CANONIZATION

On September 14, 1975, Pope Paul VI addressed a gathering of faithful declaring the canonization of a modern-day saint.

“We rejoice that our apostolic ministry authorizes us to make this solemn declaration before all … humanity,” says the Pontiff. “Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a saint!”

And with that, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first American-born saint recognized by the Church.

DISTINGUISHED VIRTUES

Among the saints, she is distinguished for the motherly virtues she embodied and the motherly deeds she performed. Of special note is founding the first community of religious women in the United States and pioneering the parochial education system.

“Being a saint means being perfect, the highest level that a human can reach,” declares Pope Paul VI. “A saint is a human creature fully conformed to the will of God. A saint is a person in whom all sin is cancelled out and replaced by the living splendor of Divine Grace.”

BACKGROUND

Born in New York City in 1774 into a high-society family, Elizabeth was raised and married in the Episcopal tradition. She was introduced to Catholicism only following the death of her long-ailing husband, William, in 1803. Two years later, she was received into the Church. Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore, the only Catholic bishop in the nation at the time, later confirmed her.

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON’S SISTERS OF CHARITY

Years later, Elizabeth founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s and St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School in Maryland. The fledgling sisterhood cared for poor children later adopting the Daughters of Charity rules. They are recognized as the first community for religious women established in the United States.

Similarly, St. Joseph’s Academy was recognized as the first free Catholic school for girls in the United States. This educational system laid the foundation for the nation’s parochial education system.

HARDSHIPS

It is undeniable that Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton faced many hardships on her journey to sainthood.

Global economic crises led to her young family’s financial downfall and likely contributed to her husband’s chronic illness and untimely passing. She was widowed with five children ages 8 and younger. After her conversion, she removed her daughters from a young ladies’ academy she had founded in the city.

ACCEPTING MARY’S CALL

By following Mary’s motherly example, Elizabeth accepted her divine charge regardless of the scorn it might cause her. She shared in the sorrow and aspirations of the poor she served. She gave heart and mind with joy and endured loyalty while demanding nothing in return.

Photo Attributions:
BANNER: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:National_Shrine_of_St._Elizabeth_Ann_Seton_01.jpg Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

FIRST INSET: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Elizabeth_Ann_Seton_(1774_-_1821).gif Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

SECOND INSET: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Ann_Bayley_Seton_2015.19.1584.6.12.jpg Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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