Nunday is here! Every Monday A Nun’s Life features your photos of Catholic nuns and sisters in an effort to express the beautiful diversity of religious life and to provide authentic images of nuns today. We’re getting to the end of the photo bucket, so start clicking and sending in more photos! I’m sure you’ve got pictures from Thanksgiving and preparations for Advent that you’d LOVE to share!
Nunday today features a postulant from the other side of the globe. Well, I don’t know if Sweden is exactly on the other side, but it’s pretty far from Chicago! Soon-to-be-Sister Linda is a postulant with the Brigittine community in Sweden. Here she is “basking” in the Swedish autumn grey skies! Writes Linda, “The Brigittines are amazing contemplative nuns, who exude a wonderful atmosphere of warmth and live their religious life with joy and sisterhood.
The community of Brigittine Sisters was founded by Saint Birgitta of Sweden and approved by Pope Urban V in 1370. The Sisters’ life is deeply formed by the monatic tradition and centered around liturgical prayer. Their ministry is one of prayer, hospitality, ecumenism, and teaching the Catholic faith.
I can personally speak to the sisters’ ministry of hospitality. In 1995 I took my first and only trip overseas to visit England, Scotland, and Italy. Two friends and I spent a week in Assisi at the guest house of the Brigittine Sisters. We slept, prayed, and ate at the Guest House — three of the finest things in life! I can assure you that not only was the hospitality superb, but the meals were out of this world. Some of the best pasta and wine this side of God.
Blessings to you, Linda. Please be assured of our prayers as you continue your journey with the Sisters.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Your posting soon found its way back to Sweden….
I got a note about it when I just had written about some other sisters, in Stanbrook Abbey, who are moving to an eco-convent. You’ll find a link to an article about them in my posting. Very interesting!
I of course had to add a little note about Linda as well… And I asked that the convents/monasteries in Sweden send in more pictures to your blog, so let’s see if they do…
http://katolskakyrkan.blogspot.com/2008/12/eko-systrar-i-england.html
Btw, I’ve been to Assisi myself, that’s where my journey towards Catholicism once started. I stayed with other sisters there though. They were also excellent at cooking! And I still remember the prayers in their chapel… Ahhh…
And I’ve also been to Chicago once, while visiting some friends in IL.
The world is “small” somehow…
Aw, she’s adorable! She looks like one of my students, except about 20 years older.
The Sisters you stayed with are part of a revival of the original order, founded by Blessed Elisabeth Hesselblad. The original order consists of five autonomous monasteries of nuns in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. The more recent group has many houses, but all under one abbess general. And, speaking from my experience of the one American house, the food is excellent.
Thank you so much for putting up this article. These are the sisters that I wish to join but there is so little information about them on the internet. Could anyone help me in finding out how to contact those Brigittines who are in England where I live? I think there are at least two or three convents here but, as I say, it is so hard to find information about them including contact details. Also, is it possible to contact the sister shown above?
Dear Kathleen, Thank you for writing. I sent Linda an email but it bounced. Have you tried this page? Brigittine Sisters in the World
SJ
Thank you for the link. I might try writing to the sisters in Iver Heath and see if they can send me some more information.
In the peace of Christ,
Kathleen.