SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON (1774-1821)

She was raised in the Episcopalian, married and had five children. After her husband died, Elizabeth and her children became a Catholic. Elizabeth began a community of religious Sisters, known as the Daughters of Charity. She opened the first American Catholic School House in 1809. She established St. Joseph's Academy and Free School in Emmitsburg, Md. at the invitation of the president of St. Mary's Seminary. St. Joseph's later merged with St. Mary's to become Mount Saint Mary's College. Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized in 1975. The Mother Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Md. is dedicated in her memory. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first American canonized saint. We celebrate her feast on January 4th.