8 October


. . . .is the traditional feast of "St. Bridget of Sweden. Day of death: July 23, 1373 (October 8 commemorates the day of her canonization I391). Grave: she died in Rome; her body was transferred to Vadstena, Sweden. Life. St. Bridget, patroness of Sweden and one of the great mystics of the Middle Ages, was born about the year 1303 at Upsala, Sweden. While still in the womb, she saved her royal mother from shipwreck at sea. A sermon on the sufferings of Christ made a lasting impression on her as a ten-year-old child; the following night she was privileged with a vision of the crucified Savior who invited her to meditate constantly on His bitter passion.

Later she married a nobleman and did eminently well in the difficult art of rearing children; for her daughter Katherine also received the honors of the altar. In 1344 her husband entered the Cistercian Order, where he soon died. Thereafter she was favored with extraordinary revelations. Following the wishes of our Savior, she founded a religious Order. She used her influence with Pope Urban V to encourage him to leave Avignon and return to Rome; but after a three-year residence at Rome, he left again for Avignon. In other respects, too, Bridget strove zealously for the reform of bishops and members of diocesan curias, of priests and monks.” [from “The Church’s Year of Grace”, Pius Parsch, vol V, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn, (1959), pgs. 269-270]