Famous Ancient Religious Bronze Statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s widowhood and conversion to Catholicism

Friends of Elizabeth Ann Seton’s late husband introduced him to Catholicism. After returning to New York, the widow Seton was accepted into the Catholic Church on March 14, 1805, by The Rev. Matthew O ‘Brien of St. Peter’s, then the only Catholic church in the city. (The anti-Catholic law was repealed only a few years ago.) A year later, she received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore, the nation’s only Catholic bishop. To support herself and her children, Setton opened a young ladies’ college. This was common for widows of social standing at the time. After news of her conversion to Catholicism spread, most parents withdrew their daughter from her school. In 1807, students at a local Protestant college boarded at her home on Bowery Stuyvesant Lane, near St. Mark’s Church. When Seton was about to move to Canada, she met a visiting pastor, Louis William Valentine Dubourg, a member of the exile community of the Sulpician Fathers in France, and then president of St. Mary’s College in Baltimore. Sulpicians had taken refuge in the United States to escape religious persecution during the French reign of terror. They were establishing the first Catholic seminary in the United States, in line with the goals of their community. For several years, Dubourg had envisioned a religious school to meet the educational needs of the small Catholic community in the new country. The bronze statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s is still highly respected today.

Outdoor Bronze Statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Religious Bronze Statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Seton spent the rest of his life leading and developing new congregations

After many difficulties, Seton accepted an invitation from the Surpik sect in 1809 and moved to Emmetsburg, Maryland. A year later, she founded St. Joseph’s College and Free School, a school dedicated to Catholic girls’ education. This was thanks to the financial support of Samuel Sutherland Cooper, a wealthy convert and seminarian of the newly founded University of Mount St. Mary, founded by John Dubois and Sulpicians. On July 31, Seton established a religious community in Emmitsburg dedicated to caring for the children of the poor. It was the first convent established in the United States, and its school was the first free Catholic school in the United States. This modest start marked the beginning of the American Catholic parochial school system. The congregation was originally known as the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. From then on, she was known as “Mama Setton”. In 1811, they adopted the rules of the Daughters of Charity, founded in France by Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Seton spent the rest of his life leading and developing new congregations. Seton was described as a charming and cultured lady. Her connection to New York society and the attendant social pressures of leaving and creating a new life for herself did not prevent her from accepting her religious and charitable mission. The greatest difficulties she faced were internal, stemming from misunderstandings, interpersonal conflicts, and the deaths of two daughters, other relatives, and younger sisters in the community. Elizabeth Ann Seton was a very great saint. If you like her very much, you can put our bronze statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in your home. We also have a lot of sculptures of other saints and other religious sculptures. If you are interested in it, welcome to contact us.

Life-size Bronze Statue Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton