Maria Birgitta zu Münster, OSB (

13 October Events Pre-1600 * 54 – Roman emperor Claudius dies from poisoning under mysterious circumstances. He is succeeded by his adoptive son Nero, rather than by Britannicus, his son with Messalina. * 409 – Vandals and Alans cross the Py ...

1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...

–

27 January Events Pre-1600 * 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor. * 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes sole emperor of the ...

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

): née ''Ursula zu Münster'', was a Catholic convert, Benedictine nun, and translator.

Life

Ursula zu Münster was born in

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

. Her father, Egon Graf zu Münster, was a lieutenant colonel. She had two brothers. Ursula was educated at the protestant Stift Altenburg (in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

), where she was also confirmed in 1924; she later attended grammar school in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

. It was in the Dresden house of the protestant preacher Arndt von Kirchbach and his socially and literarily active wife Esther that Ursula zu Münster met her friend

Ida Friederike Görres Ida Friederike Görres (born Elisabeth Friederike, Reichsgräfin von Coudenhove-Kalergi; 2 December 1901 in Schloss Ronsperg, Bohemia – 15 May 1971 in Frankfurt am Main) was a Catholic writer. From the Coudenhove-Kalergi family, she was the da ...

. After graduating from high school, she studied Protestant theology in Greifswald and Leipzig from 1928 to 1932. Ursula zu Münster converted to Roman Catholicism in Dresden in 1934. She studied at the Social Women's School of the Catholic Women's Association in Munich in 1934/36. Its director, Dr. Ammann, became her godmother at the confirmation in Cardinal Faulhaber's private chapel in 1935. After her final exams, she worked enthusiastically as a social worker, among others with female migrant workers in

Eisleben Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as both the hometown of the influential theologian Martin Luther and the place where he died; hence, its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. First mentioned in the late 10th century ...

and with female prisoners. After frequent visits and persistent pleading, she was accepted into Saint Walburg Abbey in

Eichstätt Eichstätt () is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district of Eichstätt. It is located on the Altmühl river and has a population of around 13,000. Eichstätt is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Dioce ...

by her relative, the Abbess M. Benedicta von Spiegel. Her novitiate began in 1937 and ended with religious vows in 1938. She received the name of St. Bridget of Sweden. One of her first major assignments in the abbey was being editor of the abbey magazine, the ''Walburgisblätter''. During the Second World War, Sr. Bridget and some of her fellow sisters worked as ward sisters in the reserve hospital in Bruck-Berg near

Amberg Amberg () is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate about halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. History The town was first mentioned in 1034 with the name Ammenberg. It became an important trading c ...

from 1942 to 1944, caring first for Spanish, then German soldiers. After the war, Sr. Bridget helped numerous refugees in word and deed. The main focus of her work during the 50 years of her profession was literary and historical. She wrote commemorative publications for anniversaries and jubilees. For decades she organised the numerous monastery festivals with a wealth of ideas. Magazines requested articles from her for saints' and church festivals and for the Sunday Gospels. In 1979 she was the first woman to be admitted to the Bavarian Benedictine Academy.

Selection of works

As author

* ''Ewigkeit, in die Zeit leuchte hell herein''. Herderverlag 1954. * About the Benedictine nunnery of Holzen, especially regarding the 18th century. ''Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens und seiner Zweige'' 84 (1973), pp. 407–432. * Abbess Maria Anna Augustina Weihermüller, 1950-1985, St. Walburg Eichstätt. ''Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens und seiner Zweige'' 98 (1987), p. 376. * On the election and consecration of Abbess Maria Anna Franziska (Salesia) Kloos in the jubilee year of the 950th anniversary of St. Walburg Abbey in Eichstätt. ''Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens und seiner Zweige'' 96 (1985), p. 432. * (with Andreas Bauch): Heilige Walburga: Leben und Wirken. Eichstätt, Abtei St. Walburg, 1985. * St. Walburg and its Abbesses and Prioresses since the Secularisation. ''Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens und seiner Zweige'' 97 (1986), p. 253. * "Ein Zeugnis des Dankes für lange Strecken eines gemeinsamen Weges." In ''Wanderwege: Festgabe zum 60. Geburtstag von Ida Friederike Görres'', edited by Alfons Rosenberg. Zürich: Thomas-Verlag, 1961, 15–23.

Translations French to German

Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange (; 21 February 1877 – 15 February 1964) was a French Dominican friar, philosopher and theologian. Garrigou-Lagrange was a neo-Thomist theologian, recognized along with Édouard Hugon and Martin Grabmann ...

, ''Die drei Bekehrungen und die drei Wege''. Freiburg, Herder, 1948. *

René Voillaume René Voillaume (born 19 July 1905 in Versailles; died 13 May 2003 in Aix-en-Provence) was a French Catholic priest, theologian and founder of the Little Brothers of Jesus in 1933, the Little Brothers of the Gospel in 1956, and the in 1963. His ...

, ''Leben von Charles de Foucauld''. Freiburg im Breisgau, Herder, 1957. *

Louis Thomassin Louis Thomassin (; ; 28 August 1619, Aix-en-Provence – 24 December 1695, Paris) was a French theologian and Oratorian. Life At the age of thirteen he entered the Oratory and for some years was professor of literature in various colleges of ...

, ''Über das göttliche Offizium und seine Verbindung mit dem inneren Gebet'' (On the Divine Office and its connection with inner prayer) Patmos-Verlag, 1952. * Louis Ponnelle, Louis Bordet, ''Der heilige Philipp Neri und die römische Gesellschaft seiner Zeit'' (1515-1595), ed. Ulrike Wick-Alda (Münster translated parts). Bonn, nova et vetera, 2015.

Translations English to German

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

, ''Maria im Heilsplan''. Series: Zeugen des Wortes. Freiburg im Breisgau, Herder, 1953. * Book chapter: “Ein Zeugnis des Dankes für lange Strecken eines gemeinsames Weges.” In: ''Wanderwege. Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstag'' von

, ed. Alfons Rosenberg. Zürich, München, Paderborn, Thomas Verlag, 1961, pp. 15–23.

References

{{Authority control Benedictine writers French–German translators English–German translators Historians of the Catholic Church Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism 1908 births 1988 deaths