Today March 24

Today is the feast of St. Catherine of Sweden, (1331-1381). Princess Catherine, also known as Karen, was the daughter of St. Bridget of Sweden. She married young, but she lived with her husband in a continent marriage. The poor man died a few years later. And no, I don't think those 2 facts are in any way connected!

Catherine followed her mother to live in Rome, making several pilgrimages including one to the Holy Land. Catherine rejected offers to remarry . . . and she had a lot of them. It figures, since she was rich, royal, and beautiful. But she stayed with her mother who was making every effort to get her new order, the Order of the Holy Savior, or Brigittines, going. Bridget died in Rome; Catherine took her body back to Vadstena, Sweden; and set about completing the task started by her mother.

She stayed in Sweden some years, then returned to Rome to try to get approval of the order and start her mother's process (of canonization). She spent 5 years in the Eternal City and returned to Sweden with the papal documents of approval (but before her mother's canonization). Catherine became the first superior of the convent of Brigittines. She died in that capacity in 1381.

It is recorded that Catherine brought not one, but two men back from the dead. One man had fallen from atop a coach and was run over by the horses. Bystanders asserted he was dead. Catherine, his employer, was called and after saying some prayers she merely touched his hand and he was restored to life. Even more dramatically, a workman fell from the roof of a house to the pavement, killing him instantly and mangling his body. Catherine came to him and touched him, and not only was he resuscitated, his broken bones were made whole. Remarkable.