Bridget or Birgitta was born in Sweden in 1303. She married Ulf Gudmarsson in 1316 and bore him eight children, including St Catherine of Sweden. After Ulf’s death in 1344, she continued to live in the world but devoted herself to the ascetic life as a member of the Third Order of St Francis. She founded a religious community (Bridgettines) and received a number of mystical revelations. She corresponded with European monarchs, promoting peace and the return of the papacy from Avignon to Rome. She made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome for the sake of penance. She wrote many works in which she related her mystical experiences. She died in Rome in 1373 and was canonised on 7 Oct 1391. – CTS New Daily Roman Missal 2012, p 2845; Christian Prayer 1990, p 1175
