Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Wife, Mother, and Foundress of the Sisters of Charity (1774-1821)

Her life

+ Born into a wealthy Episcopalian family in New York, Elizabeth received the best education available to a young woman of her day.

+ At the age of nineteen, she married William Seton and the couple had five children. Following the loss of their fortune and the death of her husband, Elizabeth was received into the Catholic Church in 1803.

+ Having been abandoned by family and friends because of her conversion, a priest in Baltimore invited her to establish a school for girls in that city. The school was officially opened in 1808 and immediately flourished.

+ Gathering together a group of like-minded women, Elizabeth and her companions made religious vows in 1809. The community eventually moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and, in time, they became known as the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph.

+ Mother Seton wrote and translated textbooks and composed numerous hymns and spiritual tracts for the community. She and her sisters are regarded as the founders of the American parochial school system.

+ Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton died of tuberculosis in 1821 and was canonized in 1975, becoming the first person born in the United States to be honored as a saint.

For prayer and reflection

“Faith lifts the soul, Hope supports it, Experience says it must and Love says… let it be!”—Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Vocations

To learn more about the Daughters of Charity (Province of St. Louise), click here.

http://daughtersofcharity.org/

To learn more about the Daughters of Charity (Los Altos Hills Province), click here.

http://www.daughtersofcharity.com/

Spiritual bonus

On this day we also remember Blessed Roger of Ellant. A Cistercian monk from England, he established a monastery in Elan, France, in 1156. Known for his dedication to the monastic way of life and his charity toward the sick, he served as abbot of his monastery until his death in 1175.

Prayer

O God, who crowned with the gift of true faith
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s burning zeal to find you,
grant by her intercession and example
that we may always seek you with diligent love
and find you in daily service with sincere faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Prayer from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.