--- title: "St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Feast Day January 4, Life & Quotes" url: https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/ description: "St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious, patron of Catholic schools and widows. Feast day January 4. Read their life and their own words, with sources." --- Religious · Feast day January 4 # St. Elizabeth Ann Seton The feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is January 4, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Traditionally invoked as patron of Catholic schools and widows. Below: a short life and 2 sourced quotations in their own words. | | | |---|---| | Feast day | [January 4](https://blessbible.app/saints/january/#4) | | In the US calendar | Memorial | | Title | Religious | | Died | 1821 | | Patron of | [Catholic schools](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#catholic-schools), [widows](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#widows) | | In their own words | [2 sourced quotations](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#words) · 1 attributed saying (source unconfirmed) | | Next on Bless’s Today screen | [Monday, January 4, 2027](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#calendar) | ## Life A merchant’s daughter of New York, Episcopalian wife and mother of five, widowed at twenty-nine in Italy, where the faith of her hosts drew her to the Catholic Church at the cost of family and friends. Invited to Maryland, she opened a school and founded the Sisters of Charity, beginning the American parochial school system. She was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized. ## Patron of Tradition invokes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as patron of Catholic schools and widows. [Catholic schools](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#catholic-schools) [Widows](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#widows) ### Saints with the same patronage - [St. Jane Frances de Chantal](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-jane-frances-de-chantal/) widows · August 12 Patronages are traditional, not an official list. [All patron saints in Bless, A to Z](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/). ## In their own words Each quotation names the work it comes from. Bless quotes these in the comments beside the verses listed under [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#scripture). > We must pray without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives, that prayer which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant communication with Him. — *Letters*, c. 1810 > The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner He wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is His will. — *Conferences to the Sisters of Charity*, c. 1815 ### Attributed, source unconfirmed These sayings circulate under the saint’s name, but no source has been confirmed. Bless shows them with that label. > Live simply, so that all may simply live. — Popular saying, source unconfirmed ## In Scripture In Bless, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s words appear in the comments beside these verses. This page’s labels say how each is linked: “on this verse” means the saint wrote about that very verse; “on this theme” means the quotation shares its theme. Scripture is quoted from the Catholic Public Domain Version. 1. On this theme > Unto the end. A Psalm of David. To you, Lord, I have lifted up my soul. — [Psalm 24:1](https://blessbible.app/bible/psalms/24/#v1) · CPDV Beside their words: [“We must pray without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives, that…”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q136) 2. On this theme > May your kingdom come. May your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. — [Matthew 6:10](https://blessbible.app/bible/matthew/6/#v10) · CPDV Beside their words: [“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it…”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q137) 3. On this theme · source unconfirmed > But in response, he said to them: “Whoever has two coats, let him give to those who do not have. And whoever has food, let him act similarly.” — [Luke 3:11](https://blessbible.app/bible/luke/3/#v11) · CPDV Beside their words: [“Live simply, so that all may simply live.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q138) 4. On this theme > Jesus said to them: “My food is to do the will of the One who sent me, so that I may perfect his work. — [John 4:34](https://blessbible.app/bible/john/4/#v34) · CPDV Beside their words: [“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it…”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q137) 5. On this theme > Pray without ceasing. — [1 Thessalonians 5:17](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-thessalonians/5/#v17) · CPDV Beside their words: [“We must pray without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives, that…”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q136) 6. On this theme · source unconfirmed > But, having nourishment and some kind of covering, we should be content with these. — [1 Timothy 6:8](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-timothy/6/#v8) · CPDV Beside their words: [“Live simply, so that all may simply live.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#q138) ## In the calendar The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given. | Date | In the US calendar | Color | Mass readings (US) | |---|---|---|---| | [Monday, January 4, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/01/04/) | St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious (Memorial) | White | 1 John 3:22—4:6 · Psalm 2:7bc-8, 10-12a · See Matthew 4:23 · Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 | | [Tuesday, January 4, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/01/04/) | St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious (Memorial) | White | 1 John 4:7-10 · Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8 · Luke 4:18 · Mark 6:34-44 | Readings Reading citations through May 31, 2027 are as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar. Later citations were computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [January 3 St. Genevieve](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-genevieve/) [January 5 St. John Neumann](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-john-neumann/) [All the saints of January](https://blessbible.app/saints/january/) [Born on January 4?](https://blessbible.app/saints/birthday/#01-04) [A saint for every day](https://blessbible.app/saints/) Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? [Report an error](https://blessbible.app/support/#report) and we’ll fix it in the app and here. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast day January 4 On this page 1. [Life](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#life) 2. [Patron of](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#patron) 3. [In their own words](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#words) 4. [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#scripture) 5. [In the calendar](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-elizabeth-ann-seton/#calendar) In the app Bless shows a saint every day on its Today screen, with their life and their words. Free on iPhone.