St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those who suffer from mental illness, anxiety, depression and emotional distress, and of the people who care for them. For more than seven centuries the town of Geel (Gheel) in Belgium, where she is buried, has welcomed people with mental illness into its families, a tradition that began with pilgrims to her shrine.
Below are prayers to St. Dymphna for yourself, for someone you love and for caregivers, Scripture for anxious days, her story, and a simple novena.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, please reach out now: in the United States call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or call your local emergency number. Seeking help is an act of courage, not a lack of faith.
A prayer to St. Dymphna for yourself
Written for this page:
St. Dymphna, you knew fear, flight and suffering at a young age,
and you trusted God through it all.
Pray for me in my anxiety and sadness.
Ask Jesus to quiet my mind, lift the heaviness from my heart
and give me the strength to take the next small step.
Help me to accept the help of doctors, counselors and friends,
and never to lose hope in God’s love for me.
St. Dymphna, pray for me. Amen.
A prayer for a loved one with mental illness
St. Dymphna, I place in your care (name),
who is suffering in mind and heart.
Ask God to give him (her) peace, healing and the right help,
to protect him (her) from despair and harm,
and to let him (her) feel that he (she) is loved.
Give me patience and wisdom to support him (her) well. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer for caregivers and mental health workers
St. Dymphna, patron of all who care for the troubled in mind,
bless the doctors, nurses, counselors, families and friends
who walk with people in mental illness.
Give them compassion, skill and rest,
and let them see Christ in those they serve. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Short prayers for anxious moments
- St. Dymphna, pray for me.
- Jesus, I trust in you.
- Lord, you are near to the brokenhearted.
- Come, Holy Spirit, give me peace.
Scripture for anxiety and depression
The Psalmist speaks to his own downcast soul:
Why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance,
And my God. My soul is troubled within myself: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniim, from the little hill.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.
Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
St. Paul’s advice to the anxious:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.
Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
See more prayers and Bible verses in our Catholic prayers for healing and Catholic prayer for strength.
The story of St. Dymphna
According to a thirteenth-century account, Dymphna was the daughter of a pagan king in Ireland and a Christian mother. After her mother’s death, her father, overcome with grief and madness, wanted to marry her. Dymphna fled with her confessor, the priest Gerebernus, across the sea to the village of Geel in present-day Belgium. Her father found them there; Gerebernus was killed, and when Dymphna refused to return with him, the king struck her down. She was about fifteen.
The details of the story cannot be verified historically, but her veneration at Geel is very old, and the healings reported at her tomb drew many people suffering from mental illness. A hospice was built beside her church, and the townspeople began taking pilgrims into their homes, a model of family care for people with mental illness that continues in Geel today.
A simple novena to St. Dymphna
For nine days, pray the prayer for yourself or for a loved one, read one of the Scripture passages above, and pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be. A good time is May 6 to 14, before her feast on May 15, but you may begin any day. Many people also pray the prayers of the Rosary slowly, letting the repetition calm the mind.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Dymphna the patron saint of?
Mental illness, anxiety, depression, nervous disorders, epilepsy, victims of abuse and incest, runaways, and those who care for the mentally ill.
When is St. Dymphna’s feast day?
May 15. She is honored in the Roman Martyrology and especially in Belgium, Ireland and the United States.
Can a Catholic take medication for depression or anxiety?
Yes. Medicine, therapy and prayer work together. Using the means God gives through medicine is good and wise; see our Catholic prayers for healing.
Is depression a lack of faith?
No. Many saints suffered darkness of mind and soul. Mental illness is an illness, not a sin, and deserves care and compassion.
More prayers
- Catholic prayer for anxiety
- Patron saints of mental health
- Catholic prayers for healing
- Patron saints for every need
- Prayer for the sick
- The St. Raphael prayer
- Catholic night prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 41:6–7; Psalm 33:19; Matthew 11:28; Philippians 4:4–7, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Life: Johann Peter Kirsch, “St. Dympna,” Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), after the Vita by Pierre of Cambrai (thirteenth century).
- The prayers on this page were written for this page.