Saint Bridget of Sweden was born in either 1302 or 1303 in Uppsala, Sweden as the daughter of the governor. He father was one of the greatest landowners in the country and her mother was known for her piety. Her family were descendants of the Swedish royal house. Her mother died around 1315 and she was raised by her aunt. When she was around 7 years old, she started receiving visions of the Crucifixions. At age 13 she married Prince Ulfo in an arranged marriage. She was the mother of 8 children, including Saint Catherine of Sweden. She was the chief lady-in-waiting to the Queen.
After her husband died in 1344, she made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain and pursued religious life, in which she was harassed by other in the court. She eventually renounced her title as princess and became a Franciscan tertiary. She received visions and they became very popular in the Middle Ages.
She founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) in Vadstena, Sweden in 1346 and received confirmation in 1370. There are a few houses today, one in CT that I will get to visit one day. She made more pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. She encouraged everyone she met to meditate on the passion of Christ Crucified. She died on July 23, 1373 in Rome. She was buried in Vadstena the Swedish convent she founded. She was canonized on October 7, 1391.
Here you can find the Fifteen Prayers of Saint Bridget.
"The world would have peace if only men of politics would follow the Gospels."
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