RELIGION: Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad, Part 2

07/18/2016 | 7:44 0 Posted in Miscs, The World

Saint Maria Hesselblad – 2^nd part.

Conversion

By then, the twentieth century had begun and she was ready to adopt the Roman Catholic Faith for good; however, Hesselblad was a woman possessed and was almost on a mission; she requested Hagen to hasten her conversion to the Roman Catholic faith but he was not so sure since she had just come in contact with him and he stated the obvious.

But, her insistence that she had studied hard for more than twenty years and asked him to conduct any examination that he wanted; the learned priest gave in to her insistent need and told her that she would be converted temporarily on 15^th August which was three days late and would be receiving her first communion on 17th August 1902.

She was instructed to remain in retreat for those following three days and to meet him twice a day.

The first initiation into the faith of her choice was a conditional one and on the 15^th of August 1902, a Jesuit Priest, Giovanni Giorgio Hagen ordained her in the Feast of the Assumption; this conversion took place in Washington D.C. in the Georgetown Visitation Ministry’s chapel.

Hagen took over the role of her mentor and guide and was her spiritual director and had a comprehensive effect on her life; she explained in a text that it was as if the love of the lord was poured on her and the only response that she could offer was to prepare herself to sacrifice and suffering for the Church.

With that she dedicated herself to adopt the way of the cross after him; her First Communion came two days later and she was on her way to a new way of life and the service of the lord in Europe.

The Bridgettines

When she came to Rome on a pilgrimage, she was granted the status of Confirmation to the Roman Catholic Faith through a sacrament; during that visit she paid obeisance at the House of Saint Bridget of Sweden since the latter was highly revered and happened to be the first saint from her homeland, Sweden; Saint Bridget had stayed here for the second half of her life.

There seemed to her that she was being drawn by something that was beckoning her for the cause of Christian Unity; that is why she paid a visit to New York here current home but was back in 1904 even though all her struggling years had had a derogatory effect on her health.

The prioress of the Carmelite Monastery, Mother Hedwig had her own misgivings when the nuns arranged a welcome for Hesselblad but, eventually, granted her request only as a temporary measure.

But, her condition deteriorated; in fact, she was so ill that the nuns gave her the Extreme Unction since she was in such a precarious condition; her family had also been requesting her to return home but she declined.

She wanted to be in a position to make religious vows under The Bridgettines Rule of order and was granted that permission by the Pontiff, Pope Pius in 1906 as special dispensation and she donned the religious habit of the Bridgettines on the Feast of the Sacred Heart at the administering by Hagen and also had the silver crown that comes with the habit.

Her work was directed at Sweden and Rome and her mission was to spread awareness about the work of Saint Bridget and her order; she tried to construct a monastery in the place where Saint Bridget had lived but there were no supporters to that proposal.

Hence, she started a home to care for the sickly in the same premises; she soon received some support from three British young women in 1911 and this started building up the following.

Their efforts to unite the Roman Catholic Church with the Christians in Scandinavian countries did receive recognition and support.

This prompted her to initiate her long-delayed return to her homeland in 1923 where her next facility to care for the sick and the infirm was set up in Djursholm. She then sought and got permission of the Holy See for setting up a congregation in England; the year was 1931.

In 1931, she also was given the House of Bridget in Rome for the activities of her congregation; she was going from strength to strength and established their congregation in India in the year 1937 and their order kept growing.

Meanwhile, her order was recognized on 7^th July 1940 and rewarded with the official Canonical approval. Since she was targeting racism and interactions between different religions; she was being called the second Bridget during World War II due to her admirable assistance to those who had suffered at the hands of racial laws; she also promoted peace between Non-Christians and Christians.

Her act of sheltering Jews during the WW II was the ultimate act of compassion and it got the widest acclaim from all over; the most notable converts to her order were:

Piero Chuminelli who had authored a biography of Saint Bridget, and
The erstwhile Chief Rabbi of Rome in 1946.

Her beatification was done by Pope John Paul II on April 9^th 2000 it was granted approval in 2015 ending and 15^th March 2016 was the date of her canonization; the formal celebrations were held in St. peter’s square on the 5^th of June 2016.

She was granted recognition as Righteous Among the Nations in 2004 by Yad Vashem.

She rested in the lord at the ripe old age of 87 in 1957.