Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870–1957) was a Swedish-born nurse and religious sister who revitalized the Bridgettine Order in the 20th century and was canonized for her heroic virtue and compassion. Born in Fåglavik, Sweden, into a Lutheran family, she emigrated to the United States in 1888 to support her family and trained as a nurse at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Through her work caring for the sick, she encountered the Catholic faith and, after deep personal study and prayer, converted to Catholicism on August 15, 1902, in Washington, D.C. Her spiritual journey led her to Rome, where she felt called to revive the Bridgettine Order, originally founded by Saint Bridget of Sweden. With papal approval, she established a new branch of the order in 1911, focusing on prayer, care for the sick, and Christian unity.

During World War II, as Mother Superior of the Bridgettine convent in Rome, Hesselblad courageously sheltered over 60 Jews, protecting them from Nazi persecution. Her actions earned her recognition as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 2004.  Beyond her wartime heroism, she was deeply committed to ecumenism, striving to bridge divides between Christian denominations, particularly between Catholicism and Lutheranism. Her dedication to unity and service left a lasting impact on the Church and those she served.

Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad passed away in Rome on April 24, 1957. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 2000, and canonized by Pope Francis on June 5, 2016, becoming Sweden's first saint in over 600 years.