March 24 | Saint Catherine of Sweden

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine that your mom is famous. And I don't just mean local news famous. I mean she is one of the most powerful spiritual influencers in all of Europe. She's meeting with popes, she's writing rules for religious orders, and everyone knows her name.

Today, we are talking about a woman who spent her life standing next to a giant of history, but who shone with a light all her own. She was a noblewoman who gave up a life of luxury. She was a wife who convinced her husband to change his entire life plan. And she was a daughter who had to carry the legacy, and literally the body, of her mother back home to Sweden. This is the fascinating life of St. Catherine of Sweden.

Our story starts way back in the year 1330. Catherine wasn't just anyone. She was born a noblewoman. In the 14th century, being noble usually meant your life was set, fancy clothes, big castles, and zero choices. But Catherine's family was different. Her mother was Saint Brigid of Sweden. So, from day one, Catherine was surrounded by intense faith. When she was just a young girl, she was sent away to a monastery to be educated. She stayed there until she was 13 years old, and honestly, she loved it.

Her time in that monastery made her desire a religious life for herself. She wanted to dedicate everything to God. But remember, she was a noblewoman in the 1300s. Her parents had other plans. They arranged a marriage for her. A German nobleman named Eggard. So, she got married, but then she did something incredible. She sat Eggard down and convinced him to take a mutual vow of celibacy with her. That means they agreed to live together like brother and sister, focusing entirely on God rather than a traditional romantic marriage.

And Eggard agreed. They became a team. The sources say the couple practiced mortification, which is a way of denying yourself comforts to grow stronger spiritually, and they performed acts of charity together. But, after Catherine's father died, everything changed. Catherine decided to join her mother, Bridget, on a massive pilgrimage to Rome. Leaving Sweden to go to Rome in the 1300s wasn't like hopping on a plane. It was dangerous. It was a trek, and while she was away on this journey, or shortly after, her husband, Engard, passed away.

Suddenly, Catherine was a widow, and so she decided to stay in Rome with her mother. For years, this mother-daughter duo was unstoppable. While in Rome, Brigitte founded a brand new religious group called the Order of the Most Holy Savior, also known as the Brigittines.

Catherine wasn't just watching from the sidelines. She was right there in the mix. Then, in 1373, the hardest moment came. Her mother, St. Bridget, died. Catherine was now the leader, but first, she had to take her mother's body all the way back to Sweden.

Imagine that journey, the grief, the long road north, the weight of Carrying the physical remains of a saint. But her work wasn't done. After bringing her mother home, Catherine turned right back around and went back to Rome. She had a mission. She needed to promote her mother's cause for canonization, and she was effective. She gained permission from the Pope for the Brigantine religious rule. She secured her mother's legacy.

Eventually, Catherine returned to Sweden for good. She became the abbess of Vadstena. This was the heart of the order her mother had built. She spent the rest of her years there in prayer and service. She died in 1381, and barely a hundred years later, in 1484, Pope Innocent VIII declared her a saint, too.

She is the patron saint of something very specific, miscarriage loss. If you know families who have struggled with this, she is the saint they often turn to for comfort. In art, you might see her depicted with a white lily, a brigantine headdress, or sometimes even a deer. The lily usually represents purity, which makes sense given the vow she took with her husband.

So, how can we live like St. Catherine this week? In her later years, she is said to have received the Sacrament of Penance daily. Think about the attitude behind that. St. Catherine wanted a fresh start every morning. She didn't want to carry around yesterday's mistakes.

Every night before you go to sleep, take 30 seconds to look back at your day. Where did you mess up? Where were you a little selfish or mean? Say sorry to God, and then, this is the important part, let it go.

St. Catherine didn't let her mistakes pile up. She dealt with them and moved forward. Try that this week. Clear the slate. Be brave enough to admit when you're wrong, just like Catherine was brave enough to chart her own path. And if you can, go to confession, too. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.