MEMORIAL OF SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON, RELIGIOUS: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious [In the Dioceses of the United States].

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON, RELIGIOUS: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821) was born in New York City to a wealthy, virtuous, and influential family. She was the first native-born American citizen to be canonized as a saint. She was raised Episcopalian (Anglican), but later converted to Catholicism. Through the struggles and tragedies she faced in life, she remained devout. She is the founder of the first Catholic schools in the United States and is the Patron Saint of Catholic schools, widows, and seafarers. She was born on August 28, 1774 to a prominent Wealthy Episcopalian (Anglican) family in New York City. Her grandfather was the rector of St. Andrew’s Church on Staten Island, and Elizabeth grew up with a strong faith and prayer life. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, was a doctor and the first anatomy professor at Columbia, one of the first health officials in NewYork. Her mother, Catherine, died in 1777 when St. Elizabeth was three years old. Her father remarried Charlotte Roosevelt-Barclay, who took Elizabeth with her in her social ministry in the Church. Together they fed the poor and nursed the sick and dying among family, friends, and needy neighbors. At age nineteen, St. Elizabeth married William Magee Seton (25) a  wealthy businessman, an importer on January 25, 1794 and together they lived on Wall Street. They attended an Episcopalian church where Elizabeth was very active in charitable works to the poor. Together they had five children, Anna Maria, William, Richard, Catherine, and Rebecca. And when her father-in-law, William’s father died, she became like a mother to her husband’s six younger siblings, they took in William’s six younger siblings in addition to her own five children. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton enjoyed a full life of loving service to her family, care for the underprivileged, and religious development in her Episcopal faith. 

In the late 1700s, a double tragedy visited Seton. Events moved quickly from there with devastating effect. Both William’s business and health failed. He was finally forced to file a petition of bankruptcy and the Seton family’s life took a turn when her husband William became ill. He suffered from tuberculosis and continued to grow worse. Hoping to improve his health, the couple and their eldest daughter Anna Maria decided to go to Italy in a final attempt to save William’s health, the Setons sailed for Italy, where William had business friends. On November 19th, they arrived in Leghorn and were placed in quarantine. They were released from quarantine on December 19th. William died 8 days later on December 27, 1803. Waiting to return to the United States, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Anna Maria spent several months with the Filicchi brothers who were business associates of her husband. While in Italy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton learned about Roman Catholicism for the first time. She was especially drawn to the doctrine of the Eucharist as the real body of Christ.

She returned to New York in June 1804. After her return, she continued to feel conflicted between the Episcopal and Catholic faiths. After almost a year, she officially converted to Roman Catholicism on March 14, 1805. She was confirmed in 1806 and chose Mary as her confirmation name. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton admired the Virgin Mary and chose her as a saint to continue to guide her spiritually. St. Elizabeth’s favorite prayer was the 23rd Psalm and she developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture, and the Virgin Mary. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s choice to convert resulted in three years of financial struggle and social discrimination. After losing her family fortune, St. Elizabeth spent her life working to improve education and provide for the poor, as well as the needs of her family. She opened a boarding house for boys. When the student’s parents discovered that she was Catholic, they removed their children from the home. St. Elizabeth and her family were invited by several priests to move to Baltimore, Maryland. They moved in June 1808 to open a school for girls, the first Catholic school. Catholic women from around the country came to join her work and, over time, they created a convent. The women soon moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where they formally began their religious life as Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s on July 31, 1809. This was the first sisterhood in the United States. The first American congregation of Religious Sisters, the Sisters of Charity. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was named first Superior and given the title of “Mother.” She served in that role for the next twelve years. Mother Seton saw her small community of teaching sisters grow expand from Emmitsburg (1809) to New York (1814), Cincinnati (1829), Halifax (1849), New Jersey (1859), Greensburg (1870), and St. Louis (1909). As the community took shape, St. Elizabeth directed its vision.

On July 19, 1813, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and eighteen other sisters made vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and service to the poor. They would renew these vows annually. In 1814 the community accepted its first mission outside Emmitsburg, an orphanage in Philadelphia. By 1817 sisters had been sent to staff a similar work in New York. While in Emmitsburg, two of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s daughters died from tuberculosis, Anna Maria in 1812 and Rebecca in 1816. By that time, she herself was weak and increasingly subject to poor health. She spent the last years of her life directing St. Joseph’s Academy and her growing community. She died January 4, 1821, at 46 years old. Although she passed away at a young age, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s legacy lived on. She was declared holy (beatified) by Pope John XXIII on on March 17, 1963. She was canonized, or officially made a Saint, September 14, 1975, by Pope Paul VI. She was the first native-born Saint of the United States. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the Patron Saint of Catholic schools, widows, those who have lost parents or children, seafarers, those with in-law problems, against the death of children, the death of parents, and opposition of Church authorities.

PRAYER: Lord God, You blessed St. Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might dedicate her life to the service of Your people. Through her example and prayers may we learn to express our love for You in love for others. Amen🙏