St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Summary

Podcast Summary: Catholic Saints – Episode on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Title: Catholic Saints
Host/Author: Augustine Institute
Episode: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Release Date: January 4, 2025

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Introduction to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

In this episode of Catholic Saints, hosts Mary McEan and Dr. Chris Mooney delve into the life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized as a saint. Seton’s legacy includes founding the country's first Catholic girls' school and establishing the enduring Sisters of Charity congregation. Her life exemplifies how ordinary experiences intertwined with profound suffering can lead to extraordinary faith and impactful legacy.

Early Life and Family Background

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in New York City in 1774, two years before the Declaration of Independence. She hailed from a prosperous and socially connected family; her father was a prominent surgeon and the chief health officer of the Port of New York. Her upbringing in a well-off Episcopal household exposed her to both societal responsibilities and early acts of charity.

Marriage and Early Adulthood

At 19, Elizabeth married William Seton, a union marked by mutual affection and shared values. Together, they lived a life of privilege but were soon faced with significant personal challenges:

• Loss of her father-in-law, who had many young children, leading the Setons to move into his home and care for his offspring.
• William Seton's tuberculosis diagnosis, which prompted the family to seek a healthier climate in Italy, hoping the warm weather would alleviate his condition.

Suffering and Loss

Tragedy struck multiple times in Seton’s life:

• Death of her husband at the age of 29 while they were in Italy, leaving her a widow with five young children.
• The death of her mother and younger sister during her toddler years.
• Abandonment by her stepmother after her father's remarriage.

Dr. Mooney reflects on how these hardships, though seemingly ordinary in their affliction, were met with extraordinary trust in God. He states, “She lived a remarkable life… how much of her life looks like an ordinary life that was beset by extraordinary suffering, which she responded to with a great trust in God” (03:19).

Time in Italy and Exposure to Catholicism

While in Italy with the Felici family—Antonio and Amabilia—Seton encountered Catholicism in a transformative way:

• Initial skepticism: Seton initially dismissed Catholic practices, noting, “these charitable Catholics are trying to push their faith upon me” (08:51).
• Gradual attraction: Exposure to the devout lifestyle of Amabilia and Antonio, including their early morning Masses and cultural sophistication, sparked her interest.
• Eucharistic devotion: A pivotal moment occurred during a Eucharistic procession, leading Seton to fall in adoration. She documented her awe, reflecting the deep consolation she found in the Eucharist (12:18).

Conversion to Catholicism

Seton's conversion was not abrupt but a gradual deepening of faith influenced by her experiences in Italy. Dr. Mooney emphasizes her steadfast pursuit of God despite suffering, stating, “Sanctifying suffering invites our deeper trust in God” (12:33). Upon returning to New York, her Catholic faith was met with resistance from her Protestant family, leading to social persecution. Nevertheless, her commitment remained unwavering, embodying the resilience and strength that would define her sainthood.

Founding Sisters of Charity and the First Catholic Girls' School

In 1809, at 35 years old, Seton founded the Sisters of Charity and established the first Catholic girls' school in the United States. Her mission was to provide free education for children, especially those from impoverished backgrounds. Balancing her roles as a mother and a religious leader, Seton ingeniously integrated her daughters into the school environment, ensuring both family and mission thrived (16:17).

Challenges and Relocation to Maryland

Seton’s educational initiatives faced significant challenges:

• Suspicion from Protestant communities: Many feared her schools were avenues for Catholic proselytizing, leading to distrust and opposition.
• Social persecution: Her family tolerated her faith privately but shunned her public expressions of Catholicism.

In response to these obstacles, Seton relocated to Maryland, where she could more freely pursue her mission. Her resilience in the face of adversity highlights her commitment to her faith and educational vision.

Legacy and Relevance Today

Dr. Mooney underscores Seton’s relatability and enduring influence:

• Accessibility of her sainthood: Unlike some saints with more ascetic or scholarly backgrounds, Seton was a mother, educator, and American, making her a relatable figure for many Catholics.
• Enduring institutions: The Sisters of Charity continue to impact education and charitable work across the nation.
• Personal example: Seton’s life demonstrates how ordinary individuals can lead extraordinary lives through faith and perseverance.

She remarks, “St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is actually a saint that is really accessible for all of us” (21:52), highlighting her as a model for contemporary Catholics seeking to navigate faith amidst everyday challenges.

Insights on Suffering and Faith

A central theme of the episode is how Seton’s suffering was not a detraction but a catalyst for her spiritual growth:

• Strength through suffering: Seton exemplified how suffering can deepen one’s trust in God rather than diminish faith.
• Consistent pursuit of God: Her life's trials were met with a steadfast desire to seek and understand God's will, as expressed in her diary: “God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own” (18:15).

This perspective encourages listeners to view their own struggles through a lens of spiritual growth and divine consolation.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with reflections on Seton’s enduring legacy and the inspiration she provides for modern believers. Mary McEan and Dr. Chris Mooney highlight how Seton’s life teaches the value of perseverance, faith, and the profound impact one individual can have through dedication to God’s work.

Dr. Mooney adds, “St. Elizabeth responded [to suffering] with a great desire to seek the face of God more and more, which was consistent with her whole life” (19:22), encapsulating the essence of her sainthood.

For listeners eager to explore further, Dr. Mooney recommends Seton’s diaries and the 16-minute documentary on Formed, offering deeper insights into her personal reflections and the historical context of her life.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Chris Mooney (03:19): “She lived a remarkable life… how much of her life looks like an ordinary life that was beset by extraordinary suffering, which she responded to with a great trust in God.”
• Elizabeth Ann Seton (08:51): “[Your] charitable Catholics are trying to push their faith upon me.”
• Elizabeth Ann Seton (12:18): “Oh my Heavenly Father, I know that these contradictory events are permitted and guided by thy wisdom.”
• Elizabeth Ann Seton (18:15): “God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.”

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Resources Mentioned:

• The Diaries of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Accessible selections available online.
• Formed: A short 16-minute documentary on Seton’s life.

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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life story, as explored in this episode, serves as a profound testament to how faith and resilience can transform personal tragedy into a lasting legacy of education, charity, and spiritual depth.

Transcript

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

FOREIGN.

[Mary McEan]

Welcome to Catholic Seats. My name is Mary McEan. I am joined with Dr. Chris Mooney. Thank you for joining us.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Thanks, Mary. Thanks for having me.

[Mary McEan]

It's a joy to learn from you. Here at the Guston Institute, we are going to talk about another life of the saint. Today we're going to focus on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Her feast day is January 4th. And we were just mentioning how she is such a well known name. So many people know of her at least heard her name, but sometimes we don't actually know her story or where she came from or what, you know, how, what impact she made. So where should we start about Elizabeth?

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing because she's a remarkable saint. So there's so many things that we could say about her and I think this is one reason why she's so well known. She is the first US Citizen to become a saint. She founded the country's first Catholic girls school and the first American congregation of religious sisters which still exists today, the Sisters of Charity. She is, I was kind of struck by all the things that she's known as the patron saint of, patron saint of Catholic schools, patron saint of widows, patron saint of the loss of parents and patron saint of the loss of children. Patron saint of people who are ridiculed for their piety, patron saint of people who have in law problems really. And it's because as I think people will hopefully can get a taste of, you know, listening to this, she lived a remarkable life. But one of the things that I'm drawn to that I think at least one place where I think would be interesting to start is to recognize that she lived in some ways a very seemingly ordinary family life but surrounded by much suffering. So when she was just a toddler, her mother and her younger sister died. When she and then her stepmother, her father married again, but her stepmother later abandoned the family and her when she got married at a young age. Soon after she got married at 19. Soon after she got married, her father in law died and her father in law had many young children. And so she and her husband moved into their house and took care of their kids. Then a few years after that her husband died. And when her husband died, she was 29 and she had five children, all of whom were 8 or under. But what's in fact actually when her husband died too, she was in Italy away from four of those children. I'll say a little bit more why in a moment. But the reason I mention these things is because one of the things that stands out to me, thinking about The Life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, there's so many things that we could go to, but how so much of her life looks like an ordinary life that was beset by extraordinary suffering, which she responded to with a great trust in God. And I think all the. If you see the context of the kind of suffering that she endured and her response to it, it can give us a much greater appreciation for her as a saint with also all of these great things that she's known for.

[Mary McEan]

Yes. No, that's great. All that she is a patron of help exemplify the width and breadth of where she let God transform her life and her tragedy as places of grace. And where did. You said she's American? I'm assuming East Coast. Is it New York or.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Great question. Yeah. She was born in New York City in 1774, so two years before the Declaration of Independence. And she was born to a well to do family in New York City. They were socially well connected and were fairly prosperous. Her father was a surgeon and was, I think, the chief health officer of the Port of New York. And her mother was well engaged in sort of the society of New York City. Her grandfather had been on her mother's side, had been an Episcopal priest. And when she was married, when she became married at age 19, it was to another well known and prosperous family in New York City, the Setons. And so. And she also, though even at a young age she was known for her very strong devotion as a member of the Church of England and also for her love for the poor in accompanying her stepmother on. On charitable work that she did in the city in caring for the poor. I mentioned earlier that when her husband died, they were in Italy. So although they had this very, this marriage that by all accounts was very happy and was, you know, that their lives together were going very well. They had, you know, again married at 19, had five children within less than 10 years. There was a kind of shadow over their marriage, a kind of twofold shadow. Difficulties with her husband's business and difficulties with his health. It turns out he had tuberculosis. And one of these ideas that they had as a family was to go spend time in Italy with one of his business partners, a family called the Felicis. And Antonio Felici was one of the business partners. And so they decided to Just the three old. Sorry, just three of them. Elizabeth, her husband William, and their oldest daughter went to Italy hoping that the warm weather would help to give him some relief, but met immediately with great suffering. There they were because of Concerns about health not actually related to the tuberculosis directly, but they were put into quarantine for 30 days. And meanwhile, his health continued to deteriorate. And it was after they were released from quarantine as a family that he died two days after Christmas in 1803, when she was, as I said, 29 years old. And the Felice family, whom they had gone to be with, immediately took them in. St. Elizabeth left us these great diaries, and you can already get a sense of her, her trust in God at this point. Just one example from her diary at the time she wrote, oh, my Heavenly Father, I know that these contradictory events are permitted and guided by thy wisdom. I think this really captures the disposition she had. But something unexpected happened while the Felicis took her in and were caring for her, which is they started to introduce her to the Catholic faith. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton writes in her diary that initially she kind of laughed them off. She said, these charitable Catholics are trying to push their faith upon me. And so she didn't take it too seriously. But over time, certain things started to grow on her. It may be helpful to remember, think about the society she was born in, the time she was born in, and the place in New York City society that she was born in. Catholics were, she knew Catholics only as immigrants whose faith was looked down upon as being backwards and superstitious. And yet meeting the Felicis really, and being in Italy totally changed things for her. So the Felicis, Antonio and Amabiglia really struck her. So Amabelia would rise every morning at 4am for Mass and showed her great devotion. And yet St Elizabeth was also impressed by how cultured they were. Amabilia spoke five languages. Antonio had a background in philosophy. They introduced her to a friend of theirs who was a Jesuit priest. They gave her St. Francis's introduction to the devout life. They took her to visit churches and, you know, she mentions that this Episcopalian priest who was, I think, her spiritual director, that she was close to back in New York City, had warned her not to be taken in by, you know, the smells and bells of Catholicism. This is a kind of very 19th century warning. But Elizabeth, in visiting Italian churches, realized this isn't just smells and bells. This is actually a way of totally expanding my sense of worship, of glorifying God in a way I've never thought of before. She says, oh, yeah.

[Mary McEan]

So one way to, as I'm hearing this, potentially having been in America, where she's coming from more an affluent family and upbringing, her experience of Catholicism in America is it's more of a poor immigrant culture community and almost that bias against it.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Exactly.

[Mary McEan]

Yeah. Italy might have been one of the first times where she was able to see it in a new light.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah. It's interesting to think of other examples I know of this. Some people who might know a little bit about the history of St. John Henry Newman, too. Newman, who's also a great 19th century convert, took a famous trip to Italy and he had only known sort of working class Catholics and then was suddenly exposed to this whole new life in Italy. So this is kind of what happened to St. Elizabeth when she was in Italy.

[Mary McEan]

I think it's a good point to highlight because we often take that psychological and sociological just reality as we're trying to understand the minds and life of the saints, of the culture in which they lived.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah. I'm also struck by thinking about when I think about Amabilia and Antonio, we don't know a whole lot about, but I love knowing about the saints behind the saints. You know, Amabilia and Antonio are not canonized saints, but it's sort of like Augustine and Ambrose. You know, you learn so much about what Ambrose did for Augustine and have a greater appreciation for how people mediate the faith to others. You know, the Antonio and Amabelia, they loved the faith. They carried it out fully. One of the other things St. Elizabeth was struck by is Amabelia's habit of fasting. St. Elizabeth mentions that her Episcopalian priest back in New York City had said fasting was an outdated practice, that they didn't really do that anymore. But Elizabeth couldn't help but contrast the fast that Amabilia would undertake with her own sumptuous diet as a wealthy American, you know, or Saint Elizabeth was also deeply struck by how Catholics revered the Eucharist. Yeah, that was she mentioned too, in her diary. She writes, all the Catholic religion is full of those meanings which interest me. So. And she mentions particularly how she uses the word awful to describe how she approached the Eucharist because she was just blown away by it and I think was deeply consoled by the reality perhaps in the middle. And we can see this not as, you know, a kind of psychological, I don't know, like false comfort in the midst of her suffering, but a real comfort because she found that in the Eucharist was the highest expression she had ever known of God's desire to truly be present with her in the midst of her suffering. She recounts one story that when she was in Italy, a eucharistic procession was passing by. She just couldn't help it. She fell down in adoration. And, you know, this was totally foreign to her at the time. But all of these things left a deep impact on her. She didn't actually become Catholic while she was still in Italy, but she was deeply moved by it, and she was moved by the family, you know, that in some ways they pressured her, but in other ways, she writes that all Antonia would tell her over and over again was pray and inquire, pray and seek, pray and seek, pray and seek. And so this is what had a big impact on her. So that when she went back to New York City, it wasn't long before she joined the church, converted.

[Mary McEan]

That is fascinating to take into consideration. The depths of her suffering almost made her heart more ripe to embrace the Eucharist fully.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yes.

[Mary McEan]

If it is true that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, why would I not want to be in that religion where he's so close to our humanity?

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yes. One of the things I think that we see with St. Elizabeth's conversion is that she experiences all of this profound suffering and her response to it at the same time, though her response to it isn't naive. She doesn't treat the suffering as if it wasn't a great affliction, but she's able to hold simultaneously that the suffering is a great affliction without relinquishing her deep confidence in God. And so for her, I think seeking the Lord's consolation is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of her strength. You know, suffering. Suffering is not alone. Sanctifying suffering invites our deeper trust in God. And God sanctifies us through suffering because of our response to it and our response to Him. And I think St. Elizabeth is a great example of that. And her suffering didn't just end when, you know, with these immediate tragedies of the death of her family members. Because for her, becoming Catholic was not well received when she was back in New York City. The sense that I get from her life is that her family had a kind of, you know, well, we're okay with you being Catholic as long as you don't care that we become Catholic. To which, of course, Saint Elizabeth couldn't simply let go. And so her family kind of tolerated her being Catholic as long as they thought that this was a sort of private thing that she just kept to herself. But this wasn't what St. Elizabeth's faith was like. She had an earnest desire to share the Catholic faith with others. I mean, after all, you know, if she has such a love for the Lord, if she has such a love for the Eucharist, she couldn't help but want to share it with others. And so when some of her family and her husband's family kind of caught wind of the fact that she was sharing the faith, especially with her female relatives, then she was kind of shunned from the family. And one of the things that St. Elizabeth tried to do to support her family after the death of her husband was teaching. But many of her efforts to teach and to found schools were thwarted because a lot of the Protestant parents feared that it was just a proselytizing effort. So she found that a lot of people lost trust in her because of that.

[Mary McEan]

Did she work in a particular area where there were more Catholic families?

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

I'm assuming eventually. So, you know, she has to eventually move out of New York City. She moves to Maryland. And in. I think it's in 1809, when she was 35, she ended up starting a congregation of sisters. You know, again, another way that she responded to the Lord's call and simultaneously was starting the congregation of sisters. She started a Catholic girls school. And St. Elizabeth cared deeply about education, deeply about providing education for girls and especially for girls whose parents couldn't afford it. So one of the big missions of this school was to provide free education for children. Now, the interesting thing, it's almost hard for us to picture so many things going on in this woman at the same time. She's a mother of her religious community and a mother of her children, and she's leading this school. One of the ways she made it happen, though, is that she brought her daughters into her own school so that they could still be connected there. And her boys went to, I think, a nearby Catholic school.

[Mary McEan]

That's smart.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah.

[Mary McEan]

With you into the school that I'm creating.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yes.

[Mary McEan]

Well, I'll respond to. To God's direction with that. With that. I'm very struck by how many motifs in her life just resonate so much with. With us today in even just tension and family life, when maybe you're fresh into your conversion with the faith and the adversity you face that I would love for you to repeat one more time what you were mentioning about consolation, because I didn't fully understand.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah, Sorry.

[Mary McEan]

But, yeah, times of just spare or tragedy and suffering. It was a part of her strength to see.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah, What I meant was, you know, okay, let's say someone wanted to. Let's say someone looked negatively at St Elizabeth's life for some reason, and they might think, oh, well, oftentimes People undergo, you know, great religious upheavals in order to sort of deal with. They can't deal with the stress of suffering. But I just don't think that matches the facts of Elizabeth's life that I think it's because she responded to suffering with a great desire to seek the face of God more and more, which was consistent with her whole life. She had always wanted to know God more and more. If I can share another quote she wrote in her diary to God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own. This is her lifelong desire. So I think we can look at her conversion and the decision she made in light of that and say, actually, no, these weren't accidents. They really are consistent with. Yes, they're prompted by her suffering, but they're really consistent with it that. And that she seeks a deeper union with God. And that in itself is consoling.

[Mary McEan]

Yes. So consistent with her constant search and looking and hunger to follow God and his will in her life. And also struck how she and her husband were just doing the prudent business things like, let's go to Italy, let's try to improve your health. Let's look at. Meet with this business partner. And how just almost in their human path, like, I don't know, that's where God encountered that. That's where she encountered the faith. And she wasn't. She was just being obedient to her daily next step of what we need just for our family and how God is constantly pursuing us, you know, within the reality of where we're at. Does that make sense?

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yes. Maybe part of the reason I mentioned this is, you know, okay, I said at the start, she's patron saint of people who are rejected for their faith, among other things. And you can imagine how, you know, her family met her conversion so skeptically. You went off to Italy, your husband died. Surely this is a, you know, maybe they thought, you'll grow out of this. And that's what I mean about her response not being out of weakness, but out of strength.

[Mary McEan]

Yes, thank you.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Because it was consistent with her whole lifelong desire to know the Lord more and more. Absolutely. And it was very fruitful, too. Two of. Two of Elizabeth's, St. Elizabeth's sisters in law joined the church later in her life. And of course, she became very fruitful as the head of this congregation of sisters, even though she died at a fairly young age. I think she was. Yeah. 46 when she died. She was still the Superior, when she died, still had a sense of humor, too. She told her sisters when they elected her the superior, that they were choosing someone already dead. But she lived for two more years after the last time they elected her superior. And, you know, and there's still so many people mentioned at the start. Where do you start with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. There's so many people who, you know, her work for Catholic schools. So much credit goes back to her, the Sisters of Charity that she started. So many people are moved by her example of conversion. Actually, if I can mention on Formed, there's a really great short little 16 minute documentary about her life that I think if people listening really enjoy this and want to learn more about St Elizabeth, there's so many resources, so many ways to learn about her.

[Mary McEan]

No, that's wonderful. And to capture, as you were mentioning, all the nuances of her life, all the different missions that she started. Is there anything else that you wanted to add about? You know, we talked about how she can be an intercessor for us today or even other legacies of, of her life for the church today.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

I'm not the first one to make this point, but I think one of the reasons that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton stands out for a lot of people is because sometimes Catholics, they're looking for a saint that they feel like they can relate to more. It's great to learn about, you know, I don't know, like Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, but I might think to myself, I'm just not cut out for that Life or St. Thomas Aquinas. And I think, you know, I love learning about St Thomas, but surely he lived a very different life than I could ever live. One of the things that's so striking about Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is she was a mother, she was an American, she had children, she underwent great suffering, but in some way common suffering, the suffering of the loss of loved ones, sufferings that, that all of us experience.

[Mary McEan]

Social persecution.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Social persecution, yeah. And So I think St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is actually a saint that is really accessible for all of us. But one of the things that stands out to me this is, I guess I've said this already, but maybe to just drive it home is that I think one of the things that stands out to me is she experienced all this suffering in her life, but she wasn't weighed down by it. It's very easy. I think all of us in our lives, when we experience suffering, part of what happens is we have this. It's like a choice before us. Do we let the suffering define us and weigh us down, and do we let ourselves be defeated by it, or do we see in God's providence an opportunity to trust him more deeply? And that's how St. Elizabeth responded. All of the things that happened in her life, you know, you could never have anticipated from earlier on, but so many graces that came to her because she was faithful in these very ordinary ways. I think that's very inspiring for us, for all of us Catholics.

[Mary McEan]

I know. And we all will experience that choice at some point of do I fall into this despair or lean into the faithfulness and trust in God? And you said she write, I didn't know she had diaries we could read. I'm going to read this.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

I wish I had brought it with me, but that's wonderful.

[Mary McEan]

Is it just called The Diaries of St. Elizabeth?

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah. I think what I'm thinking of is a selection that people can find. But if anyone wants to read more about, I mean, there are a lot of great resources online because there's such a strong devotion to her in the US and the Sisters of Charity are, you know, continue to do their work. But her diaries are also accessible for folks who want to learn more and, you know, learn about her from her own voice.

[Mary McEan]

Yes. Which is always a wonderful source. You feel so privileged when you have the opportunity. And finally, I was just once again also struck by their friends of how I think we all have experiences of friends who have almost put these irresistible question marks of faithfully living to the faith that make you kind of just struck to reconsider your own life and how you're living different aspects of your faith. Like, if they're so joyful or, you know, such reverence, they just almost juxtapose what is often seen in the world. And how can we also be like those friends, those saints behind the saints who are nudging people and planting seeds along the way.

[Dr. Chris Mooney]

Yeah. I hope people who persevere to this point, listening to this episode, I hope they learn from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, but I also hope they learn from her friends, from Antonio and Amelia and others who encouraged her along the way.

[Mary McEan]

Well, thank you, thank you for that Beautiful reflection about St Elizabeth Ann Seton and thank you for joining.