In Geel, Saint Dimpna is everywhere. In the church, in the Gasthuismuseum, in the names of hospitals and schools, and among the residents who open their homes to provide home care for people with mental health challenges.
Dimpna was an Irish princess from the seventh century. She was the daughter of a Christian mother and a pagan father. When her mother died, her father went mad. He wanted to marry Dimpna. So the girl fled the country. She went to Antwerp and then fled into the Kempen region. Dimpna settled near a small place of worship dedicated to Saint Martin. Her father found her there after a few years. He asked her to marry him again. When Dimpna refused, he cut off her head.
After her death, the people of the Kempen noticed something strange. Mentally ill people who prayed at her grave began to recover. As a result, Dimpna was soon venerated as a saint. The church housing her relics became a place of pilgrimage for people with mental health issues. This gave rise to a unique tradition. Not only is there a psychiatric care center, but various families in Geel also take in patients with mental health issues into their homes. That centuries-old system of home care even made the front page of The New York Times in 2023.
Five Flemish Masterpieces
Inside St. Dimpna’s Church, you’ll find five Flemish masterpieces. The highlight is the altarpiece. This sculpted narrative depicts the life of Dimpna. Nearby, in the Gasthuismuseum, you can see how the Augustinian nuns took in and cared for the sick for centuries. The sisters developed their own medicines, for example against the plague, and they preserved the silver reliquary of Dimpna.
This story was created by OKV for FAAM - Virtual Museum.
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