Elizabeth Ann Seton was born to a socially prominent New York Episcopalian family on August 28, 1774.
Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley was a surgeon who served as Chief Health Officer for the Port of New York. He later served as the first professor of anatomy at Columbia College.
On January 25, 1794, at the age 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, aged 25.
William Seton was a wealthy businessman in the import trade. He was a friend of Filippo Filicchi (a renowned merchant in Leghorn, Italy, with whom his firm traded), and brought the first Stradivarius violin to America.
They had five children of their own: Anna Maria (Annina) (1795–1812), William II (1796-1868), Richard (1798–1823), Catherine (1800–1891) (who was to become the first American to join the Sisters of Mercy) and Rebecca Mary (1802–1816).
Through most of their married life, William Seton suffered from tuberculosis. His doctors sent him to Italy for the warmer climate, with Elizabeth and their eldest daughter as his companions. William died there on December 27, 1803.
Elizabeth and Anna Maria were introduced by the families of her late husband's Italian business partners to Roman Catholicism. After she came back to the United States, she joined the Catholic Church. Elizabeth was received on March 14, 1805 by the Rev. Matthew O'Brien, pastor of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, New York.
Prior to her conversion, Elizabeth Seton had helped found New York's first ever private charity organization, The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children. In 1808, believing that all children should receive free education, Elizabeth Seton opened a small Catholic elementary school in Baltimore.
The following year, Elizabeth Seton and other women helping her to run the school took religious vows of chastity and obedience and together they founded the first American Catholic religious order, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in Emmitsburg, Maryland. As the order's first superior, Elizabeth was now known as Mother Seton.
In 1810, Mother Seton established St, Joseph's Academy in Emmitsburg. It was the first free parochial school for girls in the United States and laid the foundation for the Catholic parochial school system in America. Mother Seton wrote classroom textbooks for the pupils and accepted all students regardless of ability to pay.
Mother Seton spent the rest of her life developing her religious community. She died aged 46 of tuberculosis on January 4, 1821.
Her remains are in the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
On September 14, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by Pope Paul VI. She was the first native-born American to be made a saint.
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| Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) |
Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley was a surgeon who served as Chief Health Officer for the Port of New York. He later served as the first professor of anatomy at Columbia College.
On January 25, 1794, at the age 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, aged 25.
William Seton was a wealthy businessman in the import trade. He was a friend of Filippo Filicchi (a renowned merchant in Leghorn, Italy, with whom his firm traded), and brought the first Stradivarius violin to America.
They had five children of their own: Anna Maria (Annina) (1795–1812), William II (1796-1868), Richard (1798–1823), Catherine (1800–1891) (who was to become the first American to join the Sisters of Mercy) and Rebecca Mary (1802–1816).
Through most of their married life, William Seton suffered from tuberculosis. His doctors sent him to Italy for the warmer climate, with Elizabeth and their eldest daughter as his companions. William died there on December 27, 1803.
Elizabeth and Anna Maria were introduced by the families of her late husband's Italian business partners to Roman Catholicism. After she came back to the United States, she joined the Catholic Church. Elizabeth was received on March 14, 1805 by the Rev. Matthew O'Brien, pastor of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, New York.
Prior to her conversion, Elizabeth Seton had helped found New York's first ever private charity organization, The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children. In 1808, believing that all children should receive free education, Elizabeth Seton opened a small Catholic elementary school in Baltimore.
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| Elizabeth Ann Seton, from Appleton's Cyclopaedia |
The following year, Elizabeth Seton and other women helping her to run the school took religious vows of chastity and obedience and together they founded the first American Catholic religious order, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in Emmitsburg, Maryland. As the order's first superior, Elizabeth was now known as Mother Seton.
In 1810, Mother Seton established St, Joseph's Academy in Emmitsburg. It was the first free parochial school for girls in the United States and laid the foundation for the Catholic parochial school system in America. Mother Seton wrote classroom textbooks for the pupils and accepted all students regardless of ability to pay.
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| National Fire Academy. Formerly St. Joseph's College. By Acroterion |
Mother Seton spent the rest of her life developing her religious community. She died aged 46 of tuberculosis on January 4, 1821.
Her remains are in the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
On September 14, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by Pope Paul VI. She was the first native-born American to be made a saint.
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