January 4: Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

In 1809 Elizabeth Ann Seton established the first congregation of religious Sisters to be founded in the United States. They were dedicated to the care and education of the children of the poor.

This was their connection with the great Vincentian family in France: they served Jesus Christ as they found Him among the poor, the uneducated and the sick. The Sulpician priests (who had been friends and collaborators of St. Vincent de Paul, and later became Mother Seton’s first patrons in the U.S.) had seen the work Elizabeth and her Sisters were doing and figured that St. Vincent’s rule was a good match for them.

Since St. Vincent had wanted adaptability in the rule of life that he’d created for the Daughters of Charity, he made the rule as simple and un-monastic as possible, so that they might respond freely to the needs of the people as they saw them.

To learn more about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and how she continued in this tradition, please view or download from the resources listed here.