CATERINA di SVEZIA, saint. - Daughter of the great Swedish Saint, Brigida (v.), she was born in 1331 or 1332 and died on 24 March 1381. At a very young age she married Egard di Kurner, while nevertheless taking a vow of chastity; after her husband's death, she became the inseparable companion of her mother, whom she had already joined in 1349 on the journey to Rome. Together they went to Jerusalem in 1372. When, the following year, Brigida died in Rome, whither she had returned,
C. accompanied her body to Sweden, assuming leadership of the central house of the Brigidines at Vadstena. In 1375 she was again in Rome to promote her mother's canonization and the confirmation of the Order founded by her; and in Rome she met, united with her in defending Urbano VI, the other Caterina, the Sienese saint. In 1380 she returned to Sweden, where she died shortly thereafter.
One of her ascetic works, Consolazione dell'anima, has not come down to us. Sisto IV permitted her feast to be celebrated on 24 March, and Innocenzo VIII the translation of her relics. Giulio II transferred her feast to 2 August, and Leone X, by the brief of 21 March 1512, to 25 June « donec ad eius canonizationem deveniatur ». Her name was entered in the Martirolgio romano on 22 rather than 24 March through an error by Baronio.