The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-07

afi1iction and sickness with entire conformity
to the will of God, without complaint or
murmur. ~
< Among the many revelations she had,
there was one in which she received from
Jesus Christ himself the rules or constitu-
ton of religious order, which she gave to
sixty religious women whom she had gath
cred together in the monastery she had
built in Wastein. She gave the same rules
to twenty five priests, who >, had, for some q.
Augustine. This was the commencement
of the order afterward called the Order of
st. Bridget, after its foundress, or Order of
Holy Saviour, on account Of Its special OBJ
ject, which was, to mediate upon, honor,
and make known to all, the Passion of our
Lord. They were known as Salvatorists, q
name now given to the priests of the Con-
-gregation Of Holy Cross.
After remaining two years in the convent
of Wastein, without however taking the
habit of the Order over which she presided
as Abbess, she was ordered by our Blessed
in the abundant graces which so many holy
martyrs had merited by shedding their
blood for the faith Of Christ. She immedi-
ately Obeyed, and abandoning friends and
country, courageOusly set out on the long
pilgrimage. She visited many holy shrines
fatigue Of travelling out of her direct route,
in order to have the consolation of paying
her homage to the saints lionored in them.
Her prayers were rewarded by extraordi-
nary favors, which God gave her in abund-
ance; she was often seen in ecstasy.
Iu Rome she gave an example of great
virtues; she assiduously visited the churches
of the Stations, regardless of the weather,
though she was now advanced in age and
her body weakened by her great austerities.
Regardless, too, of her own comfort, she dis
tributed her wealth among the poor, OF
whom she took as great care as if they had
been her own children, and visited the
houses of those who We're most in need of
her help, or who were ashamed to make
known their need.
In the hospitals she took particular care
of those who were generally given over to
the lowest menials; those, for instance,
whom disease had rendered repulsive-
did not shrink from cleansing sores and
staunching wounds, the very sight of which
was revolving.
She was consulted by the most learned
men of Rome on spiritual matters, and gave
advice to persons Of every rank, inspiring
all with high opinion of her sanctity and
wisdom, which induced many to lead more
perfect lives. She revealed to some their
secret thoughts, and could read the hidden
movements of the heart she had such a
great horror of sin that she perceived an in
supportable odor exhale from those who
| were in a state of sin. She made use of
these extraordinary graces to draw Chris
tians to moro tender sentiments of love for
God. "-'.- >
Having decided to fix her residence in
Rome, she made several pilgrimages to holy
shrines in Italy, leaving, wherever she
went, the impression of her virtues upon
the inhabitants of the places through which
she passed. She then received a command
from our divine Saviour to go to Jerusalem,
to honor the places sancti6ed by the mys-
teries of mans redemption. She promptly
obeyed, and failed not to visit every spot
which Jesus had honored by His presence,
and we may easily conceive she received
many graces. 1t was during this pilgrim
age our Lord revealed to her many par
ticulars concerning His sacred Passion and
death, and, to quote the words of her biog
rapher, " she merited to taste the sweetness
of our Saviour's wounds, and to be often
inundated with the ineffable sweetness of
His divine communications"
Attacked by fever, she fastened to return
to Rome, in order to die in the city of the
Apostles. God granted her this grace.
Five days before her death our Saviour ap-
peared to her for the last time on earth, as
sured her of eternal happiness, prescribed
what she should do before her death, and
told her that she should die clothed in the
dress of the religious of the order she had
established "a dress she had not yet worn
Knowing that the hour of her death was
fast approaching, she gave most touching
advice to her children, Burger and Catherine,
who were with her in her last moments.
She then, retaining perfectly her senses, re-
ceived the last sacraments, and assisted at
mass that was said in her room having
adored the sacred Body of Jesus, she calm.
ly gave up her soul to God, whom she had
SO faithfully served and SO ardently loved.
She expired the 23d of July, 1873, in the
seventy-first year of her age. Her body was
inferred in the church belonging to the nuns
of st. Glare, of the Monastery of st. Lau-
renee IN pamisperna.~
st. Bridget was canonized by Boniface TX
of an which % Soa i'm Ro@
moved to Sweden.
As some found fault with the "Revela-
Il. IL