Catherine of Sweden

About Catherine of Sweden

Catherine was the daughter of Saint Bridget of Sweden and continued her mother's spiritual legacy. Married at a young age to Egard von Kyren, Catherine persuaded her husband to live in continence and make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Olaf. After his death (some say they lived as brother and sister throughout their marriage), Catherine joined her mother Bridget in Rome around 1350 and helped care for pilgrims and the poor. Catherine accompanied Bridget on pilgrimages to Assisi, Monte Gargano, and the Holy Land. After Bridget's death in 1373, Catherine worked tirelessly to promote her mother's canonization and to establish the Bridgettine Order according to Bridget's revelations. She returned to Sweden with her mother's remains and became abbess of Vadstena Abbey, the motherhouse of the Bridgettines. Catherine lived an austere life of prayer and service, governing with wisdom and holiness. She is venerated for her own sanctity, not merely as Bridget's daughter. Canonized in 1484, her cult spread throughout Scandinavia.