Elizabeth had to live through many dark periods in her youth. She was born in New York, USA, and baptised as an Episcopalian. Her mother died when she was three years old, and a year later she lost her baby sister. Her father remarried. But after a few years the marriage ended in a separation, and the stepmother rejected Elizabeth. She and her sister were sent to live with their uncle. This was a dark period for her, partly because she missed having a mother around. She married William Seton, a handsome and wealthy businessman. They had five children, and even took in other children. All went well until the business failed, and William died of tuberculosis when they were in Italy. Elizabeth was penniless. To support her children, she started an academy for young ladies in New York. In the process she also founded a religious community to run the school. This was the beginning of the Catholic parish school system in the USA. After a life of hardships, Mother Seton died at the age of 46. #saintelizabethseton #stelizabethseton #feastday #catholicsaints #onlinewithsaints
