Prayers for People suffering from Epilepsy

In the Catholic Church, there are many saints who can be invoked for those suffering from epilepsy. I will try to list them here and perhaps add a short reason why they are considered such a patron saint. I will also provide a prayer if available for each saint.

St. Apollinaris of Ravenna
A native of Antioch, St. Apollinaris was made bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter himself. What a great honor. This saint suffered greatly under the persecution of various Roman emperors. Despite this, he continued to preach, even when Christianity was outlawed. He was known as a miracle worker and churches were built in his honor in Europe, especially in Germany.

Pope St. Cornelius
This saint and pope is an interesting figure. He was the Bishop of Rome during a debate in the Church over whether Christians who had practiced pagan rituals, offered sacrifices to idols, temporarily stopped practicing their Christian faith or performed other such actions so as to avoid being killed could be readmitted to the Church. One group led by Novatian thought that such people could not be forgiven by the Church or in this life but that it was left up to God whether such people could be forgiven.

Pope Cornelius, on the other hand, believed that such people could be reconciled with the Church after a period of repentance. Ultimately the viewpoint of Pope Cornelius prevailed. Novatian was also a pretender to the papacy and there was something of a struggle in that regard as well.

St. Dymphna
This is a very well-known saint who is asked to intercede often in the case of mental health issues. St. Dymphna has a very strange story. She devoted her life to Christ at a young age. When her mother died, her father, who was a petty king in Ireland, became very distraught. He sought a new wife but wanted someone who looked like his deceased spouse. The person who most closely resembled his dead wife was his daughter Dymphna. Horrifyingly, he attempted to marry his own daughter, so she fled to another country.

Eventually the king located Dymphna in Belgium where she had fled. He demanded she return with him to Ireland. When she refused, he took out his sword and cut off her head.

This tragic story is the source of St. Dymphna's patronage of those with mental illness. Clearly her father had gone crazy. Perhaps through her prayers in heaven, she was able to convert his heart.

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These are just 3 saints who are invoked against epilepsy. The following is a prayer against epilepsy said to St. Dymphna:

Good Saint Dymphna, great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, the Health of the Sick, in my present need. (Mention it.) Saint Dymphna, martyr of purity, patroness of those who suffer with nervous and mental afflictions, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray to Them for me and obtain my request.

(Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be.)

Saint Dymphna, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.