St. Elizabeth Hesselblad

Patron Saint of Bridgittines and Nurses

St. Elizabeth Hesselblad was born into a Lutheran family in Sweden in 1870. In 1888, she moved to the United States to study nursing, and in 1902, she converted to the Catholic faith while living in Washington, D.C. After her conversion, she returned to Europe, and during a pilgrimage to Rome, she visited the house of St. Bridget of Sweden. From this experience, she decided to start a new branch of the Briggitines that focused on Christian unity and caring for the sick. This community was founded in the 1930s and remains the largest group of Briggitines in the world today. They remain dedicated to the charisms which Elizabeth emphasized in her establishment of a new branch of Briggitines: Christian unity and caring for the sick. During World War II, Elizabeth helped shelter Jews and other racially-oppressed peoples. For her actions during the war, she is now recognized as one of the Righteous Among the Nations: a list of non-Jews who provided care to Jews during World War II at the risk of their own life.