Elizabeth was born into a prominent New York family, married a merchant, and raised five children before being widowed at twenty-nine when her husband died of tuberculosis while the family was in Italy seeking treatment for him. During her time there, exposure to Italian Catholic friends and their faith led her to convert from the Episcopal Church to Catholicism upon her return to the United States, a decision that cost her most of her social standing and the support of her Protestant family.
To support herself and her children, Elizabeth opened a school in Baltimore and then in Emmitsburg, Maryland, gathering other women around her in a religious community dedicated to educating poor children. This community became the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph, the first congregation of religious sisters founded in the United States, and laid the foundation for the American Catholic parochial school system. She was canonized in 1975, becoming the first person born in the United States to be declared a saint.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Founder
A widowed mother of five and convert from the Episcopal Church who became the first American-born person canonized a saint, founding the first American congregation of religious sisters.
- Born
- 1774
- Died
- 1821
- Birthplace
- New York City, United States
- Died in
- Emmitsburg, Maryland, United States
- Country
- United States
- Canonised
- 1975-09-14
- Century
- 19th century
Why People Pray to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is invoked by widows, converts, and educators, and by those rebuilding their lives after great loss.
