Saint Who?
Saints Who Promoted Marian Devotion
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Foundress († 1373) Feast: July 23
Bridget of Sweden, daughter of a powerful Swedish ruler, was married at about fourteen. She shared a life of generosity and prayer with her husband, Ulf, and they had eight children, one of whom is also honored as a saint. After her husband died, Bridget dedicated herself to prayer and service.
She experience many revelations, which she recorded and acted upon with the guidance of her confessors. The seven promises of Our Lady to those who meditate on her sorrows come from these visions. So did the inspiration to found a new and specially Marian religious community.
In order to gain approval for this order, Bridget traveled to Rome. Tradition has it that during this stay, as though by appointment, an angel came at regular times, and Bridget sat with pen and paper ready to take down his dictation. The Sermo Angelicus, a hymn in praise of Our Lady, formed the foundation for the Marian liturgy which Bridget’s order was to sing. Her “vision of a Marian order with an accompanying musical practice and distinct liturgy,” as one scholar describes it, finally came to fruition when she established the first convent of the Order of the Most Holy Savior, or the Bridgettines, in 1369. Bridget died in 1373 and was canonized less than twenty years later.
Heavenly Father, show me how to love my sorrowful Mother and help others to love her too.
