Today, 15 May, is the feast of ...
Dympna, martyr (650) - Her cult flourished in the
thirteenth century in the town of Gheel which is located 25
miles from Antwerp. Dympna's shrine was frequented by
people who sought cures for mental illnesses.
Dympna's town, Geel, is even today renowned as a place where
mentally ill people are integrated within the community. Through the
centuries many Geel families provided a home to mentally ill people,
who learned to function within the family and who were appreciated
for what they were and could contribute to family life. There was
(and is) also a central institution that monitored the patients and
the families they resided in. This treatment of the mentally ill
proved very successful. My aunt once told me that she frequently heard
people speak of their "fool" ("onze zot") affectionately. There are
also quite some good-natured jokes about Geel because of the
visibility of the patients in the life of the town.
Every so many years there is also a Dympna procession that celebrates
the life and martyrdom of the town's patron saint.
Marleen
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Marleen Cre
University of Antwerp
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