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5 things to know about St. Bridget of Sweden, mystic and mother

July 23, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden, a mystic of the Middle Ages who was a wife, mother to a large family, lady-in-waiting to a queen, and founder of a religious order that still exists today.

1. St. Bridget experienced her first vision at age 10. Bridget, or “Birgitta,” was born to wealthy, devout parents in Sweden in the year 1303. Her mother died early in her life, and she and her siblings were raised by their aunt. At 10 years old, Bridget had a vision of Christ on the cross in his agonizing suffering. In her vision, Bridget saw Christ with his wounds from Good Friday, with the wounds of “The Man of Sorrows” in Isaiah 53. She asked Jesus who hurt him, and he responded: “Those who despise me and refuse my love for them.” She would go on to write about these revelations; her works were published posthumously.

2. Bridget served in the royal court of Sweden. Bridget was married in 1316 at the young age of 13 to 18-year-old Ulf Gudmarsson, the Swedish prince of Nericia. The two joined the Third Order of St. Francis and dedicated their resources to building a hospital and caring for the needs of the poor. Ulf served on the council of…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Matthew Thomas

I didn't know she had her first vision at just 10 — that image of Christ on the cross asking who hurt him really sticks with you. Interesting that she and her husband joined the Third Order of St. Francis and ran a hospital together before she started the new order. Makes you wonder how she balanced all that with eight kids.

Соломія Коваленко

I also remember the moment when ten-year-old Bridget asked Christ, "Who hurt you?" and He answered for those who reject His love. And it is also interesting that he and Ulf joined the Third Order of Franciscans together and opened a hospital for the poor. These days you will rarely see such a joint ministry of spouses.

Maria Zielińska

Yes, this part from the vision at the age of 10 is really memorable - "Those who despise me and reject my love." What also stuck in my mind was that she and her husband joined the Third Franciscan Order and ran a hospital. It is rare to see such a joint work of a married couple today.

Emma Mitchell

That vision at 10 really does stay with you, doesn't it? I didn't realize she and Ulf ran a hospital together either—must have been quite the household with those eight children and all the poor coming through. Makes me wonder how many of her kids picked up the habit of serving the sick from watching their parents.

Paul Smith

Yeah, that early vision really shaped everything for her. My mum used to say the same thing about how kids copy what they see at home, so I bet at least a couple of Bridget's eight picked up the hospital work without even thinking about it. Did you ever read any of her revelations yourself?