Background
St. Bridget of Sweden was the daughter of Birger Person, governor of Uppland, who was one of Sweden's most remarkable men. She grew up in an atmosphere of law and politics but also in a family of strong religious faith, and from an early age she had remarkable spiritual revelations. At 13 years of age she was married, much against her will but in obedience to her father, to Ulf Gudmarsson; the marriage was a happy one. One of Bridget's daughters is now honored as St. Katherine of Sweden.
In 1344 Ulf died and Bridget began the life to which she felt herself specially called--entire dedication to God.
She had spent some years as mistress of the robes to the frivolous young Queen Blanche (Blanka) of Sweden and now returned to give God's message to a wordly court.
Her revelations had become frequent, and one day she received a startling command--to found a new and strict religious order in honor of the Virgin Mary, with a special Divine Office in her honor. The order was to include 60 nuns and 25 monks, both communities to be strictly enclosed in their own separate cloisters. An estate at Vadstena was given for the new monastery by King Magnus Eriksson of Sweden, and building was begun. Bridget left Sweden to keep the Holy Year in Rome proclaimed for 1350, but Pope Clement did not himself go to Rome and the whole city was in a deplorable state of unrest. Bridget and her companions found a house in Rome; for approximately 18 years she waited, sending God's messages of warning, and pleading for the return from Avignon to Rome of the Holy See. She spent her time helping poor pilgrims and sheltering the homeless and those who had fallen into sin. Urban V, a Benedictine abbot, was elected pope in 1362, and finally came to Rome, only to give up his attempt to restore order in 1370. He returned to France and died there, but Bridget had received from him the leave to found her order, known as the Bridgettine order.
In 1372 she made a notable pilgrimage to the Holy Land, returning to Rome the following year. On July 23, 1373, she died peacefully in Rome. Her bones were taken back to Sweden and buried in the temporary church of the future monastery. Her daughter Katherine completed the establishment of the new rule.
Bridget was canonized by Pope Boniface IX on Oct. 7, 1391, and her feast is now kept on July 23.