St. Catherine of Sweden

St. Catherine of Sweden was born in 1331 to St. Bridget of Sweden and Ulf Gudmarsson. At a young age, she was educated at the Cistercian convent in Risberg. Despite being married at 13 to a nobleman, she and her husband took a vow of perpetual chastity. After her husband's death, Catherine joined her mother in Rome, where they engaged in charitable work and prayer. Following her mother's death in 1373, Catherine returned to Sweden to bury her at Vadstena Abbey, which her mother had founded. She became the abbess of Vadstena and worked tirelessly to promote her mother's canonization and secure papal approval for the Bridgettine Order.

Catherine's leadership and spiritual writings, including "Consolation of the Soul," contributed significantly to the development of Bridgettine spirituality. She played a crucial role in translating her mother's revelations and advocating for the order's recognition. Her diplomatic missions to Rome were instrumental in securing papal support. St. Catherine died on March 24, 1381, and was canonized in 1484 by Pope Innocent VIII. She is revered as a patron saint of expectant mothers and those seeking protection against miscarriage. Her legacy continues to influence Swedish spirituality, monastic reform, and women's education.