Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: A Spiritual Portrait

This 2nd edition of the classic spiritual portrait of Mother Seton, newly edited with introduction by Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C., traces the spiritual journey of the 19th-century American wife, mother, educator, and religious leader, who became the first native-born canonized saint of the United States.

This work is exceptional and unique because it is the only in-depth exploration and analysis based on the actual archival documents of Seton’s life, conversion, spiritual growth and development as the foundress of the Sisters of Charity. It underscores her great importance for the Church in the United States, and the lasting spiritual impact of her enduring legacy as a Catholic convert, an educator and a religious leader.

The colloquial style of this critical edition and the abundance of moving excerpts from the pen of Mother Seton inform and inspire the reader to reflect on her remarkable journey towards holiness. Organized thematically and chronologically, this is an astonishing account of an ordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life of heroic virtue as she embraced the will of God.

This updated edition of the acclaimed spiritual work is being released to celebrate this fiftieth anniversary of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was declared the first native-born American saint by St. Pope Paul VI in 1975.