Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. After her death, she became the first person born in the United States to be canonized by the Catholic Church. She established the first Catholic girls' school in the nation in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she likewise founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born on August 28, 1774, the second child of a socially prominent couple, a surgeon, Richard Bayley and Catherine Charlton of New York City. Her mother, Catherine, died in 1777 when Elizabeth was three years old and her father then married Charlotte Amelia Barclay, a member of the Jacobus James Roosevelt family.
The couple had five children, but the marriage ended in separation. During the breakup, their stepmother rejected Elizabeth and her older sister. Their father then travelled to London for further medical studies, so the sisters lived temporarily in New Rochelle with their paternal uncle, William Bayley, and his wife, Sarah Pell Bayley. Elizabeth endured a time of darkness, grieving the absence of a second mother, as she later reflected in her journals. In these journals, Elizabeth showed her love for nature, poetry, and music, especially the piano. Elizabeth was fluent in French, a fine musician, and an accomplished horsewoman.
On January 25, 1794, at age 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, aged 25, a wealthy businessman in the import trade. Shortly after they married, Elizabeth and William moved into a fashionable residence on Wall Street. Elizabeth took John Henry Hobart (who later became a bishop) as her spiritual director. Along with her sister-in-law Rebecca Mary Seton, Elizabeth continued her former stepmother's social ministry—nursing the sick and dying among family, friends, and needy neighbours. Influenced by her father, she became a charter member of The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children and served as its treasurer.
The United Kingdom's blockade of France, and the loss of several of his ships at sea, led William Seton into bankruptcy, and the Setons lost their home at 61 Stone Street in lower Manhattan.
As William Seton was suffering from tuberculosis, his doctors sent him to Italy for the warmer climate, with Elizabeth and their eldest daughter Anna Maria as his companions. William died on December 27, 1803 and was buried in Italy's Old English Cemetery. Elizabeth and Anna were received by the families of her late husband's Italian business partners, Filippo and Antonio Filicchi, who introduced her to Catholicism.
Returning to New York, Elizabeth embraced Catholicism on March 14, 1805. A year later, she received the sacrament of confirmation from the Bishop of Baltimore, John Carroll, the only Catholic bishop in the nation.
After living through many difficulties in life, in 1809, Seton accepted the Sulpicians' invitation and moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland. A year later, she established the Saint Joseph's Academy and Free School, a school dedicated to Catholic girls' education.
On July 31, Elizabeth established a religious community in Emmitsburg dedicated to the care of the children of the poor. This was the first congregation of religious sisters founded in the United States, and its school was the first free Catholic school in America. The congregation was initially called the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's. From that point on, she became known as "Mother Seton." In 1811, the sisters adopted the rules of the Daughters of Charity, co-founded in France by Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac.
The remainder of Elizabeth's life was spent leading and developing the new congregation. She was described as a charming and cultured lady. She had faced many internal difficulties, stemming from misunderstandings, interpersonal conflicts, and the deaths of two daughters, other loved ones, and young sisters in the community.
Elizabeth Ann Seton died on January 4, 1821, at the age of 46. Today, her remains are interred in the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Pope Paul VI canonized Elizabeth Seton on September 14, 1975, in a ceremony in St. Peter's Square. She is revered as the patron saint of seafarers and widows.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Abraham
2. Saint Angela of Foligno
3. Saint Dafrosa
4. Saint Hermes
5. Saint Rigobert
- catholic.org