St. Dymphna Shrine in Massillon celebrates 85th anniversary
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MASSILLON − In many ways, St. Dymphna is needed now more than ever.
Born in Ireland during the seventh century, St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those with nervous and emotional disorders, including depression, anxiety, autism, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Divine Mercy/St. Mary’s Catholic Church is celebrating the National Shrine of St. Dymphna's 85th anniversary. The church, 206 Cherry Road NE, will host a ceremony at 1 p.m. and a Mass at 2 p.m. May 21. The Very Rev. Canon Matthew Mankowski will preside.
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Who is St. Dymphna?
Known as "the Lily of Éire," St. Dymphna is venerated by both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians. According to the story, she undertook a religious vow at 14 to remain celibate. She was just 15 when she was beheaded by her widowed, mentally ill father, King Damon, after resisting his plans to marry her.
She was canonized by the Catholic Church in 620. Her story was first recorded during the 13th century by a canon in France.
Her feast day is May 15.
St. Dymphna was credited with miraculous healings of people with mental disorders after her tomb was discovered in Geel, Belgium, where she fled with her priest, two servants and the king's fool before Damon found them and killed them.
Her remains were kept in Geel, in a church built in her honor in 1349. It burned down in the 15th century. A second Church of St. Dymphna was built in 1532.
St. Dymphna traditionally is depicted wearing a crown and robes, holding a sword, and with a broken chain at her feet.
St. Dymphna shrine in Massillon
The National St. Dymphna Shrine was established on the grounds of the former Massillon State Hospital in 1938 by the late Rev. Matthew Herttna to give priests a place in the hospital to celebrate Mass for its Catholic patients.
In 2017, William and Patricia Crookston donated money for a new shrine after St. Mary's was heavily damaged by arson in 2015. The new shrine was designed by the Rev. Edward Gretchko, a pastor of St. Mary's who retired in 2022.
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This year, St. Mary's became part of Divine Mercy parish, the result of a merger with St. Barbara and St. Joseph parishes.
The Mass will be broadcast on the Shrine’s Facebook page and then later on YouTube. Light refreshments will be served in the St. Mary School gymnasium following the Mass.
To learn more, visit https://natlshrinestdymphna.org/site/ or call 330-833-8478, or email to:stdymphnashrinemassillon@gmail.com.
Mental illness fact sheet
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness each year.
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.
1 in 6 U.S. youths ages 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: St. Dymphna Shrine turns 85
