The September 1st issue of America Magazine, the Jesuit weekly, there is a good article
to read on America’s first canonized saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Sister of Charity Regina Bechtle’s article “An American Daughter: Elizabeth Ann Seton and the birth of the U.S. Church” is a good read for those generally interested in matters pertaining to Catholicism in America. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to know that Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first American born canonized a saint by Pope Paul VI in 1975?
What’s the point of this “stuff” about Seton in late August when her feast day is in January? Well, for one, August 28th marked her 234th birthday and mid-September marks 33 years since Seton was canonized. Too, this year is the 200th anniversary of Pope Pius VII named Baltimore an “archdiocese” along with 4 other Catholic dioceses.
We might also consider the possibility of making a pilgrimage to one of the shrines dedicated to Seton. In a real sense it is less important that we end up at a holy spot just for doing it than it is to take stock of our spiritual lives with God’s grace and with assistance of a particularly singular saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, who made a deliberate choice to follow Christ through His sacrament, the Catholic Church. (BTW, she was a believing Christian but she did not possess the fullness of Truth as we know it in Catholicism.) A pilgrimage, therefore, may open for us an opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional Presence before us like we’ve never understood before now. So, what happens to us on the way to a holy shrine is very important indeed. Hence, we follow Christ!
In case you want to visit the shrines of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton on the east coast there
are two:
1. The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg, Maryland
2. The Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, New York City
Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers, may we, whose Faith Community is dedicated in her honor, learn to express our love for you in our love for all your children. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
I’ve lived in the US my whole life and never heard of her. You’d think she would be more well known.
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Dear Alfred, Thanks for visiting the Communio blog and reading up on Seton. What led you to Mother Seton and to this blog? Indeed, I find it funny that you’ve lived in the USA all these years and never heard of St Elizabeth Ann. Certainly the priests of your parish observe Seton’s liturgical memorial. She is the first great saint of the US but not the only one. I presume you’ve heard of Mother Cabrini, John Neumann, and the other American saints and blesseds? There’s a long list of men and women under investigation for sainthood Let me know if you want me to list the notable saints, blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God. If you are in the NYC area perhaps you ought to visit Mother Seton’s Shrine in lower Manhattan. Blessings.