Saints: April 2010 Archives

Bl Pauline Von Mallinckrodt.jpgIn her retreat of 1843, Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt wrote in her notes, 

Only then will my love of neighbor be genuine if it flows from the wellspring of the love of God. If I love people because of their talents, their kindness, then this love does not deserve the name of Christian charity.

Thumbing through a booklet of her prayers and thoughts, I found a prayer Blessed Pauline wrote in 1854 that gives inspiration,

O dearest God, help me to become ever more closely and more intimately united with you, thereby growing in genuine love of neighbor. Grant me a heart full of love and help that love to impress itself on every aspect of my behavior. Amen.

Bless the Sisters of Christian Charity and give us the grace of love of neighbor, dear Blessed Pauline.

Bl Mary Elizabeth Hasselblad.jpgToday is the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Mother Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad, the woman who re-established the Swedish branch of the Order of the Most Holy Savior of Saint Bridget --Bridgettine Order after centuries of the charism's absence, in 1911. This is the order of nuns founded by Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden (1303-1373).

Saint Bridget of Sweden, not to be confused with the Irish saint, was named co-paroness of Europe on October 1, 1999.

Today the order numbers some 700 sisters in 50 houses around the world. In the USA, there is one house of Bridgettine nuns, in Darien, Connecticut, in the Diocese of Bridgeport. The order has about a 4% growth per annum with about 30 novices entering yearly. Info on Wiki can be read here.

There is a group of Bridgetine monks in Oregon, themselves re-founded in 1976.

Blessed Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad's liturgical memorial is June 4.

About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page is a archive of entries in the Saints category from April 2010.

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