Europe (as a single entity) has six patron saints, one of whom is Brigid. Married at thirteen and the mother of eight (six surviving infancy), she was ill- placed at the Swedish royal court. Born a princess, she lacked only the temperament for court life. A visionary in both senses of the word, she founded a religious order (later called the Bridgettines), worked to aid unwed mothers in Sweden, and campaigned for reforms in an increasingly corrupt Church. Yet she also saw visions, which she recorded in detail. These. Formed sort of a medieval best seller, greatly influencing artistic depictions of the life of Jesus.
Fun Fact: Brigid learned through a vision that Jesus received 5480 blows on his body during the Passion. She was instructed that to honor the suffering, one should daily pray fifteen Our Fathers, fifteen Hail Marys, and one each of the fifteen prayers on the Passion which were communicated directly to her. 15 x 365 = 5475, so to be safe, it's probably best to do this in a leap year.
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