Suffering pandemic heartbreak? Look to St. Dwynwen for a little solace

The Welsh nun experienced terrible heartache herself.

There’s been a lot of heartbreak over the past year. People have suffered the pain of losing loved ones, compounded by not being able to be by their side in their final moments; weddings needed to be pushed back; fathers have been excluded form the birth of their babies; and many relationships have floundered due to the strain of the pandemic.

With the pandemic still present in our lives, heartbreak seems like too much to bear. And you can’t exactly take a trip to get away from it all. Worse still, you can’t easily visit close friends and family for a big comforting hug. However, there is always help at hand: the intercession of St. Dwynwen.

This 5th-century Welsh nun experienced real heartache. There are various legends in which Dwynwen was denied happiness with the man she loved: in one account her father had arranged marriage with another suitor, and another account states that she’d already promised herself to God as a nun — a path she felt compelled to follow.

While Dwynwen might not have experienced a pandemic heartbreak, she most certainly understands the pain of losing a loved one and watching her dreams slowly dissipate before her, unsure of the future. There are a number of novenas to this patron saint of lovers, and here is one example that might help you through your own heartache:

Oh Blessed St. Dwynwen,

you who knew pain and peace,

division and reconciliation.

You have promised to aid lovers

and you watch over those whose hearts have been broken.

As you received three wishes from an Angel,

intercede for me to receive three blessings

to obtain my heart’s desire…

(Mention your need here …)

or if that’s not God’s will,

a speedy healing from my pain.

I ask for your guidance and assistance

that I may find love with the right person

at the right time and in the right way,

and an unshakable faith

in the boundless kindness and wisdom of God.

This I ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

St. Dwynwen,

Pray for us.