DARIEN—In 1888, 18-year-old Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad came to the United States from Sweden to support her struggling family and settled in New York City, where she worked as a nurse, caring for the poor and sick at Roosevelt Hospital.

​         She was impressed by the faith of the Irish Catholics who were her patients and became friends with two Catholic sisters, who took her to Europe. During a Corpus Christi procession in Brussels, as the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament passed, she fell to her knees when she heard a voice say, “I am he whom thou seekest.”

​         This spiritual journey led to her conversion to Catholicism, and she eventually entered the order founded by St. Bridget of Sweden in the 14th century, which she revitalized by founding the Bridgettine Sisters.

​         To mark the 10th anniversary of Mother Elizabeth Hesselblad’s canonization by Pope Francis on June 5, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano celebrated Mass with the sisters at the Convent of St. Birgitta in Darien.
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A stained-glass window honoring St. Elizabeth Hesselblad was unveiled in the chapel after Mass. The window was given by Rose-Marie Fox in memory of her late husband, William Stephen Shanahan, Jr.

​         “The new stained-glass window is a dream come true for the sisters at the convent,” said Sister M. Sabina. “Through Rose-Marie Fox’s generosity, we have a lasting testament to our foundress, St. Elizabeth Hesselblad, in the chapel for all to admire.”

​         Today, the Bridgettine Sisters serve communities in 20 countries, and they have a mother house in Rome at the historic former dwelling of St. Bridget.

​         “The Bridgettine Order was made possible due to the tremendous leadership of Sister Elizabeth Hasselblad,” Sister Sabina said. “She had many accomplishments and ensured our order remained true to its roots, since she revitalized it over 100 years ago. We are profoundly grateful for her wisdom, devotion to God and her tireless commitment to the renewal of our order.”

​         Mother Elizabeth always wanted a convent in the United States, and almost 70 years ago, a Darien estate was given to the order by a family of Baptist missionaries, who wanted it to be used as a spiritual center.

​         Nestled along an inlet of the Long Island Sound, the convent’s guest house, Vikingsborg, sits on a 10-acre property. The house features a chapel for daily and Sunday Mass, a library and meeting rooms with water views. It is a popular destination for private prayer and self-directed individual and group retreats, offering meals and overnight accommodations.

​         Although Mother Elizabeth never had a chance to visit the convent, which opened on May 29, 1957, she oversaw plans for its transformation but died several weeks before four sisters set sail for the United States.
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For more information: www.bridgettines-usa.org/