Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-13
SAINTHOODO OF
MOTHER SETON
TO Be SOUGHT
~Canonization of First
Woman From u. s.
Trips Object
NEA Service

NEW YORK. July : When a
little band OF pilgrims. sailed from
New York July 9, bound for Rome.
tney carried with them a petition
70 Pope Plus xI asking for canon
lzation OF the first United States
saint.
Thus the humility and devotion
OF Elizabeth Bayley Seton no years
ago may be rewarded By sainthood.
n II that happens the life of a
woman who was rearcd IN luxury.
tnen suffered IN poverty, will as
sumo new significance. Now she is
only Mother Seton, founder Of the
sisters Of Charity, a legendary fig
ure whose calm acceptance Of life's
tragedies brought no bitterness. but
enabled her to find in travail the
serenity OF mind reserved for those
with ar implicit faith in the will OF
God.
She was born August 28. i774. IN
New York. Of an old English fam
lily schooled in traditions Of aris-
tocracy and OF the Episcopal faith.
Her acceptance Of Catholicism came
curing the last l6 years OF her life.
AS q girl in New York she grew
up like other girls of her time.
conscious OF the turmoil OF the
American revolution. but nev
touched directly BY Il. She was
oeyout. pious and restrained. IN
VI she married william Mace
seton. her life was similar 10
thousands OF others who lived in
lower Manhattan. 1t was appar-
emily a love marriage. II linked
her family. directly related 70 the
present Roosevelt family. 70 n
whose old-world connections Join
ed IL with the finest in England
and Scotland.
Misfcrtunes Pile Up
She might have been like others
IL her husbands health had not
failed early in life. She might
never have been considered for
sainthood II this had not happen
ed. But this tragedy gave her op-
portunity for displaying that rare
fortitute which has endeared her
TO millions.
The mother OF five children. she
went 10 Italy in 1903 to save her
self and her husband. He was
near death from tuberculosis. Il
was the beginning Of another OF
many tragedies. Her mother and
then her father. whom she loved
devotedly, had died. NOW her hus-
band.
They sailed for ~Italy-and we're
thrown into the dreaded prison
Lazaretto because authorities
thought Seton was suffering from
yellow fever. Il was a he'll, un-
heated. damn. deathly. Six months
they lived there and she wrote IN
her diary:
Il ven to sleep and dreamed I
was IN the middle aisle OF Trinity
church. My present opportunity
a treasure and my confinement o.
body a liberty Of soul. "A dav Of
bodily pain but peace with God"
Spiritual Struggle
He was dying when they we're
released. TWO DAYS after Chrl5t-
mas he breathed for the last time.
And she was left N Italy with her
little daughted, Ann. Their kind
friends, the FilicchiS, cared Tor
them.
She sought spiritual consolation.
With her friends she wandered
into a Catholic church, since there
were no Episcopal churches avail
able. -. That kind OF soft mufc
which lifts the mind 70 a FORE
taste OF heavenly pleasure. IL sank
on my knees"
Then back ~ New York. For
months she wei cd between one
religion and then the other. Her
soul was torn by the severest pain.
She accepted Catholicism. All her
friends. even her family. renounc-
ed her but she accepted il as a
trial OF faith. She was wounded.
but she would not show her wounds.
She began the asce.ic practices
which marked her as a woman
apart
The family even tried % have
her deported. she bore her az
grace and steadfastly refused 70
reconsider. without funds. humble
and in dire straits she soon al
tractsd the attention Of Bishop