Saint of the Day – 25 January – St Dwynwen (Died c460) Virgin, Princess, Nun. Patronages – lovers (especially in Wales where her Feast today is celebrated in a similar as that of St Valentine’s Feast on 14 February), of the sick and of animals in danger. Also known as – Donwen, Donwenna, Dunwen, Dwyn – this last is the ‘pet’ name of our Saint and the most often used.
Dwynwen lived in the 5th Century, the daughter of Saint Brychan of Brecknock (6 April), a prolific Welsh King who fathered 24 sons and daughters, all venerated as Saints and very famous especially in the Celtic world. Dwynwen, another daughter of the august parent King was then naturally a Princess. She was a beautiful and virtuous girl and fell madly in love with a Welsh Prince, Maelon Dafodrill,but the idea of marriage faded naturally from her heart.
Several legends have attempted to find an explanation for this loss of the romantic fervour – one of them could be that King Brychan had already promised his daughter to another Prince. The Saint, however, understood that her calling was to dedicate her existence to God by undertaking a religious life. She then tried to separate from Maelon but he reacted by drastically changing towards her and becoming unbearable.
Dwynwen took refuge in the woods, raising fervent prayers to God to help her and put an end to her miseries. She fell asleep and when she awoke she had been given a sweet drink which immediately deprived her of Maelon’s attentions and the sadness of her heart. The same drink was given to Maelon but in him, it had the effect of transforming him into an ice statue. Dwynwen then prayed again for three of her requests to be granted – that Maelon be freed from the ice, that she might never wqish to marry again and finally, that all lovers, with the help of God, find happiness through the fulfillment of their love or be healed of their passions.
God granted all her prayers and she did not hesitate to devote her entire existence to Him. She then founded a Convent on the Island of Llanddwyn, just opposite the Island of Anglesey (Yns Mon). She died there around the year 460.
Here a fountain of fresh water called Ffynnon Dwynwen was considered a holy spring and soon became a place of pilgrimage. Over time the Saint was also invoked for the healing of the sick and animals in danger, a tradition which has survived to the present day.
The ruins of Llanddwyn Chapel, a 16th Century Tudor Church built on the site of an ancient priory, can still be seen today. St Dwynwen’s name is also invoked in the Town of Porthddwyn and a Church remains dedicated to her in the British peninsula of Cornwall.
St Dwynwen is celebrated especially throughout Wales and by lovers, on 25 January. One of the Dwynwen’s favourite maxims was: “Nothing wins hearts like joy.”
AnaStpaul 