From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
May 25, 2026 (#101)
Saint Eric of Sweden (c. 1125 - May 18,1160)
Reliquary containing the remains of St. Eric, in the (Lutheran) cathedral (Uppsala, Sweden)
Though he was never formally canonized, Saint Eric (also Erik) is listed among the saints of the Catholic Church in the Roman Martyrology. His feast day is commemorated on May 18, the date on which he was violently put to death as he exited from a church near Uppsala, Sweden, following the celebration of the Mass of Ascension Thursday, which he had piously attended. In Swedish secular history, he is recognized as King Eric IX, who reigned from about 1156 to 1160 AD. He is remembered as a just ruler, who was particularly generous to the poor, and as the codifier of the laws of his kingdom. He was zealous in advancing the cause of the Christian Faith in his realm and beyond. His descendants ruled Sweden until 1250.
In response to the various attacks of pagans from neighboring Finland, Eric embarked on the first Swedish Crusade east of the Baltic Sea. In his desire to extend and strengthen the Catholic presence in that land, upon his departure, he left the English Bishop (and later Saint) Henry, who had accompanied him, in Helsinki, where he was later martyred.
There were opponents to the reign of King Eric, and in May 1160, a military force composed of Danes and rebellious Swedish nobles sought an opportunity to kill the king. While he was attending Mass on the feast of the Ascension (May 18), he was informed that he would soon be surrounded and so needed to make his escape immediately. He is remembered as refusing to leave before the end of Mass, saying, “Let the sacrifice be finished.” When the liturgy was concluded, he exited the church and was immediately surrounded by those who sought his life. He was stabbed multiple times and beheaded.
In 1273, the reliquary containing the bones of Saint Eric were enshrined in a gold casket in the new cathedral at Uppsala. A new reliquary was constructed in the 1570s, which was opened by Swedish scientists for the purpose of an intense forensic examination, in April 2014. For a time the remains, with the funereal crown, were displayed for public viewing (and, we might imagine, at least for some of the faithful, for veneration). In March 2016, a report of the results of the investigation was published. It indicated that the injuries manifest on the bones examined were consistent with the various stories and legends associated with Saint Eric, including wounds that had healed after the Finnish Crusade and with the violence inflicted upon his body at the time of his death.
St. Eric is the patron saint of Sweden and of the City of Stockholm, and his feast is also kept by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on May 18.
St. Eric, pray for us!
