Geel 643. Three years after Dimfna's martyrdom, pilgrims flocked to the little town seeking the Gaelic Saint's spiritual intercession. But what became of Dimfna's friends? And what became of Mela? The Saints. Adventures of Faith and Courage. Saint Dimfna. Episode 5, Lily of Eiru. Listen to all the episodes and discover new shows at TheSaintsPodcast.com. This series made possible in part by the National Shrine of Saint Dimfna in Masselon, Ohio. For info or to plan a visit to the National Shrine, go to thesaintspodcast.com slash shrine. The Saints podcast dot com slash shrine. You promised you'd leave out the martyrdom part. I'm skipping it right now. Oh. I wasn't there. Was she very scared? Dimfna? No. She loved God too much to be scared of death. She wanted to be with him. Is that it? That's the whole story? No. We're just getting to the good part. I finished my chores at the inn as the storm rolled through. No one came by. No one even walked by our door. Everything seemed so still. While I waited and hoped Daemon would come in or Alice would walk through the door and start talking about how another Gaelic stranger had arrived in Giel. But she didn't. As soon as the storm passed, I went back up to the caves. Dimfna? Dimfna? Who's that? It's Maeve, Mila. Where's Dimfna? She's with her mother. With her mother and yours. What do you mean? She was hiding right here. He found her and father Jerbrin. No. Let's go back to the inn, Mila. Tell me. Coleman? Daemon found them in the caves. Father Jerbrin stood between him and Dimfna, but Daemon killed him. Wouldn't Dimfna refuse to marry him yet again? Daemon? Daemon. Martyrd, our sweet girl for her purity. No. Look at me, Mila. He couldn't. Come on, Mila. Let's go. Dimfna is safe in our Lord's arms now. Safe with Saint Patrick. Dimfna and Patrick will keep their pagan people on the trail of gold. Mila. Mila, my child. Where have you been? Father, Dimfna's dead. What? Yes. The girl? It's a long story. What happened? It was Daemon. Where is she? Gone. He won't come back here. Did he come back? I never saw him again. Thank God. But what happened to Coleman and Maeve? They're still here in Giel, telling her story. I remember the first time Coleman spun Dimfna's story for us. The whole town was gathered and the inn clamouring to know what had happened at the caves that day. This is outrageous. I want the facts. Lewis, pull me an ale. And a second. I will need it. One for me too, please. Word travels faster around here. Looks like the whole town is here. Father? It's time to tell them. All right, Mila. But there will be no end of questions once the story is out. They should know Dimfna's story. Fine. Would you all quiet down? My Gaelic friends have a story to tell you. I'll say they do. Have a drink, Alice. You tell them, Coleman. Who is Coleman? I was the fool in King Damon's court. That makes sense. Shush. In a grew, I told many tales. True and false for the entertainment of the king's court. I juggled for the princess and clowned for the queen. Hurry up and get to the end. I haven't got all night. Sure you do, Albert. This is the tale of the Lily of Eru, a maid from the Isle of the Saints. Though King Damon was a pagan, Dimfna's mother was a devout Christian, renowned for her piety and her great beauty. Dimfna was like her mother, the jewel of her home. Every affection and attention was lavished upon her from birth. She was tutored by her mother and our saintly father, Jerobran, in the teachings of the faith and baptized when she was a wee girl. When she was 14, Dimfna, like so many other noble maidens before and after her, chose Christ for her divine spouse and made a vow of chastity. Dimfna's story spread quickly. Miracles happened when the sicken spirit came on pilgrimage and begged her into session. Our sweet saint spins her heaven, looking out for people like you and me. I know. That's why I came. Dimfna is a powerful friend. The miracles I have seen, Genevieve. Tell me about them. There was a little girl who came here, sweet girl, but she had an illness and sometimes her eyes would roll back and her body would freeze. And after, she couldn't remember what happened. I saw someone like that once. It was frightening. She prayed at Dimfna's tomb and it never happened again. I could tell you so many more miracles. Like when Jesus cast out demons and healed the sick, it all happens right here, in this cave. Prayers are answered through Dimfna's intercession. She didn't answer my prayer. She brought you here. I prayed the Novena. Nothing happened. What did you expect? I expected a miracle. Well, you got a friend instead. What? Come on. Come see the end. It'll be full to bursting this time of day. All right. Who came with you? My brother. But he's gone now. Oh. Would you like to stay with me then? What do you mean? My father and I have a lot of strangers coming through the inn now. We could use another hint to help. And you could stay with me. Are you sure? Very sure. We take in all Dimfna's friends. Some stay for a few weeks. Some never leave. Alice and Albert have a couple living with them. And Elsa's willing to open up her home at any hour. But not many people take our up on it. She's not a very good cook. I counted 15 pilgrims coming to pray to Dimfna today. I had at least 10 come by my market. Mostly French. A few gales. I've had to start taking coins. Business was too good to pass up. Oh. I'm shocked. I never thought I'd see it. Ah, Mila. I need your help. Pour Albert an ale and get more food from the back room. Yes, Father. Did you bring a friend? Genevieve. She might need to stay with us for a while. Alright then. Have a pull up a chair. I'll be back in a minute. Make yourself at home. Thank you. Hi. I'm Rose. Hi, Rose. Are you Mila? No. Oh. I wanted to hear about Dimfna. I could tell you. Can you? I want to hear the whole story. I've only heard beats and pieces. Is it true she flew up into the air like an angel? No. She kept both feet on the ground. You know the story? Yes. I can tell you about the lily of Eru. The heart of Giel. Dimfna was canonized in 1247 and declared the patron saint of the mentally ill. In 1286, the infirmary of Saint Elizabeth was founded in Giel to help care for the pilgrims to Dimfna's tomb. The people of Giel transformed the town into a refuge for the mentally ill, taking them in his borders. The quiet and effective way the people of Giel care for those with mental illnesses through foster family care has become an international standard studied to this day. Dimfna's legacy of healing and hope lives on in Giel, Belgium, and witnesses to her presence as our friend in heaven. Saint Dimfna, pray for us.
