She was a noblewoman, wife, mother of 8, nun, founder of a religious order, and saint.
Meet St. Bridget of Sweden, whose feast day is celebrated today (July 23rd)!
She lived in a turbulent century for the Church, but she never let politics—or her own suffering—drown out the call of Christ.
Bridget was married to a pious nobleman named Ulf. Together they lived a deeply devout life raising their 8 children. One of them, St. Catherine of Sweden, would go on to also become a saint!
After Ulf’s death, Bridget was sent down a surprising new path.
She began receiving vivid revelations from Christ, which she carefully dictated and preserved.
While still in Sweden, she received a vision instructing her to found a new religious order. Christ showed her a rule of life centered on poverty, prayer, and imitation of the Virgin Mary. The community would include both men and women—an unusual structure at the time—living in separate quarters but united under one abbess.
This vision became the Order of the Most Holy Savior, now known as the Bridgettines. Though she never saw the order fully approved in her lifetime, Bridget worked tirelessly to secure papal recognition. She even traveled to Rome, where she spent her final years in advocacy, writing, and prayer.
After her death, Pope Urban V approved the order. The first monastery was established in Vadstena, Sweden, and it became a center of spiritual renewal and learning. Bridget’s daughter, St. Catherine of Sweden, helped lead and spread the order after her mother’s death.
In her Revelations, Christ said to her:
“I chose you as a trumpet so that My words may be heard.”
That trumpet still sounds. Bridget’s voice—clear, insistent, faithful—remains a reminder that holiness often involves more than quiet devotion. Sometimes it means building something lasting, even when the world is falling apart.
