This week in Christian history: Saint Bridget dies, Oswald Chambers born, Pilgrims

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, July 21, 2019

Saint Bridget of Sweden dies – July 23, 1373

A painting of Saint Bridget of Sweden, also known as Birgitta of Sweden, on an altarpiece in Salem church, Södermanland, Sweden. | Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the anniversary of when Saint Bridget of Sweden, a Medieval mystic and founder of the Brigittines — also called the Order of the Most Holy Savior — died.

The daughter of a governor, Bridget claimed to have had religious visions that guided her life. Following the death of her husband in 1844, Bridget turned to a deeply spiritual life.

“She went to Rome in 1350 and, except for several pilgrimages, remained there for the rest of her life,” explained Britannica.

“She exercised a wide apostolate among rich and poor, sheltering the homeless and sinners, and she worked untiringly for the return of the pope from Avignon to Rome.”