Our American Saints

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

In honor of our nation's 250th anniversary, it seems fitting to recognize several of the American heroes who spread the light of the Gospel in our country. Some of these American saints are well loved but many of our own Saints, Blesseds, and Venerables are still relatively unknown. During this special celebration of our country, it is a perfect time to invoke our own American Saints and ask them to intercede for our homeland.

We would like to highlight a few of our American saints starting with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was the first native born American saint to be canonized. She is special to our community as she was an American teaching Sister but also because our community was formally approved and established on her feast day in 2012.

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Elizabeth Bailey was born in New York City in 1774 to a prominent surgeon and his wife, Dr. Richard and Catherine Bailey. When Elizabeth was just three years old, her mother died and her father remarried.

Elizabeth had a happy marriage to the successful businessman, William Seton, and they were blessed with five children. Trials struck when William's business went bankrupt, and he became very ill. Elizabeth took him and their eldest daughter to Italy in hopes that he would recover. The trip was filled with great hardships, setbacks, and the tremendous sorrow of William's death, but Elizabeth also spent considerable time staying with family friends who were devote Catholics and she became fascinated with Catholicism, especially with the Holy Eucharist. 

Our Sisters at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland

After a long delay, Elizabeth returned to America and reunited with her other children. She entered the Catholic Church in 1805. Impoverished and ostracized by her family because of her new Catholic faith, Elizabeth attempted to support her family by teaching children but several attempts ultimately failed due to strong anti-Catholic sentiments in the area.

In 1809, Elizabeth moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland and with the permission of Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore started both a school and a religious community. After laboring for many years and witnessing the death of several of her own children, she died of tuberculosis in 1821. Her life witnessed to the providential care of God in the midst of great suffering.

"God is with us - and if sufferings abound in us, His consolations also greatly abound, and exceed all utterance."
​-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton