St. Bridget belonged to the royal family of Sweden. She had eight children among whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. Her husband, with her full consent, became a monk and had a holy death in the Cistercian habit. Bridget followed his example and founded the famous monastery of Vadstena which for centuries was to become for Sweden a center of religious life and civilization. It was a double monastery, built for sixty nuns and twenty-five monks with two distinct enclosures but a single church. St. Bridget dwelt there for some years but was for fifteen years in Rome where her influence was considerable. After a journey to the Holy Land she returned to die in Rome on July 23, 1371, at the age of seventy. The collect of today’s Mass commemorates the revelations with which she was favored; she is one of the greatest mystics honored by the Church.