Prayer:Prayer to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Stored: Prayer to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
| Prayer to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Prayer to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is a traditional Catholic prayer invoking the intercession of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized a saint. Proclaimed a saint by Pope Paul VI on September 14, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton holds a singular place in American Catholic history as a widow, mother, educator, and foundress of the first free Catholic school in America and the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's.
This prayer draws upon the remarkable diversity of her vocations — as a devoted wife and mother, a convert to the Catholic Faith, a tireless educator of the poor, and the foundress of a religious community — asking that the faithful be inspired by her example to place love of God above all earthly concerns. It is widely used in parishes, schools, and homes throughout the United States, particularly in communities associated with the Sisters of Charity and in Catholic educational institutions she inspired.
The prayer reflects the theological conviction that the saints, sharing in the glory of God in heaven, intercede powerfully for the Church on earth. In invoking St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the faithful seek her motherly intercession for strength in their own vocations, fidelity in family life, zeal for education, and the courage to convert their hearts ever more fully to God.
The Prayer
O God, who blessed Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people, grant, through her example and intercession, that we may always seek to love and serve you above all things. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
History and Background
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774, in New York City, into a prominent Episcopalian family. She married William Magee Seton in 1794 and together they had five children. After her husband's death in 1803 and a profound encounter with the Catholic Faith during a stay in Livorno, Italy, Elizabeth was received into the Catholic Church in 1805.
Responding to what she discerned as God's call, she moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where in 1809 she founded Saint Joseph's Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic school staffed by a religious community in the United States. That same year she established the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's, the first American religious community, modeling its rule on that of St. Vincent de Paul's Daughters of Charity.
Elizabeth Ann Seton died on January 4, 1821, at the age of forty-six, leaving behind a spiritual legacy that would shape American Catholic education for generations. Pope John XXIII beatified her on March 17, 1963, and Pope Paul VI canonized her on September 14, 1975. Her feast day is celebrated on January 4 throughout the universal Church.
The prayer invoking her intercession emerged from the devotional life of American Catholic communities and the religious congregations she inspired. Its form closely follows the structure of the Collect prayer used in the Roman Rite for her feast day, making it both liturgically resonant and suitable for private devotion.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer is recommended for use on January 4, the feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, though it may be prayed at any time, particularly:
- By **parents and married couples** seeking guidance in their vocational duties and the sanctification of family life.
- By **teachers, educators, and school administrators** asking for her intercession in their ministry of Catholic education.
- By **converts to the Catholic Faith**, who find in her story a model of courage, intellectual honesty, and trust in God's providence.
- By **members of the Sisters of Charity** and related congregations in their daily Office and community prayer.
- By **students** in Catholic schools founded under her inspiration, particularly those in the Emmitsburg tradition.
To pray this prayer with greater devotion, the faithful are encouraged to:
- Begin with a brief meditation on the life and virtues of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
- Recite the prayer slowly and deliberately, pausing to reflect on each aspect of her vocation named therein.
- Close with a Hail Mary offered for the intentions she bore in life: the poor, the sick, and children in need of education.
- Make an act of entrustment of one's own vocation to her intercession.
This prayer may also be incorporated into a Novena to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton by repeating it over nine consecutive days, adding a specific intention each day drawn from her charisms of charity, education, and faith.