Saint of the day: Bridget of Sweden

St. Bridget was born in Sweden in 1303. She was greatly devoted to Christ even as a child, and it is recorded that she saw a vision of Jesus on the cross at the age of 10.

When she was 14, Bridget married Ulf, an 18-year old who was also dedicated to following Christ, and they had eight children, one of whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. Bridget and Ulf both served in the Swedish court, and encouraged the king and queen to live more devout lives.

When Ulf died, Bridget lived as a poor nun, and in 1346, she started the order of the Most Holy Savior, also called the Bridgettines. Bridget received visions and messages from God throughout her whole life, often traveling to give people God’s messages. She also received several revelations of Jesus’s sufferings on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

St. Bridget died in Rome on July 23, 1373, and Pope Boniface IX canonized her as a saint in 1391.