Birgitta of Sweden

Mystic

Birgitta Birgersdotter was born into a noble Swedish family in 1303. From an early age, she sensed that God was calling her to a religious life. Yet at only thirteen years old, she was married against her wishes to Ulf Gudmarsson, a member of the Swedish nobility. Their marriage produced eight children, and although her life was filled with the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood, Birgitta never lost her deep desire to live wholly for God.

Throughout her married life, she practiced a disciplined life of prayer, fasting, and devotion. When her husband was away, she openly followed a strict ascetic way of life; when he was home, she practiced it more quietly. Eventually, both Birgitta and her husband became members of the Franciscan Third Order, which allowed laypeople to follow Franciscan spirituality while remaining in their ordinary lives and families.

From childhood, Birgitta had experienced visions in which Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints spoke to her. These messages, which she believed were given for the benefit and correction of others, came to her in Swedish. She either wrote them down herself or dictated them to her confessor. Over time, the messages became increasingly concerned with the affairs of the Church and the rulers of Europe, a development that sometimes made Birgitta deeply uncomfortable.

Though she had a good relationship with the Swedish royal family, Birgitta did not hesitate to speak when she believed those in authority had strayed from what was right. She sharply criticized the king and eventually became something of a spiritual voice for those among the Swedish nobility who opposed him.

Her influence eventually reached far beyond Sweden. Birgitta wrote to popes, kings, queens, and other rulers throughout Europe. She condemned the extravagant lifestyles she saw among members of the clergy, religious orders, and the wealthy laity. She repeatedly urged the popes living in Avignon to return the papacy to Rome. She also appealed to the rulers of England and France to seek peace and bring an end to the conflict that would later become known as the Hundred Years’ War.

Birgitta was not always a comfortable voice to hear. She challenged both Church and state to repentance, humility, and faithfulness. Because of this, she became known throughout Europe as a visionary, reformer, and sometimes an uncomfortable counselor to those in power.

After the death of her husband in 1344, Birgitta gave herself completely to the religious life. Out of the revelations she had received came the religious community later known as the Order of the Most Holy Savior, or the Brigittines.

The structure she envisioned was unusual for its time. A Brigittine monastery would include both women and men living in separate cloisters but worshiping together in a shared church. The abbess would hold authority over the entire community. Birgitta traveled to Rome seeking papal approval for the new order, and in 1370 Pope Urban V approved its rule and permitted the establishment of the monastery at Vadstena in Sweden. Birgitta herself never became its first abbess. That responsibility later fell to her daughter Catherine.

Except for several pilgrimages, Birgitta remained in Rome for the rest of her life. There she ministered among both rich and poor, provided shelter for the homeless, and continued urging the Church toward reform. She never abandoned her hope that the pope would return from Avignon to Rome.

In 1372, Birgitta believed that God was calling her through another vision to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She traveled to Jerusalem, but on the journey home her health began to fail. Birgitta died in Rome on July 23, 1373.

Her influence did not end with her death. Her writings continued to circulate throughout Europe, and the religious order she founded continued her vision of prayer, discipline, and service. Birgitta was canonized in 1391.

In Sweden, her life and witness are especially remembered on October 7th, the anniversary of her canonization. Birgitta's story reminds us that the voice of faith is not always a comfortable one. Sometimes faithfulness requires speaking difficult truths to those in authority, serving those who have little, and remaining steadfast in prayer even when the world around us would rather not listen.