Elizabeth Ann Seton Bibliography
St. ELizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is the first American saint and she made a catholic school in the United States. She was born in New, York City on the 28th of August in 1774 and at this time, an important event that happened in the world is James Cook’s second voyage to New Zealand.
Elizabeth Ann Seton was born to a prominent couple and she was the second child, but Elizabeth’s mother died when she was just three. Elizabeth was Anglican in those days. As a child, ELizabeth usually went to the streets to deliver food to the poor, sick and people in need. In 1794, she got married with a wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children, Anna, William, Richard, Catherine and Rebecca. Elizabeth was now still visited and helped the needy and poor, even though she needs to feed her own family and herself.
Unfortunately, William became very ill and his business was bankrupt so they sailed to Italy where he had a family friend, the Filicchi family who might be able to help and William could try and get better in the sunny, warm climate in Italy. While they were in Italy William died of tuberculosis (a disease usually in the lungs) in 1803. Elizabeth was now a widow with five children to look after. But the Filicchi family helped Elizabeth along the way.
She moved back to New YOrk in 1804. Soon Elizabeth was realising that God had been calling her to become a catholic. Elizabeth went to talk to a priest to learn about faith and after she and her children decided to become a catholic and enter the catholic church. Because of this, many of her friends and family had rejected her, so she was helpless and by herself. Elizabeth was still a kind, patient and loving person who helped all people though.
In 1809, Elizabeth moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland where she founded a boarding school for catholic girls and she only got a little profit from it. Many other women joined ELizabeth helping the children get educated. They became known as the Sisters of Charity or Daughters of Charity. Now there was lots of Sisters of Charity / Daughters of Charity in the world continue on with Mother Seton’s amazing work.
They have established hospitals, homes for old aged, sick people, school and even orphanages in other places including New York and Philadelphia. As Elizabeth got older she became sick with tuberculosis as well and died on the 4th of January, 1821 at the age of 46, only 16 years after she had entered the catholic church, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A significant event that happened at this time is the Greek war of Independence against the Ottoman Empire begins.