By Mario Galgano – Vadstena, Sweden
“My name is Sister Monika. And as you will quickly discover, I am German.” That’s how the conversation with the 70-year-old sister began.
For over four decades, she has lived in Sweden, in the Bridgettine convent in Vadstena, a small city on Lake Vättern. She lives with seven other sisters, from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands.
The group at the convent reveals much about how ecclesial vocations have changed. “One of our novices is older than me,” affirmed Sister Monika.
Today, the convent is no longer a place for young students but a place where women often seek out in a second phase of their life. “Perhaps it is a woman’s second career,” she said.
Even the community’s composition reflects an evolution: for the first time the Swedish sisters make up the majority. At first it was different, she recounted.
At one point, the Order – founded by Saint Bridget of Sweden in the 14th century – was not officially authorized in the country. “Up until 1957 founding a convent was forbidden,” she explained.
Only a decision from the Reichstag finally permitted religious life in Sweden. Until then, the house in Vadstena was officially declared a nursing home for the elderly.
Theologically, the Bridgettines base their life on three elements: the Rule of St Augustine, the Constitutions of St Bridget, and modern adaptations that derive from these.
The Order’s spirituality is clear. “Christ’s suffering is important to us,” said Sr Monika. Their daily prayer structure follows a Marian perspective. The sisters see Jesus’ life through Mary’s eyes, and each day of the week has a different theme, from angels to the Trinity.
One of St Bridget’s main objectives was to allow men and women to work together. Although in the past monks and nuns lived in separate places, they worked together spiritually.
In the Blauen Church of Vadstena, this was clear from an architectonic perspective: there were separate choirs, but one shared place of worship.
Another key aspect is service to others: listening, prayer, conversation. “We receive many prayer requests, or people come wanting to talk,” she continued.
Silent witness works, and sometimes it’s about very practical things. “Today we packed nearly 4,000 jars of jam into cardboard boxes, and I enjoyed doing that.”
Joy is the fifth point which characterizes the Bridgettine’s spirituality.
Sr Monika talks about it when she talks about her work in the Eden guest house.
Once, she started to clean the bathrooms there. “This became a pleasure,” she noted. It is the community that makes even tough and unpleasant work tolerable and reasonable.
But how did a woman from Coesfel, in Westphalia, Germany, end up in Sweden, in a convent?
The beginning of her vocational journey was unexpectedly secular: football.
During the 1974 World Cup, she noticed the goalkeeper of the national Swedish team, Ronnie Hellström. “I fell in love with him,” she shared, smiling. From there, her fascination with Sweden grew.
“I pursued history studies with a focus on Nordic history and, thanks to one of my parents’ university friends, a Catholic bishop in Sweden at the time, I came to Vadstena to learn the language,” she said. “I met young Catholics who transmitted their faith to me in a convincing and thoughtful way. This struck me and brought me back to the faith.”
“The fact that in the end I myself entered was an interior development,” recounted Sr Monika. “It was envy towards another woman who had asked to be admitted to the convent that made me realize: I want it too. Years later, for my silver jubilee, I received a special surprise. My fellow sisters had invited Ronnie Hellström, the man whose mere presence on television had brought me down this path. He arrived. The priest announced during Mass: ‘Sometimes a vocation passes through the penalty box.’ He turned and laughed”.
Hellström remained in contact with the community. When he became sick with cancer, he decided to be buried in Vadstena. Today, his tomb is in the cemetery near the convent.
Sr Monika noted that the Catholic Church in Sweden today is seen in a much different way than before. There are many Catholics working in the fields of culture and science who are respected for their attitude.
Even in the prison, Catholic pastoral care has proven practicable. She is especially struck by a past project: “The convent in prison” is a form of spiritual accompaniment for inmates seeking to reintegrate into society. Although the relapse rate was low, the project was interrupted.
Over the years, life in the convent has become a profound and daily commitment for Sr Monika.
“Whatever the task, it has become a joy,” she affirmed. This attitude permeates her entire life.
Among jars of jam, moments of prayer, and a cemetery visited by football fans, it is clear that God’s paths are not always straight but sometimes pass right through the penalty box. – Vatican News
