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Born into a wealthy
and influential Episcopalian family, the daughter of a Dr Richard Bayley,
Elizabeth was raised in the New York high society of the late 18th century.
Her mother died when Elizabeth was three years old, her baby sister a year
later. She married the wealthy businessman William Magee Seton in 1794 at
age 19, and was the mother of five.
About ten years into the marriage, William's
business failed, and soon after he died of tuberculosis, leaving Elizabeth
an impoverished widow with five small children. For years Elizabeth had
felt drawn to Catholicism, believing in the Real Presence in the Eucharist
and in the lineage of the Church going back to Christ and the Apostles.
She converted to Catholicism, entering the Church on 14 March 1805, alienating
many of her strict Episcopalian family in the process.
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| To support her
family, and insure the proper education of her children, she opened a school
in Boston. Though a private and secular institution, from the beginning
she ran it along the lines of a religious community. At the invitation of
the archbishop, she established a Catholic girl's school in Baltimore, Maryland
which initiated the parochial school system in America. To run the system
she founded the Sisters of Charity in 1809, the first native American religious
community for women. |
| Elizabeth left
an enduring legacy, which makes Catholic education available for needy pupils.
Popular devotion acclaims Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as a patron of Catholic
schools because of her pioneer role in values-based education.
A woman whose vision of faith remains
relevant for all ages. Elizabeth's journey of faith presents an outstanding
model for all people. In a letter to her lifelong friend Julia Sitgreaves
Scott (1765-1842), Elizabeth summarized her way of life: "Faith lifts
the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experience
says it must be and love says let it be" (March 26, 1810).
"Our least
action, when done for God, is precious to him."
- St Elizabeth Seton
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Portraits courtesy of Soper Studios
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