St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Withstanding Hardships
St. Elizabeth is the first saint to be born in the United States. She was raised in the Episcopal church, married a wealthy businessman and had five children. Sadly, her husband’s business went bankrupt, and he died of tuberculosis. Now a widow and single mother, Elizabeth became a Catholic and started a school in order to support her family. She continued to endure hardships, including the death of two daughters and difficulties in her mission to lead a religious order, yet she’s remembered as being cheerful and hopeful. Like her husband, she contracted tuberculosis and died at age 46. Her feast day is celebrated on January 4th.