Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774 in New York City. Her remarkable life spans the full spectrum of human experience:
· a New York socialite,
· a devoted wife,
· dedicated volunteer in charitable organizations,
· mother of five children,
· convert to Roman Catholicism,
· educator, social minister and catechist,
· spiritual leader and formator,
· and a tireless servant of God.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's, the first new community for religious women to be established in the United States.
She also began Saint Joseph's Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic School for girls staffed by sisters in the United States. The legacy she left now includes six religious communities with more than 5,000 members, hundreds of schools, social service centers, and hospitals throughout America and around the world. Her works led her to be canonized on Sunday, September 14, 1975, in Saint Peter's Square, by Pope Paul VI. She is the first native-born North American to be canonized. Her remains are entombed in the Basilica that bears her name.
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a small historic town in the foothills of the beautiful Catoctin Mountains. This was the home of Mother Seton from 1809 until her death in 1821. Pilgrims come here throughout the year to learn about her life, discover the depths of her faithfulness, and to walk meditatively in her footsteps.
"We must pray literally without ceasing, I mean that prayer of the heart
which is independent of time and place, which is rather a habit of lifting up
the heart to God, as in a constant communication with him."
- Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton