A Catholic convert from Sweden lifted today in the Saints’ circuit, when Mother Elizabeth canonized by the Pope in the Vatican. Our first saint since the 1300s renewed the words that Saint Birgitta founded, and as Pope Urban V approved the 1370th
Elizabeth Hasselblad (1870-1957). Photo: TT
Today owns a historic event rooms in Christendom’s center, then Elizabeth Hasselblad by Pope Francis canonized in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. It is a great event not only in the Catholic Church but also for our modern secularized Swedes: the last time someone from our country canonized was 625 years ago, when it was Birgitta Birgersdotter (1303-1373) as the October 7 1391 was appointed St. Birgitta .
Peter’s Square gathered huge crowds to the spot following kanonisationen. Via live TV and the world’s largest radio station, Vatican Radio, fly Elisabeth Hesselblads name honored the world. A contributing factor to so many pilgrims and tourists are in place simultaneously canonized also a Polish priest, Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary.
What is a saint? On the matter said at the time Archbishop Nathan Söderblom: “Saints are people who, in word and deed shows that God lives.” What is it that made this Catholic convert from Sweden now lifted in the Saints circuit? The main reason is that Elizabeth Hasselblad renewed the words Birgitta Birgersdotter founded and as Pope Urban V approved the 1370th
In addition, she worked purposefully to strengthen the ecumenical ties with Sweden. Jesus expressed the desire that “they may all be one” (John 17:21) as the beacon was the mother of Elisabeth’s innermost desire that her compatriots would return to their fathers Catholic faith, the Gustav Vasa and the Reformation cut ties with the Vasteras Riksdag 1527th
today seems mother Elisabeth’s recent sisters primarily as intercessors and the bearer of an ecumenical endeavor. The most concrete evidence of this is that the then generalabbedissan mother Hilaria from Switzerland in 1972 succeeded Paul VI’s approval to establish an ecumenical chapel of the Swedish church in a crypt under the church Bridget in Piazza Farnese in Rome. This unique chapel was named after the daughter Bridget St. Catherine.
Elisabeth Hesselblads life was not only hardworking but filled with illness, pain and many setbacks. But her strong faith and spiritual strength of will did she overcame his bodily weakness and managed to realize their dreams. The premier was to renew the medieval words Birgitta Birgersdotter founded and giving it a new power center in Rome in the house where Birgitta lived and worked for 19 years and where she died July 23, 1373.
Elizabeth Hasselblad born June 4, 1870 in the small town Fåglavik northeast of Herrljunga. She was the eldest daughter in a family of 13 children in total. His father ran a small general store. The family were soon forced for economic reasons to move to Dalarna where his father died. Even as a 18-year-old Elisabeth emigrated to the United States to be able to support himself and his Swedish family. She was first employed as a maid in a family in New York and educated then to nurse. During his years in America she came in contact with the Catholic Church and decided in 1902 to convert.
When she spring of 1903 in the company of two South American women friends traveled from New York to Rome, “The Eternal City” saw Elizabeth Hasselblad in an inner vision Bridget Hall. A short time later she was able to step into the Birgitta church and here she received her calling. Saint Birgitta spoke to her: “This is where I want you to serve me.” In Birgitta house she felt very strongly that it was a part of Swedish history and was overwhelmed by a “feeling of being at home.”
Since Elisabeth returned to the United States, she became seriously ill and her desire was now to return to Bridget Hall, and die there. With the support of his brother Sten Ture Hesselblad she could in March 1904 the journey to Rome.
Bridget Hall, Casa di Santa Brigida, is Sweden’s oldest and foremost memorial abroad. It was allotted in 1354 as a residence for Birgitta Birgersdotter of her Italian girlfriend Francesca Papazuri. The latter bequeathed the house to Vadstena, who voluntarily donated it to a shelter for Swedish pilgrims. Here lived “the Swedish diplomacy father”, later Bishop of Vasteras, Birger Månsson during his years as envoy to the Holy See from 1450 to 1456.
Sweden last two exiled Catholic archbishops, Linkoping brothers Johannes and Olaus Magnus, lived in many years in Bridget Hall. Here they established a printing and publishing, all to spread the knowledge of his homeland and its main compatriot, St. Birgitta. At this officinalis printed including in Latin their magnum opus 1555, “History of the Nordic peoples,” and two years later the fourth complete Latin edition of Bridget heavenly revelations.
After the Reformation came the house to become a refuge for Swedish Catholics, and queen Christina was its patron during his years in Rome from 1655 to 1689. During the 1700s and 1800s was the medieval building changing fates to finally inhabited by Polish karmeliternunnor. In these were Elizabeth Hasselblad live his first years in Rome. But she wanted to go their own way, and in 1911 she received papal permission to start their own noviciate of St. Birgitta sisters.
In April 1919 could be a new birgittinskt monastery inaugurated on Via delle Isole in northern Rome. It was to become the cornerstone of the growing Birgittine over the next twelve years. Only in 1931 could the papal consent to take over Bridget’s house. Already in 1923 had opened a rest home in Djursholm and 1935, the sisters returned in Vadstena after 340 years of absence. The designation monasteries were first used for religious freedom law implementation in 1952.
Encouraged by an Italian Jesuit, Father Beretta, who worked many years in South India, opened Mother Elizabeth, where its first monastery in 1937. 1942 it reached new words branch yet an important goal when Pope Pius XII gave it the right to call themselves the most holy Saviour.
the following year Italy surrendered before the invading allied forces with Germany occupied large parts of the country. Thus came the persecution of Jews intensified and some Jewish families sought shelter in Birgitta sisters’ convent in Piazza Farnese. During Mother Elisabeth’s management and the risk of their own lives the sisters hid the persecuted Jews in his monastery. Mother Elizabeth defied the quiet German officers who wanted to get into Klaus texture. For her efforts she was awarded the 2004 award posthumously the Israeli Yad Vashem – “Righteous Among the Nations”. The Swedish Embassy in Rome held during the difficult war years in close contact with Birgitta sisters. A Swedish diplomat was Axel Lewenhaupt, who even today can tell us about his meetings with Mother Elizabeth.
An international cinema audience got proof Birgitta sisters’ extensive humanitarian efforts since Ingrid Bergman and her Italian husband, film director Roberto Rossellini, 1951 recorded a movie of Save the children in Bridget Hall. The words Grenens eighth monastery opened in Dairen, Connecticut, in the United States in 1957. On 24 April the same year died mother Elisabeth in Bridget Hall.
canonization today is the culmination of a long and arduous kanonisationsprocess. The fact is carefully regulated and often takes decades to implement. The mother of Elisabeth’s case began on 1987. It was several years carefully through her writings and letters and recorded the 1900 pages testimony. 1991 Mother Elizabeth was declared venerable, and in 2000 she was beatified by Pope John Paul II. The two miracles duly approved by medical experts apply a nun who miraculously recovered and a boy who suffered from a brain tumor, but in an inexplicably regained health.
On the holy Elisabeth founded the new branch of the old Bridgettine words tree led since 1979 by the Italian generalabbedissan mother Tekla Famiglietti. It is she who with energy, determination and an impressive network of contacts pushed kanonisationsprocessen. The new Bridgettine words branch flourishes today and has over 600 sisters, who are active in 55 monasteries in 19 countries on four continents. In the world there are, for all five branches of the words are included, a total of 69 Birgitta Convent and more than 700 sisters. In Oregon, in the US, there is a monastery with a handful Birgittine monks.
Bridgettines has quietly played a role in the Vatican’s successful efforts to facilitate the resumption of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. Mother Tekla met Fidel Castro in Mexico City in 2000 in connection with Vincente Fox was installed as president of Mexico. She went up to the old revolutionist and explained in Spanish that she had long dreamed of opening a convent in Havana. On the spot, she was invited to Cuba, and was, after a few years to open its doors to its first monastery in the capital. Today there are three Bridgettine convent in Cuba. Obviously the Holy See’s prominent diplomats not been slow to use the Mother Tekla excellent Cuban contacts in their work behind the scenes for a rapprochement between Cuba and the United States. This successful quiet diplomacy helped the former enemies after more than 50 years could resume diplomatic relations.
The American Marguerite Capercaillie published in 1972 an almost apologetic biography of Elizabeth Hasselblad, “Mother Elisabeth. The resurgence of the Order of Saint Bridget “(in Swedish in 1977). One more source critical essay was presented in 1999 by Agneta af Jochnick Östborn: “For Sweden, I have given God my life.” Just in time for the canonization, the Catholic priest Björn Göransson wrote the book “Mary Elizabeth Hasselblad. A saint from Sweden “(Catholica). Through excerpts from letters and texts the reader a vivid picture of our new Swedish saint.
Fredrik Vahlquist is the chairman of Birgitta Foundation, and was Ambassador to the Holy See, the Vatican from 2002 to 2008.
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