St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Wife, Mother, Widow, Single Parent, Convert, Foundress, Educator, Social Minister, Spiritual Leader

Our patron saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), holds the honor of being the first person born in the United States to become a canonized saint.

Elizabeth Bayley was born into a prominent Anglican family in New York in the year 1774. After the death of her natural mother, Elizabeth’s father remarried; unfortunately, her stepmother rejected both Elizabeth and her sister. This caused Elizabeth to experience a period of great depression. Notwithstanding this, her journals reflect a young girl who possessed a natural love for contemplation, nature, poetry, and music.

When Elizabeth married William Seton, she entered a world of great social prominence. The Seton family owned a very successful merchant company. The Seton family was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church where Elizabeth organized many outreach ministries for widows, the sick and the needy. Together, she and William were blessed with five beautiful children.

st. elizabeth ann seton statue

However, in 1801, the tide turned. The Seton family fortune collapsed and, by 1803, her husband William had developed tuberculosis. In a desperate effort to improve his health, Elizabeth, William and their eldest daughter Anna Maria, traveled to the gentler climate of Italy. Despite their efforts, William succumbed in Pisa, Italy, leaving Elizabeth a widow at the age of 29, with five young children, all under eight years of age. While Elizabeth and Anna waited to return to the U.S., the Filicchi family provided them hospitality. This time with the Filicchis transformed their lives. The Filicchis introduced Elizabeth to Roman Catholicism and so began her spiritual journey of transformation.

When Elizabeth returned to New York, it was with the heart of a Catholic. This was met with intense opposition by her family and friends. Nonetheless, Elizabeth’s devotion to Our Lady and her hunger for Christ in the Eucharist intensified. On March 25, 1805, at the age of thirty, Elizabeth Ann Seton received her First Holy Communion. When she was confirmed the following year, she took “Mary” as her Confirmation name and frequently signed her name as “MEAS.” Her commitment to provide for her children and to be there for them as mother was always primary for Elizabeth. She attempted the profession of teacher in different schools. However, this proved unsuccessful as many of the Protestant parents distrusted her Catholic influence on their children and removed their children from her professional care.

In 1806 Elizabeth met, quite providentially, Reverend Louis Dubourg who was visiting New York. Dubourg had been hoping for a congregation of religious women to teach girls in Baltimore. In 1808, Elizabeth, went to Baltimore to help the Sulpician priests form a school for the religious education of children. These priests also envisioned the development of a sisterhood modeled on the Daughters of Charity of Paris. Elizabeth took vows of chastity and obedience and was given the title “Mother Seton.” Other women joined her and dressed alike in black dress, cape and bonnet.

Some time thereafter, a large tract of land was purchased in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Life in Emmitsburg was initially a very harsh existence. Elizabeth buried two of her young daughters at Emmitsburg. There, she and her companion women began the first free Catholic schools in the country for needy girls. Elizabeth went on to form her Sisters of Charity according to the tradition of Louise de Marillac and Vincent de Paul. In addition to Catholic education, these Sisters of Charity opened and managed orphanages in New York.

Elizabeth Ann Seton died in the “White House” in Emmitsburg on September 14, 1821. Pope Paul VI canonized St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on September 14, 1975. Her remains are in the Basilica dedicated to her in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A relic of this great woman and saint is in the altar in the main sanctuary here in our church.

Prayer to Ask Mother Seton’s Intercession

Lord God,
You blessed Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace
As wife and mother, educator and foundress,
So that she might spend her life in service to your people.
Through her example and prayers
May we learn to express our love for you
In love for our fellow men and women.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.