The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-03
Two Cardinals Urge
 Canonization Rites
Honor to Great American, Mother Elizabeth Seton, Favored; Founded Schools, Asylums, and Hospitals

It is some years now since the canonization of Mother Elizabeth Seton was first encouraged. Today two American cardinals are urging the honor to great American, great Catholic and a great educator. To this country she added in an humble and unassrlming way a sys- tenn of parochial education: she founded the Sisters of Charity of America, and she laid the ground work for the Catholic parochial school system in this country, whereby thousands upcn thousands of children gain a general education with its accompanying religious in- struction.
 Born in New York
 Mother Elizabeth Seton was born in New York City, Elizabeth Ann Bayley, in 1774, and brought up Protestant, her grandfather an Epis- copal clergyman: of family so- cially prominent and of which Pres ident Roosevelt is distantly connect ed. Elizabeth Bayley lived in that section of New York where many of the socially prominent resided. the present Battery and Wall street lo- cality. in pleasant house on State street, then tree-shaded and pos sessing homes with green lawns and slightly grounds. She joined in the social life of that period, and saw in her childhood a city of gay uni- forms of the American and British armies. Her mother was Catherine Charlton; her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, son of a county family of Norfolkshire, England, surgeon in the British army, and professor of anatomy at Kings College, later Co., lumbia in New York City.
 Much of Elizabeth Seton's early education was gained from the teach ing of her father, and from him she learned to read and write French. She likewise sang and played the piano as did young girls in her cir- cle and was taught to be a good needle-woman and housekeeper. Likewise she was deeply religious. She led more less sedate life, and even before her marriage to Will liam Seton, descendant of Mary Seton, lady-in-waiting to Mary Queen of Scots, she was noted for her charitableneSs to the poor and care of the sick. She learned much of this through her father. and the poverty that existed at that time and always troubled her sensitive nature, so that because of her visits to the poor and sick both she and sister-in-law were referred to as Protestant Sisters of Charity.
 Religious Life
 Whether or not these experiences were the cause of her adopting the Catholic religion later and entering the religious life, one cannot say, but following her husbands failures in business, i'll health and subse- quent death in Italy, she went to Florence with her children and as there was no Episcopal church there she gained solace in the Church of San Lorenzo. Six months later she re- turned to New York without money and saddened by experiences. On Ash Wednesday in the year 1905, still a young woman, she was receiv- ed into the Catholic church at old St. Peters since replaced by a new ediff1ce. And from then on her life was a succession of good works and service. She opened 8 private school where French, piano, Italian, needle work and so on were taught, but this proving unsuccessful she went to Maryland and helped by friends there she started a school for poor children which was the beginning of the parochial school system in this country. Her work there, and her cooperation from friends led to the opening of the order of the Sisters of Charity at Emmitsburg, known as the Sisters of Saint Joseph. St. Joscph's still exists, the first mother house of the Sisters of Charity in picturesque Maryland, with a large private academy and college; and from this order branched other Sis- ters of Charity in this country, not ably the Sisters of Charity at Con- vent Station, N. J., and at Mount Saint Vincent's on the Hudson.
 Founded Institutions
 Many other schools were founded, orphan asylums and hospitals. The first free parochial school was open ed in New York City in 1918. and shortly before this the first Catholic orphan asylum in Philadelphia. Mo- ther Seton died in 1921 following an exemplary life that is now reaping the fruits of success in the petitions of the American cardinals. If and when canonized she will be the first United States born woman to be ele- vated to sainthood.
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