated 16.1 million adults” suffer from depression on a yearly basis. Depression is a major health problem both in the United States and across the globe, with millions seeking help from anti-depressant medications and mental health professionals.

The source of depression is always complex and requires the appropriate medical attention. Each person is unique in his or her struggle and should approach this mental illness with due care, following the advice of those qualified to treat it.

On the spiritual side of the issue there are many saints who can be invoked to provide heavenly aid. One saint in particular is St. Dymphna, known for her intercession for those suffering mental disorders, depression, and anxiety.

Patron saint of those suffering from depression

Born in Ireland during the 7th century, Dymphna was the daughter of a pagan chieftain and a Christian mother.

Her mother died while Dymphna was a teenager and her father began to make advances on Dymphna, who promptly fled the country.

She reached Belgium and stayed in a city called Geel. Filled with rage, her father ran after her and searched until he found her. Dymphna refused her father’s continued advances and for that, he killed her.

During the Middle Ages a church housing her relics was dedicated to Dymphna in Geel. Hundreds of pilgrims came from all over Europe seeking healing from their mental illnesses. Countless miracles were credited to her intercession and the city of Geel became a center for treating mentally ill patients.

Treatment in the city centered on the patients having an active part in the life of the town before returning to the hospital at night. It was a groundbreaking community-based treatment that was in stark contrast to the asylums that treated the mentally ill as criminals who needed to be locked up.

Here is a short prayer to St. Dymphna to place those suffering mental illness into her loving hands.

𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘯𝘢, 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, 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. (𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵.) 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘯𝘢, 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯.

Source: Fear Not