Seton, St Elizabeth Ann (1774-1821)

US religious leader and social benefactor. A convert to Roman Catholicism, she founded schools for the poor. Known as ‘Mother Seton,’ she was proclaimed the first American saint 1975.

Born in New York, USA, Seton was devoted to the service of the poor and established the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children 1797. After a trip to Italy and the death of her first husband, she joined the Roman Catholic Church 1805.

In 1809, with her own funds, she established a Catholic elementary school in Baltimore. Soon afterward becoming a nun, she formed the Sisters of St Joseph and founded St Joseph's College for Women 1809.