January Drinking Companion
St. Elizabeth Anne Seton, was not only was she the first American born female saint, but she and her sisters embody something I think we an all learn from. First she was an Episcopalian who by God’s grace saw the beauty of the Catholic Church and Eucharist when she lived in NYC. Second the religious group she founded would go on to serve the injured soldiers in and near Gettysburg in both the North and South. They didn’t play politics, but served those who were in need and hurting during one of our most challenging times. Something we can use more of in our world today. Instead of seeing the social identity of a person, wherever it falls on the spectrum, why not just see the humanity that unites in something we have far more in common.
It is now January 7 that I write this, 3 days after St. Elizabeth’s feast day of January 4. I realized I didn’t write this in time, and I almost abandoned it for another upcoming saint. However in honor of her 50th anniversary of canonization, and the polarization of our politics which often divides the truth of Catholic social teaching, I felt it was necessary to write about this saint. In addition as usual, it worked out for me to visit her tomb on her feast day again. She might be one of the most providential saints for this experience, as I have made a pilgrimage to her tomb on her feast day, at least 4 times since 2018. In addition to many other times. I especially like her since she is patron of teachers. She, along with St. John Neumann are founders of the parochial schools system in the United States. She started the schools, he founded the system.
St Elizabeth Anne Seton is most of all inspirational. Her story reminds me of all the Historic Black Colleges and institutions in America, that came along after her life. Many American’s do not realize, after African American’s the Catholic was discriminated against greatly. Some reasons justified due to over reaching of the hierarchy in Europe, others just the same old human bigotry of the times, other political ideologies. The Ku Klux Klan after the civil war is an example of this. Whatever the reason, people like St. Elizabeth didn’t participate in the politics, but instead found solutions, like the Black institutions later on in time after the Civil War. She was a trailblazer of her time, devoting her self to creating a congregation of education and evangelization which thrives until this day. It should be noted she founded the Sisters of Charity, which was a derivative of the Daughters of Charity. This is an important note, considering the was a bureaucracy with the New World that prevented her from being part of the Daughters of Charity in Europe. This didn’t stop her and she formed her own group under the circumstances she was working with.
May St. Elizabeth Anne Seton inspire us to do more in our community, in trusting God’s will and design through the Catholic Church Jesus Christ founded, in accordance with God’s grace and perseverance of His saints throughout the centuries. St. Elizabeth Anne Seton, inspire us to see unity in the Eucharist as you did. When the people of God realize the True Presence of Jesus Christ, we then will see the image of God in each other, which will inspire a culture of life, salvation, joy and most of hope in Jesus Christ. Pope Francis is praying for this as well, in the The Year of Hope, calling us to be “Pilgrims of Hope”.
My daughter’s first pilgrimage when she was 3 months old. It was the feast day of St. Elizabeth Anne Seton Jan 4, 2021.