Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.” – Pope Paul VI, in his homily from the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton, September 14, 1975.
On the day that the United States of America celebrates its independence and nationhood, it’s fitting that we turn to the first canonized saint born on American soil — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. A convert, wife, mother, and founder of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph — the first community for religious women established in the US — Mother Seton, as she is affectionately still known, suffered much in her 46 years, but found great hope and strength in God. Her life is a testament to what it means to surrender to Providence and to trust God with our lives and our future.
Here are 10 quotes from Mother Seton to ponder on the 4th of July about what courage and freedom really mean …
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And today we celebrate...