(50 for 50 series) A fifty-year-old widow in Virginia, an Episcopalian, had promised at the time of her marriage to her Irish Catholic husband to raise any children as Catholic. To plan for her only child’s welfare, she visited St. Mary’s Infant Home in Norfolk to explore future care, if necessary, for her six-year-old daughter, Betty. The child recalled the kindness of meeting a tall Sister, a Daughter of Charity, Sister Mary Louise Doyle.
Within a few years, the mother and daughter moved into the city, and Betty was enrolled in a Catholic elementary school. The principal, Sister Stephanie Desmarais, a Daughter of Charity, discounted the tuition, charging the mother only $10 instead of the usual $15 per semester in 1955. There, the Sisters at Sacred Heart School shared interesting stories about Mother Seton with their classes and encouraged pupils to read about her in books for young readers. Betty read White Noon by Sigrid Van Sweringen (1939) and His Dear Persuasion (1946) by Katherine Burton and learned that Mother Seton was born Episcopalian, had suffered from early parental loss, lived near waterways, and enjoyed beachcombing. Betty had lost her father, attended the Episcopal Sunday School and its activities for children, lived by the Atlantic Ocean, and enjoyed beachcombing. She bonded with Betty Bayley.
During the school year of 1956-57, the Virginia Chapter of the Mother Seton Committee of the International Federation of Catholic Alumnae, an organization of 80,000 convent- trained women, gathered signatures on petitions to support the Seton Cause for canonization. Betty and her classmates were among thousands who signed the petition “to our Holy Father [Pius XII], asking favorable consideration of the canonization of Mother Elizabeth Seton, pioneer educator and foundress of the American Sisters of Charity, as the first native-born woman of the United States to be raised by Holy Mother Church to the honors of the altar.” Surely the children’s signatures and their faith resulted in Pope John XXIII declaring the heroicity of the virtues of Venerable Elizabeth Ann Seton on December 18, 1959.
When Betty was in high school, she read Annabelle Melville’s, Elizabeth Bayley Seton (1951), and Mrs. Seton: Foundress of the American Sisters of Charity, by Joseph I. Dirvin, C.M. (1962). Both publications piqued her interest and inspired the adolescent to wonder about God’s plan for her future. Mother Seton and the Sisters had emphasized doing God’s will. Where should she go to college? What should she do as an adult?
The Daughters of Charity organized a Children of Mary Conference (a 1960’s version of a Youth Rally) at Emmitsburg on the weekend of Mother Seton’s beatification. Betty was one of the several teenagers who attended and imbibed the Seton legacy. Sister Maria Gnerro gave them a tour of the highlights of St. Joseph’s Valley, where Mother Seton had lived and died. While standing in the historic, original cemetery by the Seton graves on March 17, 1963, Sister said that the bells would toll as soon as the telegram arrived from Rome announcing that Mother Seton had become Blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton. At that minute, church bells from miles around began to ring continuously for an extended period in honor of her beatification. The presence of Mother Seton was palpable. The group was awestruck! That powerful moment was thrilling and inspired Betty to attend Saint Joseph College for a year.
Her mother’s perseverance in raising Betty in the Catholic faith resulted in Mother Seton being an inspiration and role model for Betty in living her faith since elementary school. Betty felt that God was calling her to live a consecrated life of service to persons in need and entered the Daughters of Charity at Emmitsburg in 1964. Betty’s mother was surprised and mystified by her daughter’s choice but only wanted her to be happy.
These were the years of the Vatican Council II (1962-1965) and subsequent renewal in the church, including religious life and apostolic societies, like the Daughters of Charity. The rich community history in St Joseph’s Valley, the sites where Mother Seton, and her sisters lived, worked, and died, inspired Betty during her years of formation for ministry. One of the notable changes from the Vatican II renewal was that after Sisters received the habit of the Daughters of Charity, they would also be known by the name they received at their Baptism. Many people mistakenly believed that Mother Seton was Betty’s namesake; however, her baptismal name combined family names: Elizabeth and Anna.
When the canonization of Mother Seton was announced, the province invited sisters who had been in the community for five years or longer and wanted to attend the canonization to submit their names for a lottery. The Sisters recognized that the age distribution among attendees would enable younger members to continue sharing the Seton story for many years. Betty was one of the lucky lottery winners! She was profoundly moved when she heard Paul VI declare, “Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a saint!”
Many sisters, congregations, parishes, schools, and institutions have developed creative and innovative ways to promote the Seton Legacy. The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton stands out for transforming a dream into reality of the first class. Since its establishment in 1975, staff, volunteers, and leaders have worked consistently to understand, interpret, and share the Seton story accurately. Over the years, Betty played a role in preserving and researching the Seton documents, aiming to share a deeper understanding of Mother Seton’s life and legacy.
The 50th Golden Anniversary of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton sparks dear remembrances. From a young age, Betty has been inspired by Mother Seton’s courageous faith, even in the face of religious prejudice. The combination of Eucharistic and Marian spirituality, along with Mother Seton’s grace in overcoming adversity, also has motivated Betty for more than sixty years. Her determination to understand and follow God’s will, as well as her trust in Divine Providence, continues to Provide daily inspiration. Her memories of the Seton canonization remain vivid as if it occurred just yesterday. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was a faith-filled woman of yesteryear, but remains a woman for all seasons, a “citizen of the world.” For me, she continues to be a spiritual mentor, a role model for discipleship, and an intercessor with God for the current needs of all peoples around the globe.
— Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C.
50 for 50 is a series of stories, quotes, clips, photos, and/or devotional statements from ordinary people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton as the first native-born American saint.