A n Inspiration Biography on Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, The First Native Born American Saint.
Introduction To My Inspiration Biograph and Background
The reason why I am writing this inspiration biography on the life of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, is because she is my Patron Saint and is my confirmation name.
Elizabeth Ann Baley Seton was born on August 28, 1774, in the colony of New York. She was born right before the revolutionary war between the U.S. and England.
She was the youngest daughter of Richard and Catherine Baley. Her father was a well known doctor and her mother was the daughter of an Episcopalian minster.
Mary, her eldest sister and she were raised in the Anglican American Church. At a very age, Elizabeth's mother, Catherine died, giving birth to another daughter, who died shortly after her mother died of child birth fever.
Her father, did not have time for either Mary and Elizabeth, and sent them both of to live with their uncle,
William, who lived in New Rochelle, New York.
After a period of years, Richard Baley remarried to a younger woman, in the Roosevelt family, and they had several more children. The step mother had no time for the daughter's of Richard's late wife.
Mary, the oldest daughter married William Post, a doctor and Elizabeth at the age of 18 married William Seton.
He came from a wealthy Anglican family and they had a thriving business in the shipping business.
Elizabeth and William had five children, Anna, William,
Richard, Mary, and Catherine.
In 1805, William, Elizabeth, and with their oldest daughter, Anna, travelled to Italy from the U.S. to stay with friends, an Italian family known as the Fichillis, and this is because William was suffering from T.B.
Due to an outbreak of yellow fever, the Italian Government ordered everyone to be quarantined aboard the ship the Seton's had taken from the U.S. to Italy.
As William's health worsened, the T.B. became worse and he died on December 27, 1805 in Italy and was buried there.
The Fichillis family became Elizabeth and Anna's providers afterward and it is in Italy where Elizabeth started to inquire about the Christian-Catholic Faith.
Antonio Fichillis accompanied Elizabeth and Anna back to the U.S. in October of 1805 and he continued to be their benefactor and sole supporter.
When she made it known that she was going to convert to the Christian-Catholic Faith. Her family and friends turned against her. The only ones that remained faithful to her were her half sisters, and the Fichillis Family.
She received in to the Catholic church in March of 1806 and confirmed in May of 1806.
It was under the Archdiocese of Baltimore and under the administration of Bishop Carroll, that Elizabeth was given a position to teach in a small Catholic school for boys and girls.
A certain wealthy Christian-Protestant gentleman, name Mr. Cooper and under the administration of Bishop Carroll, helped Elizabeth to start the first Women's holy order here in the U.S. and first educational school system for the educating of girls.
Mr. Cooper had been giving a spiritual vision from the Lord, that the school and order was to be started in Emmitsburg, Maryland and then was to spread from there.
At the time Elizabeth, now Mother Seton started her Women's Religious Community, there was only 5 other young women and herself.
They turned no child down as Mother Seton saw "education as a gift from the Lord" and all were welcome in her school until Protestant parents started to complain about Mother Seton and her sisters, teaching the Catholic Faith and Doctrine to these children.
From the minute on, only Christian-Catholic children were granted admittance into her school, which rapidly grew in number and became well known through out the country and all.
Elizabeth Ann Seton died of T.B. on January 4, 1821 at the age of 46 years old and was canonized on September 14, 1976 by the late Pope Paul the Sixth as the First American Born Saint.
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