The Bridgettine Order – A Journey Through History

1. Founded by St. Bridget of Sweden (1370)
• St. Bridget of Sweden (1303–1373), a mystic and visionary, received divine revelations instructing her to establish a new monastic order.
• In 1370, Pope Urban V approved the Rule of the Order.
• The motherhouse was established at Vadstena Abbey, Sweden, which became a spiritual and cultural center.
• The Order was unique for its double monastery structure – one section for nuns and another for monks, both under the authority of an Abbess.
• Their motto and spirit centered on union with the Crucified Christ and prayer for the Church.

2. Early Expansion and Influence (14th–16th Century)
• The Bridgettine Order spread rapidly across Europe: Sweden, Italy, England, Poland, and other nations.
• Known for deep prayer life, devotion to the Passion of Christ, and hospitality.
• Many monasteries became important centers of learning, culture, and charity.
• The English Bridgettine foundation at Syon Abbey (1415) became one of the most famous and influential monasteries in pre-Reformation England.

3. Decline (16th–19th Century)
• With the Protestant Reformation, many Bridgettine monasteries in Northern Europe were dissolved or destroyed.
• The motherhouse at Vadstena was closed in 1595.
• The Bridgettine spirit, however, survived in scattered communities.

4. Renewal by St. Elisabeth Hesselblad (1911)
• In the early 20th century, St. Elisabeth Hesselblad (1870–1957), a Swedish convert and nurse, felt called to revive the Bridgettine Order.
• She established the Bridgettine Sisters of the Most Holy Savior in Rome, with the Generalate at the Casa di Santa Brigida (St. Bridget’s house in Piazza Farnese).
• This renewed branch emphasized hospitality, ecumenism, and prayer for Christian unity.
• She was canonized in 2016.

5. The Bridgettine Order Today
• Two main branches exist today:
1. The Medieval (Enclosed) Bridgettines – contemplative nuns.
2. The Modern Bridgettine Sisters – active- contemplative sisters, blending prayer with works of charity, hospitality, and ecumenical dialogue.

• From Rome, the new Foundation spread to the following countries, in addition to Italy: Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, India, Palestine, Israel, the Philippines, Indonesia, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Today, the Order has 59 houses.
• Saint Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad died in Rome on April 24, 1957, was beatified on April 9, 2000, and canonized on June 5, 2016.