Seeker to Saint: The Life of Elizabeth Ann Seton
A glimpse into the life of a saint
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774 – 1821) was the first person born in what would become the United States to be canonised by the Catholic Church.
Elizabeth Seton was a wife and mother, and then, in 1803, she found herself a widow at the age of just 29. Despite the hardships that she faced, she went on to do amazing work, and eventually became a saint in 1975. She established the first Catholic girls' school in the United States in Emmitsburg Maryland, where she also founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity.
The year 2021, marked the 200th anniversary of St Elizabeth Seton’s death. It also marked 46 years since her canonisation, at which Pope St Paul VI declared her a wife, mother, teacher, religious sister, and Catholic convert, and America’s first native-born saint.
Elizabeth Seton bore witness to the beauty of faith, the joy of the Gospel, and the power of the sacraments. Her hope in Christ changed America, helping grace work its way into every corner of the country through the sisters who followed her. She was, as Paul VI said, “America’s first flower”, showing people what God can do when we say yes to him.
Elizabeth Seton had every reason to doubt, too. First, a looming war cost her family their home and business. Then, disease took her husband, dearest friends, and two of her children. Rather than choose doubt, however, she chose faith.
In an uncertain world, Elizabeth Seton found certainty in the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother. She risked everything to follow Jesus into the Catholic Church. She then risked it all again to found America’s first congregation of women’s religious order, the Sisters of Charity of St Joseph’s.
Despite loss, disappointment, and suffering, Elizabeth Seton said yes to Christ again and again. And every yes she uttered became a seed, from which flowers bloomed, in Emmitsburg and beyond, in vocations, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and more.
Online or in person, we are invited to visit the St Elizabeth Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg Maryland.
Shrine of St Elizabeth Seton Web site
St Elizabeth Seton 200th anniversary Web site
Elizabeth Seton: The Video
Two centuries ago a young American mother achieved the heights of holiness. Discover the inspirational life and legacy of “Elizabeth Ann Seton: Mother, Foundress, Saint” via the video below.
The life and legacy of St Elizabeth Seton: Seeker to Saint
Elizabeth Seton: The Book
What does Elizabeth Seton have to say about the Eucharist? The Blessed Mother? Joy in suffering? At the link below is a masterfully-written summary of the spiritual life of St Elizabeth Seton. Use the text to learn about the source of her sanctity.
The Spiritual Life of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton