The connection between St. Valentine and Dublin!

The Shrine of St. Valentine, The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Dublin, Ireland, Photo Courtesy, Carmelite Friars, Whitefriar St.

February is the month when we celebrate Valentine’s Day. This occurs every year on the 14^th of February. It is a day when we honor couples and marriages on the feast day of St. Valentine. Did you know there is a connection between St. Valentine and the city of Dublin?

St. Valentine’s remains are scattered in Madrid, Spain, Prague, Czech Republic and Glasgow, Scotland. But did you know that some of his remains are also located in Dublin? The patron saint of love and marriage and freedom of religion is located at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Whitefriar Street in Dublin. 

The month of February is a very busy time at the Church with not only national and international media interest but also many couples stop at the shrine of St. Valentine to receive a blessing. Some also stop at the shrine to seek healing from various illnesses. St. Valentine is also the patron saint of those who suffer from epilepsy.  So how did St. Valentine’s remains end up in Dublin, Ireland?

It goes back to the 1800s and Fr. John Spratt (1796-1871) who was a Prior of the Whitefriar Church at that time. Fr. Spratt was a prominent figure in Dublin and was known as a tireless worker for the homeless and the poor. He also founded schools and an orphanage, homes for the blind and even a night shelter. He was a very popular figure at the time.

Reliquary that contains of some of the remains of St. Valentine in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Dublin, Ireland, Photo Courtesy: Carmelite Frair at WhitefrairFriar, Whitefriar St.

Fr. Spratt was in Rome in 1835 on a preaching tour. During an audience with Pope Gregory XVI, he was presented with the relics of St. Valentine. This was a gift to Fr. Spratt as a token of esteem from Pope Gregory. But it was also a gesture of solidarity between the Catholics of Ireland and the Vatican. This was also a time when the Penal Laws had recently ended in Ireland. The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was originally built in 1827 which was on the site of the earliest Carmelite Church. The remains of St. Valentine were interred in 1836 and has been there ever since.

St. Valentine’s history dates to the 3^rd century when he was living in Rome. The emperor at the time was Claudius II or also referred to as Claudius the Cruel. He was considered the first in a line of soldier emperors who restricted soldiers in the Roman army from getting married. St. Valentine married couples in secret and defied the marriage ban. He was eventually arrested and executed on the 14^th of February in the year 269. Thus, the 14^th of February is not only Valentine’s Day but also the feast day of St. Valentine.

The Whitefriar Church does offer tours of the shrine and the church. More information on the Whitefriar Street Church and the shrine to St. Valentine can be found on the website https://whitefriarstreetchurch.com/saint-valentine/. Thanks to the Carmelite Friars at Whitefriar Street for the information and pictures.