Elizabeth Ann Seton – Special Collections & The Gallery

All Saints’ Day

by Jeanne Brasile

Woodcut engraving of Madonna and St. Jerone — Saint Jerome or Madonna and the Saints
engraving after Francesco Bartolozzi by Karl Heinrich-Muller
19th century
2012.00.0032

November 1 is the annual celebration of All Saints Day which honors all Catholic saints, particularly those with no special feast day of their own. All Saints Day is celebrated worldwide by Roman Catholics as well as other Christian denominations. A feast day commemorates a saint or saints who are remembered on their individual feast days with special services and prayers. Certain feast days include public celebrations and processions. Some saints are celebrated internationally, while others are honored regionally or locally.

All Saints Day was first observed under Pope Boniface IV on May 1, 609 when he dedicated Rome’s Pantheon to the Virgin Mary and the Martyrs. Pope Boniface also instituted All Souls Day, an additional day of prayer and remembrance for the souls of those who have died. Celebrated on November 2, it immediately follows All Saints Day.[1] In the 8^th century, Pope Gregory III moved the All Saints Day observance to November 1, though celebrations were local to Rome. Under Pope Gregory IV, All Saints Day became an official worldwide observance for the entirety of the church.[2]

Prior to the 10^th century, there was no formalized process for identifying and sanctifying saints. This was addressed by Pope John XV who defined the parameters for sainthood. Previous to Pope John XV, sainthood was often attained through popular public opinion. Today, there are more than 10,000 recognized saints.[3] The Catholic Online website has a comprehensive list of saints, angels and feast days – in addition to a wealth of other Catholic resources. It will give you a sense of the many saints venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, and it is fun to browse. For instance, did you know Saint Bernardino is the patron saint of advertising and communications? Or that Saint Januarius is the patron saint of blood banks, and in Naples, also volcanoes? Seton Hall University’s Walsh Gallery and Archives and Special Collections have a significant number of collections that featuring various Catholic saints. In honor of All Saints Day, we have assembled these images of art and artifacts featuring those who have been canonized.

Sketch of medal honoring Elizabeth Ann Seton — Design for Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal from Dieges and Clust
2018.17.0001.a

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the University’s namesake, is the patron saint of Catholic schools, widows, and seafarers. She is also the aunt of the university’s founder, The Most Reverend, James Roosevelt Bayley. This image of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is from a medal designed for the Society of the Preservation of Setonia. This design was made in advance of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization which occurred in 1975. This medal design, in addition to numerous other artifacts that illuminate the life and work of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton are currently on display in the Walsh Gallery exhibition “The Treasures of Seton Hall University.” Her feast day is January 4.

Portrait of Saint Pope John XXIII
20th century
2021.12.0001
Courtesy of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Newark

Saint Pope John XXIII is one of the most popular popes in the Roman Catholic Church. He ushered in a new era by convening the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965), popularly known as Vatican II. This council resulted in sweeping changes throughout the church to address the modern era. Canonized by Pope Francis in April 2014, Saint Pope John XXIII’s feast day is October 11. He is the patron saint of Papal delegates, the Patriarchy of Venice and the Second Vatican Council.[4] Saint John XXIII was also the pope that beatified Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Beatification, a precursor to canonization or sainthood, is a declaration of blessedness.

Portrait of Saint Pope Paul VI
mid to late 20th century
2021.11.0001
Courtesy of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Newark

Saint Pope Paul VI was the 262^nd pope of the Roman Catholic Church, succeeding John XXIII as pope. He also presided over Vatican II, closing the session in 1965 which resulted in numerous church reforms including the improvement of relations with the Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches. Saint Pope Paul VI canonized Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in 1975. He was in turn beatified and canonized by Pope Francis in 2014 and 2018, respectively.[5] His feast day is May 29^th.

Saint Martín de Porres canonization medal
1962
2021.01.0011
Gift of Peter Ahr

Saint Martín de Porres (1579 – 1639), a Peruvian born saint ,was associated with the Dominican Order. He was known for caring for the sick, was trained in the healing arts and was also barber. Though he was devoted to the church, at that time his lineage prevented him from taking his vows as the son of an unmarried Spanish nobleman and a mother that was a freed slave of African and Native descent. Like Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, he founded orphanages and was devoted to the cause of education. He is the patron saint of mixed race people, public health workers, public schools, public education, the poor, Peru, innkeepers and barbers as well as lottery winners, racial harmony and social justice.[6] Today, his name graces numerous schools throughout the United States as well as a Catholic University in Lima, Peru.

Anishinabe Enamiad with Saint Kateri Tekakwitha illustration
December 10, 1896 – vol. 1, no. 10
BX801 .A55
Courtesy of Archives and Special Collections

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656 – 1680), whose feast day falls on July 14^th, is the first Native American saint recognized by the Catholic Church. A layperson of Algonquin-Mohawk heritage, she was born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon which sits on the banks of New York States’ Mohawk River. She was the daughter of Kenneronkwa, a Mohawk chief, and Kahenta, an Algonquin woman who had been captured in a raid, then taken into the Mohawk tribe.[7] In Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s time, the Mohawks had considerable contact with other tribes, as well as European trappers, traders and missionaries. A resulting outbreak of smallpox took the lives of the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s parents and brother. She survived, but with lasting health implications. At the age of 18, after meeting a Jesuit priest, she converted to Catholicism, dying just a few short years later at the age of 24.[8] She was beatified in 1980 by Pope John Paul II, and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter’s Basilica October 21, 2012.[9] Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the patron saint of the environment, ecology, those who have lost their parents, people in exile and Native Americans.[10]

A mass in honor of All Saints Day will be held at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Seton Hall University at 11am on November 1.

The images and materials shown here are but a small part of the vast patrimony available to students, faculty and researchers. For access to this or other objects in our collections, complete a research request form to set up an appointment or contact us at 973-761-9476

[1] https://www.catholic.org/saints/allsaints/ accessed 10/25/2021

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/01/world/all-saints-day-trnd/index.html accessed 10/25/2021

[3] https://www.britannica.com/story/roman-catholic-saints-hallowed-from-the-other-side accessed 10/23/2021

[4] https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=7305 accessed 10/26/2021

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_VI accessed 10/25/2026

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_de_Porres accessed 10/25/2021

[7] https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=154 accessed 10/26/2021

[8] https://www.kateri.org/our-patron-saint/ accessed 10/26/2021

[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kateri_Tekakwitha accessed 10/25/2021

[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kateri_Tekakwitha accessed 10/26/2021

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton & Bicentennial Remembrance

This date – January 4, 2021 marks the 200^th anniversary of the death of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity and the first American-born to be canonized a saint. As the patroness of American Catholic Education and the Catholic University of New Jersey that bears her name we perpetually remember Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in various ways. Examples include of the naming of our Women’s Center in her honor along with a number of annual campus-wide ceremonies and commemorations along with the continual opportunity to learn more about her life and legacy through our associated historical texts and research collections.

Early Portrait of Mother Seton, c. 1840s

The following capsulized biography of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton has been featured on the Seton Hall University Internet-based Homepage and provides a introduction to those who are not familiar with her notable background and life story . . .

“Elizabeth Bayley was born August 28, 1774 in New York City. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, was a prominent physician and surgeon and the first Health Officer in New York City. Her mother, Catherine Charlton Bayley, the daughter of an Episcopal minister, died May 8, 1777 leaving 3 children, Mary 7, Elizabeth, 2 years, 9 months, and an infant, Catherine, who died two years later. Dr. Richard Bayley died of yellow fever in 1801.

A year after his wife died, Dr. Richard Bayley married Charlotte Amelia Barclay. They had 4 children. Mary and Elizabeth spent their summers with their Uncle William Bayley at the Pell Bayley House in New Rochelle, New York.

Elizabeth Bayley married William Magee Seton, a wealthy shipping magnate on January 25, 1794. They had five children: Anna Maria (May 3, 1795); William (November 25, 1796); Richard (July 20, 1798); Catherine (June 28, 1800); and Rebecca (August 20, 1802).

William Magee Seton suffered major financial ruin and died of tuberculosis December 27, 1803 in Italy leaving Elizabeth a poor young widow with five small children.

Anna Marie, the eldest daughter, at 8 years of age, went to Italy with her parents where her ailing father died. She became affectionately called “Annina” by her mother. Anna Maria, as her father, died of tuberculosis March 12, 1812.

Elizabeth Seton, raised Episcopal, converted to Catholicism. She received her first Holy Communion in March 25, 1805. To raise and educated her own children, she became a teacher and wanted all children, boys and girls, to receive free education. At the Pace Street House in Baltimore she founded her first Catholic school.

On March 25, 1809 Elizabeth Seton pronounced vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Henceforth, she became known as Mother Seton. She began the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph on July 31, 1809 at the Stone House in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Mother Seton established St, Joseph’s Academy, the first Catholic parochial school in the United States.

Elizabeth Seton died of tuberculosis on January 4, 1821 at the age of 47. Her remains are sealed in the Basilica of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In September, 1975, Elizabeth Seton became the first American to be canonized as a Saint. Her banner hung over the entrance to St. Peter’s in Rome.”

Window created in honor of Mother Seton found in President’s Hall, Seton Hall University, (Image c. 2001)

Further detail on Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton can be found via resources found within the University Libraries and Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center. The following Library Guide entitled: “Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton & Family” provides a number of information links including book volumes found in the Library Collection, detailed Internet sources, and relevant primary source leads including those located within our ArchivesSpace catalog can be found via the links found below . . .

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton & Family (Library Guide) – https://library.shu.edu/st-elizabeth-ann-seton

Elizabeth Ann Seton (ArchivesSpace) – https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&op%5B%5D=&q%5B%5D=elizabeth+ann+seton&commit=&field%5B%5D=&from_year%5B%5D=&to_year%5B%5D=

Statue of Mother Seton, Seton Hall University Campus, (Image, c. 2004)

For more information and questions about Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton you can contact us via e-mail at: Archives@shu.edu or call: (973) 275-2378 to obtain further details. We wish everyone a Happy New Year ahead!

Object of the Week: Sketch of Mother Seton Medal

Sketch for Mother Seton medal
designed by Dieges and Clust
paint and pencil on paper
14 1/2″ x 11 1/2″
c. 1969
2018.17.0001a
MSS 0006
Monsignor Noe Field Archives & Special Collections Center

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774 – 1821) was born in what would later become the United States and was canonized on September 14, 1975, making her the first American born saint. After the death of her husband while traveling abroad in 1803, she converted to Catholicism and was received into the Catholic Church in March of 1805 at Saint Peter’s Church in New York. Mother Seton established the first Catholic girls’ school in the United States, and later founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity. Her profound impact is still evidenced today by the number of institutions inspired by her work throughout the nation, especially in Maryland and New York City where she had resided. Pope John XXIII noted at her beatification in 1963, “In a house that was very small, but with ample space for charity, she sowed a seed in America which by Divine Grace grew into a large tree.” That tree still thrives in the continuation of her charitable work in the service of others, especially women and children.