St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for Us!
As we enter a new year, many reflect on 2025. It's joys, it's sorrows; all culminating into how the last 365 days were for us. While it's important to look back, it's even more important to look forward. As such, we should look at the Patron Saint of new beginnings, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The first American-born Saint, she had a path that only God could foresee. Born into an Episcopalian family in New York, she was married off to William Magee Seton. But not even 10 years into their marriage, her husband caught tuberculosis. While they moved to Italy with hopes of recovery, he passed away, leaving her a widow with five children. After his passing, she moved back to America. While she left her husband behind, she came home with a heart radically in love with Catholicism. While her conversion resulted in a loss of social status, financial security, and many family relationships; her love for Christ, the Holy Mother, and the Eucharist was stronger. From here, she would move to Baltimore to teach. After only one year in Maryland, she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s. Here, they ran Saint Joseph’s Academy and a free school for girls. While there was no way she could have known at the time, this educational model would go on to shape Catholic schools in America. Furthermore, her religious organization would go on to establish orphanages, hospitals, and social service centers worldwide. St. Seton had an incredibly difficult decision to make. She could have kept her life as it was, being scared of the unknown; but she trusted God to steer her life towards him. While trusting God may not always be the easiest thing to do, it's important to remember that God can do amazing things in your life. Let God direct 2026; He just needs your trust. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for Us! https://missions.ewtn.com/dailysaint/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#:~:text=The%20families%20of%20her%20husband's,caused%20her%20to%20lose%20students