|
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton |
|
Convert to Roman
Catholicism; foundress of the American Sisters of Charity, which was the
first sisterhood native to the United States; a wife, mother, widow, sole
parent, foundress, educator, social minister, and spiritual leader, Elizabeth
Bayley Seton was the first person born in the United States to become a
canonized saint (September 14, 1975); b. August 28, 1774, New York
City; d. Emmitsburg, Maryland, January 4, 1821. Of British and French
ancestry, Elizabeth was born into a prominent Anglican family in New York and
was the second daughter of Dr. Richard Bayley (1744-1801) and Catherine
Charlton (d.1777). The couple's first child, Mary Magdalene Bayley
(1768-1856), married (1790) Dr. Wright Post (1766-1828) of New York.
Catherine Bayley (1777-1778), the youngest child, died the year after the
untimely death of her mother, which was probably a result of childbirth. Native of New York After the death of his
first wife, Dr. Bayley married (1778) Charlotte Amelia Barclay (c.1759-1805),
of the Jacobus James Roosevelt lineage of New York, but the marriage ended in
separation as a result of marital conflict. The couple had seven children,
three daughters and four sons. Among them was Guy Carleton Bayley
(1786-1859), whose son, James Roosevelt Bayley (1814-1877), converted to
Roman Catholicism and became the first bishop of Newark (1853-1872) and
eighth archbishop of Baltimore (1872-1877). Elizabeth and her
sister were rejected by their stepmother. On account of her father's travel
abroad for medical studies, the girls lived temporarily in New Rochelle, New
York, with their paternal uncle, William Bayley (1745-1811), and his wife,
Sarah Pell Bayley. Elizabeth experienced a period of darkness around the time
when her stepmother and father separated. Reflecting about this period of
depression in later years in her journal entitled Dear Remembrances,
she expressed her relief at not taking the drug laudanum, a opium derivative:
"This wretched reasoning-laudanum-the praise and thanks of excessive joy
not to have done the ‘horrid deed’- thoughts and promise of eternal
gratitude." Elizabeth had a natural bent toward contemplation; she loved
nature, poetry, and music, especially the piano. She was given to
introspection and frequently made entries in her journal expressing her
sentiments, religious aspirations, and favorite passages from her reading. Elizabeth wed William
Magee Seton (1768-1803), a son of William Seton, Sr., (1746-1798) and Rebecca
Curson Seton (c.1746-c.1775), January 25, 1794, in the Manhattan home of Mary
Bayley Post.Samuel Provoost (1742-1815), the first Episcopal bishop of New
York, witnessed the wedding vows of the couple. Socially Prominent Socially prominent in
New York, the Setons belonged to the fashionable Trinity Episcopal(聖公會) Church. Elizabeth was a devout communicant there under
the influence of Rev. John Henry Hobart (1775-1830, later bishop), who was
her spiritual director. Elizabeth, along with her sister-in-law Rebecca Mary
Seton (1780-1804), her soul-friend and dearest confidant, nursed the sick and
dying among family, friends, and needy neighbors. Elizabeth was among the
founders and charter members of The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows
with Small Children (1797) and also served as treasurer of the organization. Happily married,
Elizabeth and William Magee Seton had five children: Anna Maria (1795-1812),
William (1796-1868), Richard Bayley (1798-1823), Catherine Charlton
(1800-1891), and Rebecca Mary (1802-1816). Anna Maria, who had
accompanied her parents to Italy in 1803, became afflicted with tuberculosis
as an adolescent and made her vows as a Sister of Charity on her deathbed.
Rebecca fell on ice sometime before 1812, causing a hip injury which resulted
in lameness and early death, also from tuberculosis. Both Anna Maria and
Rebecca are buried in the original cemetery of the Sisters of Charity at
Emmitsburg, Maryland. After joining the United States Navy (1822), Richard
died prematurely off the coast of Liberia on board the ship Oswego. Catherine Charlton
(also called Josephine), was beautiful and witty. She distinguished herself
by her linguistic and musical talents, developed at Saint Joseph's Academy,
Emmitsburg. She was the only Seton present at her mother's death. Catherine
later lived with her brother William and his family and traveled to Europe
with them several times before entering the Sisters of Mercy in New York City
(1846). As Mother Mary Catherine, she devoted herself for more than forty
years to prison ministry in New York. William received a commission as
lieutenant in the United States Navy in February 1826 and married (1832)
Emily Prime (1804-1854). Seven of their nine children lived to adulthood,
including Archbishop Robert Seton (1839-1927) and Helen (1844-1906), another
New York Sister of Mercy (Sister Mary Catherine, 1879-1906). Change of Tide During their monetary
crisis Elizabeth tried to assist her husband at night by doing the account
books of his firm, but the Company went bankrupt (1801), and the Setons lost
their possessions and the family home at 61 Stone Street in lower Manhattan.
William Magee began to show evidence of tuberculosis as their financial
problems escalated. Faith-filled Journey The experiences in
Italy of Elizabeth and her daughter (now called Annina) transformed their
lives forever. Antonio Filicchi (1764-1847) and his wife, Amabilia Baragazzi
Filicchi (1773-1853) provided gracious hospitality to the widow and child
until the Setons returned to the United States the next spring. Filippo and
his wife, the former Mary Cowper (1760-1821) of Boston, along with Antonio
and Amabilia Filicchi, introduced Elizabeth to Roman Catholicism. Elizabeth
came upon the text of the Memorare, and began to inquire about
Catholic practices, first from her lack of familiarity with the religion,
then her inquisitiveness arose out of sincere interest. She asked about the
Sacred Liturgy, the Real Presence in the Eucharist, and the Church’s direct
unbroken link with Christ and the apostles. The Italian Journal, her
long memoir written for her sister-in-law Rebecca Seton, reveals the intimate
details of Elizabeth's heart-rending personal journey of inner conflict and
conversion (cf. Bechtle and Metz, p. 243). Antonio, who had business
interests in America, accompanied the Setons back to America, and instructed
Elizabeth about the faith and offered wise counsel during her indecision.
Elizabeth felt deeply for Antonio, who provided not only emotional support
but also substantial financial resources to her. Although Elizabeth
left the United States a firm Protestant, she returned to New York with the
heart of a Roman Catholic in June 1804. Immediately opposition and insecurity
threatened her resolve. Elizabeth's religious inclinations incurred the ire
of both family and friends. Their hostility coupled with the death of her
beloved Rebecca, her sister-in-law and most intimate confidant, caused
Elizabeth deep anguish. She was also troubled by her strained financial
situation. Her five children were all less than eight years of age. As their
sole parent Elizabeth faced many challenges and frequently had to relocate
into less expensive housing. While Elizabeth was
discerning God's will for her future, the Virgin Mary became her prism of
faith. In her discernment she relied on several advisors among the clergy,
especially Rev. John Cheverus (1768-1836), the first bishop of Boston, and
his associate Rev. Francis Matignon (1753-1818). After wrestling with doubts
and fears in her search for truth, Elizabeth resolved her inner conflict
regarding religious conversion and embraced Roman Catholicism. Reverend Matthew
O'Brien (1758-1815) received Elizabeth's profession of the Catholic faith at
Saint Peter's Church, Barclay Street in lower Manhattan, March 14, 1805.
Elizabeth received her First Communion two weeks later on March 25. Bishop
John Carroll (1735-1815, later archbishop), whom she considered her spiritual
father, confirmed her the next year on Pentecost Sunday. For her Confirmation
name Elizabeth added the name of Mary to her own and thereafter frequently
signed herself "MEAS," which was her abbreviation for Mary
Elizabeth Ann Seton. Accordingly the three names, Mary, Ann, and Elizabeth,
signified the moments of the mysteries of Salvation for her. Elizabeth's initial
years as a Catholic (1805-1808) in New York were marked by disappointments
and failures. Rampant anti-Catholic prejudice prevented her from beginning a
school, but she secured a teaching position at the school of a Protestant
couple, Mr. & Mrs. Patrick White but they failed financially within a
short time. Elizabeth's next venture was a boarding house for boys who
attended a school directed by Rev. William Harris of Saint Mark’s Episcopal
Church, but disgruntled parents withdrew their sons. Seton family members
also distrusted Elizabeth's influence on younger family. members. Their fears
were realized when Cecilia converted to Catholicism (1806), then Harriet also
made her profession of faith (1809). During Cecilia's struggles as a new
convert, Elizabeth wrote an instructive Spiritual Journal (1807) for
her, offering her wise counsel. Although Elizabeth was
frustrated in establishing herself to provide for the welfare of her
children, she remained faith-filled. She was convinced that God would show
her the way according to the Divine Plan. In considering her future and
examining alternatives, Elizabeth remained a mother first and foremost. She
regarded her five "darlings" as her primary obligation over every
other commitment. Maryland Mission After her arrival in
Maryland, June 16, 1808, Elizabeth spent one year as a school mistress in
Baltimore. The Sulpicians envisioned the development of a sisterhood modeled
on the Daughters of Charity of Paris (founded 1633), and they actively
recruited candidates for the germinal community. Cecilia Maria O'Conway,
(1788-1865), of Philadelphia, was the first to arrive, December 7, 1808. She
was followed in 1809 by Mary Ann Butler (1784-1821)of Philadelphia, Susanna
Clossey (1785-1823) of New York, Catharine Mullen (1783-1815) of Baltimore,
Anna Maria Murphy Burke (c.1787-1812) of Philadelphia, and Rosetta (Rose)
Landry White (1784-1841), a widow of Baltimore. Only Elizabeth pronounced
vows of chastity and obedience to John Carroll for one year in the lower
chapel at Saint Mary's Seminary, Paca Street, March 25, 1809. The Archbishop
gave her the title "Mother Seton." On June 16, 1809, the group of
sisters appeared for the first time dressed alike in a black dress, cape and
bonnet patterned after the widows weeds of women in Italy whom Elizabeth had encountered
there. Samuel Sutherland
Cooper, (1769-1843), a wealthy seminarian and convert, purchased 269 acres of
land for an establishment for the sisterhood near Emmitsburg in the
countryside of Frederick County, Maryland. Cooper wished to establish an
institution for female education and character formation rooted in Christian
values and the Catholic faith, as well as services to the elderly, job skill
development, and a small manufactory, which would be beneficial to people
oppressed by poverty. Cooper had Elizabeth in mind to direct the educational
program. Emmitsburg Foundation Divine Providence
guided Elizabeth and her little community through the poverty and unsettling
first years. Numerous women joined the Sisters of Charity. During the period
1809-1820, of the ninety-eight candidates who arrived in Elizabeth's
lifetime, eighty-six of them actually joined the new community; seventy
percent remained Sisters of Charity for life. Illness, sorrow, and early
death were omnipresent in Elizabeth's life. She buried eighteen sisters at
Emmitsburg, in addition to her two daughters Annina and Rebecca, and her
sisters-in-law Harriet and Cecilia Seton. The Sulpicians
assisted Elizabeth in adapting the seventeenth-century French Common Rules
of the Daughters of Charity (1672) for the Sisters of Charity of Saint
Joseph's in accord with the needs of the Catholic Church in America. Elizabeth
formed her sisters in the Vincentian spirit according to the tradition of
Louise de Marillac (1591-1660) and Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). Eighteen
Sisters of Charity, including Elizabeth, made private, annual vows of
poverty, chastity, obedience, and service of the poor for the first time,
July 19, 1813; thereafter they made vows annually on March 25. Elected by the members
of the community to be the first Mother of the Sisters of Charity, Elizabeth
was reelected successively and remained at its head until her death. The
Sulpicians, who had conceived and founded the community, filled the office of
superior general through 1849. Elizabeth worked successively with three
Sulpicians in this capacity: Rev. Louis William Dubourg, S.S., Rev.
Jean-Baptiste David, S.S., (1761-1841) and Rev. John Dubois, S.S. The Sisters of Charity
intertwined social ministry with education in the faith and religious values
in all they undertook in their mission. Elizabeth dispatched sisters to
Philadelphia to manage Saint Joseph's Asylum, the first Catholic orphanage in the United
States in 1814. The next year she opened a mission at Mount Saint
Mary’s to oversee the infirmary and domestic services for the college and
seminary near Emmitsburg. In 1817 sisters from Saint Joseph's Valley went to
New York to begin the New York City Orphan Asylum (later Saint Patrick's
Orphan Asylum). The Seton Legacy The work of education
and charity lives on in Elizabeth's spiritual daughters around the world.
James Gibbons (1834-1921, later cardinal), archbishop of Baltimore, initiated
her cause for canonization in 1882. Officially introduced at the Vatican in
1940, it made steady progress. Blessed John XXIII declared Elizabeth
venerable December 18, 1959, and also beatified her March 17, 1963. Pope Paul VI
canonized Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton September 14 during the Holy Year of 1975
and the International Year of the Woman. The Holy See accepted three miracles through her
intercession. These included the cures of Sister Gertrude Korzendorfer, D.C.,
(1872-1942), of Saint Louis, of cancer; a young child, Ann Theresa O’Neill,
(b.1948), of Baltimore, from acute, lymphatic leukemia; and the miraculous
recovery of Carl Kalin, (1902-1976), of New York, from a rare form of
encephalitis. The extraordinary
manner in which Elizabeth lived an ordinary life flowed from the centrality
of the Word of God and the Eucharist in her life. These strengthened her
enabling her to be a loving person toward God, her family, her neighbor, and
all of creation. She undertook works of mercy and justice. Not only did she
and hers Sisters of Charity care for orphans, widows, and poor families, but
they also addressed unmet needs among persons oppressed by multiple forms of
poverty. Elizabeth had a special concern for children who lacked educational
opportunities, especially for religious instruction in the faith. Her life-long response
to God's will throughout her life led her to sanctity. Her holiness developed
from her early religious formation as an Episcopalian. Her longing for
Eternity began at a young age. Throughout her earthly journey of forty-six
years, Elizabeth viewed herself as a pilgrim on the road of life. She faced
each day with eyes of faith, looking forward to eternity. Dominant themes in her
life and writings include her pursuit of the Divine Will, nourishment from
the Eucharist and the Bible, confidence in Divine Providence, and charitable
service to Jesus Christ in poor persons. From her deathbed in Emmitsburg she
admonished those gathered about her: "Be children of the Church, be children of the Church." She prayed her way
through life’s joys and struggles using sacred scripture. This enabled her to
live serenely come what may. Psalm 23,「上主是我的牧者, ….」which she learned as a child, remained her favorite
treasury of consolation throughout her life of suffering and loss.
Elizabeth's pathway to inner peace and sanctity flowed from her way of living
the Paschal Mystery in her own life. She moved from
devotional reception of Holy Communion as an Episcopalian to awe as a Roman
Catholic and often ecstatic adoration of the Real Presence. Her Eucharistic
devotion and faith in God's abiding presence nourished her imitation of Jesus
Christ, the source and model of all charity. As she established the Sisters
of Charity in their mission of charity and education, she adopted The
Regulations for the Sisters of Charity in the United States (1812). The
choice of the Vincentian rule reflects how Elizabeth understood her mission
as one of apostolic service honoring Jesus Christ through service to poor
persons. Elizabeth's spiritual pathway involved other people--her advisors,
friends, collaborators, and those she served. The relational aspects of her
spirituality were a natural gift which she used as a religious leader and
animator in community. Seton Writings. Elizabeth was a prolific writer. Extant documents are
published in Elizabeth Bayley Seton Collected Writings (New City
Press: New York). Also in her hand are some of the primitive documents of the
Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph's and her own last will and testament. In
addition to voluminous correspondence, Elizabeth also wrote meditations,
instructions, poetry, hymns, notebooks, journals, and diaries. Her journals
include both spiritual reflections and chronicle accounts, like The
Italian Journal. Dear Remembrances is an autobiographical
retrospective memoir or life review. Her meditations deal with the liturgical
seasons, sacraments, virtue, biblical themes, and the saints, including
Vincent de Paul whose rule of life the Sisters of Charity adopted. Among her
instructions are those used in preparing children for their First Communion,
and formation conferences for the Sisters of Charity on such topics as
service, charity, eternity, the Blessed Sacrament, and Mary, the Mother of
God. Elizabeth rendered the
prototypical English translation of their first biographies, The Life of
Mademoiselle Le Gras (Nicolas Gobillon, 1676) and The Life of the
Venerable Servant of God Vincent de Paul (Louis Abelly, 1664). Elizabeth
also translated selections from the Conferences of Vincent de Paul to
Daughters of Charity and Notes on the Life of Sister Françoise Bony,
D.C., (1694-1759). Also included among the Seton translations are
excerpts from selected conferences of Francis de Sales, portions of works by
Saint Theresa of Avila, meditations by Rev. Louis Du Pont, S.J., and the
beginning of the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Elizabeth had a habit of
copying meaningful passages from books she was reading and of making marginal
notes in her bible. Her copybooks containing notes from A Commentary on
the Book of Psalms (1792 by George Horne, and notes on sermons of Rev.
John Henry Hobart. Bibles containing her jottings and marginal notes are
preserved in the Rare Books and Special Collections, Hesburgh Library,
University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and in the Simon Bruté Collection of the
Old Cathedral Library, Vincennes, Indiana. The Sisters of Charity
as a community grew and blossomed into independent new communities in North
America: The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of New York (1846);
the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati (1852); the Sisters of Charity of Saint
Vincent de Paul of Halifax (1856); the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth,
Convent Station, New Jersey (1859); and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill,
Greensburg, Pennsylvania (1870). As a result of mandates from their General
Assembly (1829 and 1845) requiring the Sulpicians to return to their founding
charism of the education and formation of priests, the Sulpician superiors
arranged for the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph's to join (1850) the
Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of Paris, France. These
communities formed (1947) the Conference of Mother Seton's Daughters
which developed into The Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian
and Setonian Tradition (1996) with member congregations from the United
States and Canada. All Federation members are rooted in the rule of Vincent
de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Elizabeth left an
enduring legacy, which makes Catholic education available for needy pupils.
Popular devotion acclaims Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as a patron of Catholic
schools because of her pioneer role in values-based education. A woman whose vision
of faith remains relevant for all ages. Elizabeth's journey of faith presents
an outstanding model for all people. In a letter to her lifelong friend Julia
Sitgreaves Scott (1765-1842), Elizabeth summarized her way of life:
"Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the
other, experience says it must be and love says let it be" (March 26,
1810). Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton died January 4, 1821, in the White House at
Saint Joseph's Valley, near Emmitsburg, Maryland. Her remains repose there in
the Basilica of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Excerpts from
Elizabeth Bayley Seton Papers courtesy of Archives Saint Joseph's Provincial
House, Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, (Emmitsburg, Maryland).
Betty Ann McNeil, D.C. |
