Connecting to St. Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad
Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad was born in Sweden on June 4, 1870. She was the fifth child of thirteen in her family, and she was baptized in the Reformed Church of Sweden. Economic difficulties caused her family to move around a lot. In 1888 when she was 18 years old, Mary Elizabeth left Sweden to find work in the United States so that she could support her family back home. She went to Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hospital to study nursing, and she worked as a nurse at that same hospital. Her work brought her towards the Catholic population within New York, and she converted to Catholicism and gained a conditional baptism on August 15, 1902.
She left for Europe a few days later where, in Rome, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation. She visited St. Bridget of Sweden’s house and was very moved by her story. She went back to the United States, then went back to Rome as she had poor health. She revived the Bridgettine Order, but had a difficult time as it took several years for people to be interested in the order. She also established a congregation in England, Rome, and India after receiving official approval in 1940. Mary Elizabeth did an amazing act of work during World War II, which was hiding 60 Jewish families in the convent with her nuns. She also promoted a movement for peace for everyone, Catholics and non-Catholics included. After that, her health got progressively worse, and she died on April 24, 1957.
When I first saw an overview of who Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad was, I was very interested in the fact that she saved Jews during World War II. I have always been interested in learning more about this war, and I was delighted to see that there was a saint who had done what many had done in the historical fiction books that I have read. As I continued learning more about her, I found out that she promoted peace and communication between people of all religions. I have always wondered why people can’t just get along and not have wars, and I realized that both of us strived for world peace. When I have felt anxious, I have prayed to Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad and felt completely fine and relaxed afterwards. For example, after going on a walk and finding a lot of ticks, I was feeling very anxious about the possibility of finding more ticks around me. At the start of Mass that day, I prayed to Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad and God to make me feel less anxious. By the end of Mass, I realized that I was no longer worried about ticks, and I haven’t felt nervous about them ever since. She has strived for peace among people, and by praying to her, I have found inner peace. Because I have found inner peace through prayer to Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad, I have felt more connected to God and my relationship with God has been strengthened.
Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad is also known by a few variations of her name, which are Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad and Elizabeth Hesselblad. Her feast day is April 24, but on some calendars, it is June 4. She is the patron saint of the Bridgettines, nursing, and oppressed people. She is the patron saint of these groups because she revived the Bridgettine order, she was a nurse when she decided to convert, and she helped save Jews during World War II, who were oppressed people at the time. She is most known for converting from Lutheranism to Catholicism, reestablishing the order of St. Bridget of Sweden, and saving Jews during World War II. She has been credited with reviving the order of the Most Holy Saviour of Saint Bridget and recognized as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, which is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad was beatified in 2000 after a man was cured of leukemia after seeking her intercession. She was canonized in 2016 after a child was cured of a brain tumor through her intercession.
Eva Buss
The above article is adapted from a saints presentation that Eva shared with the All Saints Club. Eva received the Sacrament of Confirmation last spring, 2024. The next All Saints Club meeting will be Sunday, October 13th, 2024 at 10:30am in the Fellowship area.