Dymphna

A story based on the life of Saint Dymphna; the patron saint of the mentally ill.

 I couldn't tell you that Dymphna had a normal childhood, but then again who did in biblical times. It was the offbeat track in a small village in Ireland. The population was somewhat diverse, and the public was open to differences. Dymphna parents was of a diverse couple; her father who was a high pagan chief, and her mother who was a devout christian. The family lived in peace for years at what seemed to be an everlasting bond. Things changed when Dymphna mother died. The father took it the hardest, as well as her kindness in her heart; the father adored how beautiful his wife was. Even in the village she was what they held their beauty standards by. The father went mad with the loss of his wife and sent his followers to look for another woman that was as beautiful as his past wife. He was unsuccessful with his search.

The father grew even more into a spiral of madness. He couldn't take it anymore until he realized something; her daughter was just as beautiful as his wife. It was at night when the father decided to execute his plan to regain the beauty he once had. He creeped into Dymphna's room, he only allowed a tiny crack of light to seep into the room. As he approached the bed Dymphna woke to see the crazed look on his father's face. His father broke into a rant as soon as he saw her beautiful eyes. The rant went on with the only point being that he would stop at nothing to marry the beauty that Dymphna held. The father was too distracted by his delusion he let Dymphna sneak out into the night. Dymphna could think of only one place that would feel safe, the parish where her mom use to go, to see the minister there that she has not seen or spoke to since her mother had passed.

When she arrived at the parish, only to have the sole company of Jesus on the cross. Praying is what felt right in the moment Dymphna was in, she had no one to turn to. She prayed and prayed, believed, and loved god. A moment passed when the minister of the parish walked through the church doors. An act of faith would be the cliché way to put it, for it was abnormal for the minister to go to the church at such a late hour. This time the minister was checking over what he had written for the sermon; something that he had to fix and that was bothering him. When he walked through the humble church doors and saw the back of Dymphna's head he knew exactly who she was, after all she had the beauty of her mother. Dymphna was joyous and relieved to see the the minister in hopes that he could help. She explained that her father has gone crazy for the search and possession of beauty. She explained how she has never seen her father act this way and that she knew something was off and terrible wrong inside her father's head. The minister calmed her down and reassured her that she was safe within the walls of the church. This was true for only a moment when her father slammed through the church's doors. The minister saw the look that Dymphna saw, he knew that they were no match for the lunacy inside the father. The minister told Dymphna to run into his office and lock the door and to look for the name of the person that could find her a safe haven. Dymphna reluctantly ran into the office, locked the door and began looking for the contact that could save her life. Outside the office doors only prayers and sounds of lost hope were heard . Finally Dymphna found the contact she was looking for, it was another minister in a nearby village. She sneaked out the window and fled into the night.

Dymphna reached the village filled with exhaustion; she made it to yet another checkpoint to her ultimate goal of safety. She found the church that the minister had told her to go to. When she arrived at the doorsteps the pastor there had been expecting her, with a plan already in place. Then pastor explained that she could be set up in a church in Belgium in a town called Gheel. Dymphna was nervous about leaving her land and her father which she still felt remorse and sorrow for what had become of his once caring mind. She knew what was right though. She packed her things and followed the instructions to Gheel.

When she arrived at the church at Gheel she was welcomed by the other members who were staying there. For the first few days Dymphna stayed reclusive in her room, but once encouraged by fellow peers she finally went out to explore the town. The town was filled with many good people that filled her heart with hope again. It was one night where Dymphna found her future calling.

It was one night when Dymphna was walking in town with her fellow roommates came across a fellow was sitting in a dark alley. Dymphna and her girls approached the man and inquired about his melancholy manner. The man explained that he lives a happy life, has everything that is needed to be satisfied, yet he was unhappy and felt like there was always a cloud over his head. The man went on further to explain that he grows more and more frustrated every day not knowing what causes him to feel this way. The man continues to explain that he goes to church every day asking for relief in his mind. That he tries to prevent thoughts entering his mind that questions God's love towards him. Dymphna was appalled by how the man's mind was in such disarray that he was started to question God's love for him. This was on her mind for the rest of the night.

Dymphna went straight to the head Pastor to explain what she had saw that night. The pastor told Dymphna that this was common among the public in Gheel, and to be wary about going through town. He said that town seems to emit an energy that can cause a sickness in the mind. Dymphna could only think of her father and how she could see the sickness in his head.

Dymphna went to her room. She prayed on her bed like usual and prayed God to bless her father, her church, her fellow church mates, and then something she had not prayed for before. Something that now she is praying for them, she did not know why she had not been praying for them before. She began to pray for the public of Gheel and those who are sick in the head. While she was praying she wondered how she could help a person of an ailment that just by looking at the subject wouldn't seem that there is anything wrong with them. She prayed for the knowledge to help these people. Also for the drive and push to be given by the divine to start a mission.

Dymphna woke up with an epiphany state of mind. Her mind rushed with goals to heal the mindfully ill. In her heart was filled with love, kindness, and total compassion for the people she was now born to help. She walked into town ; she knew that mind-sick people are hard to identify, but this time she could feel people. Dymphna had now been endowed with the ability to sense people's energy and mood. To see if they had full assurance in the faith and the love of God. With this ability she could find people that needed her help. Like a compass, Dymphna was drawn to back alley in town; in the alley she had to witness a sin, but she could not intervene, she knew that in order to help she had to watch and observe to understand the mind-sick. She watched this young woman be with a man in a sinful way. It was hard for Dymphna to watch a sin brought on my a man and a woman that Dymphna could sense was a good-hearted soul. After the sinful lay, the woman went to the market, where she bought items from all bargainers. Dymphna watched the horrible and numerable sins this woman committed; she over spend, committed the sin of greed; buying and buying, selling her body for products that were too expensive for her. She was very beautiful, someone that would seem who people be magnified to, someone where people should be looking in awe, but know the only looks she got was that of pity from her rants that she was saying to herself and looks of wary and hesitation for the way she was dressed half like a prostitute and half like she had just gotten out of bed without changing her clothes for multiple days and with no showering. Dymphna watched for multiple days to gain knowledge of ill headed. One day while Dymphna was watching the woman Dymphna had to act for the woman was on top of the clock tower delusion screaming that she could fly and that she was on a mission from an angel to fly to the heavens for they were in trouble. There was not enough time to run up to the top where the woman was. It was quick thinking from a divine source that let Dymphna to use her ability to feel people's emotions to tap into the disturbed woman's mind. Once in the woman's mind, Dymphna truly felt how twisted her mind was. It's hard to say what Dymphna did inside the woman's mind, but explaining to a person of faith might take a leap of belief and say it was an act of God; for the non-believers, well they probably would just dismiss as a fluke in science. Dymphna in most respects understood what was going on in the woman's mind and soothed the troubles she had. She had made the woman know that she is not alone and that God will always love her and see her through the trials she faces in her mind. The woman came down from the ledge and reacted to if as if she had no memory of the event. The woman was still pretty shaken up and was a little disoriented, so Dymphna decided to take her to the church.

At the church the woman came closer to full lucidity. She was very thankful for the power Dymphna used on her. The woman later explained that she goes through waves of acting delusional on having divine power, an unusual amount energy, having a lot of thoughts that that have no direction, she went on to describe how twisted her mind made her feel. Dymphna persuaded the pastor to let the woman stay at the church until she was feeling well enough to interact safely with the Gheel population. This was the beginning of something, something that will help people, people that most people brush off their shoulders and avoid eye contact, so they won't have conversation with them.

Dymphna was proud of her deed, yet humbled by the gracious gift that God had endowed onto her. She now was on a mission from God to help these people that are not right in the head. With her ability to feel others pain she helped countless of people from Gheel and nearby lands. People came from all over with problems describing them as unable to enjoy happy moments, being under the impression that people were after them, they were out of control in sexual activities, and people who inflict physical pain onto themselves. Dymphna healed all of them with a modest demeanor. Some were worse off then others, so some stayed at the church , Dymphna could take special care of them. Dymphna had a special way of dealing with the sick, instead of secluding them in a confined place away from the public, she allowed them, supervised, to go into town and socialize with the public. She also educated the towns people about how the sick needed to be understood in order for them not to be afraid of society.

Word got around of the miraculous stories Dymphna had been through. One was a story of a man that when he even came close to the door of his abode fear would resonate in his eyes. People who had learned from Dymphna word helped this man by getting him food. The people helping him sought the advice Dymphna. When Dymphna heard of this man's strife; it wasn't anything that she could not handle. She understood the anxiety that the man felt of the big wide world. Went Dymphna worked her miracle the man was suddenly eager to see the world, as if he was in a coma for years and wanted to catch up on all the worlds events. Dymphna had yet again helped a lost soul.

Most of the miracles that Dymphna had performed were standard to her, although there were the occasional odd balls of the masses. Like in the case of Walter; Walter was troubled, he was troubled in a different manner. Dymphna had taken a special interest in the case for reason that Walter was a very thoughtful man; he thought of everything he did and questioned everything. He even questioned the bible. He did not question the existence of God or the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ was the savior of mankind's sins. His questions were much more... deeper if you want to put it that way. These thoughts had impede his power of faith. Dymphna knew it would take more than a miracle to help Walter. Dymphna did not know what to expect with Walter. Dymphna walked in Walters room. The room was dark, dusty, and Dymphna sensed a smell that she had not smelled before, but once she smelled it she knew what it was; it was the stench of despair and hopelessness. She had not experienced before; this was more of a sense of nothing and void. She walked into the place seeing walls being covered in writing. Walter appeared  

Reviews

[Ethan]

In most cases, repeating Dymphna would bother me a lot. But I actually like it a lot here, it's almost alienating and I like that feeling a lo. Great job man