From New York high society to...

Elizabeth was the daughter of a well-connected doctor in New York City and she grew up in high society. She got married to a rich businessman and had five kids by the time she was 29.

Then her husband went broke and died.

Then she left the Episcopalian Church and her family disowned her.

Now the high society girl was a widow with no income and five small children.

In an effort to support her children (and educate them at the same time), she started her own school and then a boardinghouse, but she was forced to close them.

A priest in Maryland invited her to start a school there. The school prospered and she established a religious community.

Her health, however, did not prosper. She slowly declined and died at the age of 46 at Emmitsburg, Maryland one hundred and eighty-five years ago today.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first native-born U.S. citizen to be canonized on September 14, 1975.

(adapted from an earlier post)