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"O God, who chose to manifest the blessed hope of your eternal Kingdom by the toil of Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions and by the shedding of their blood, graciously grant that through their intercession the faith of Christians may be strengthened day by day. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
– Collect for the feast of St Isaac Jogues, St John de Brébeuf and companion martyrs, Co-patrons of Canada. Today, 19 October, is their feast day.
Stained glass window from the National Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MA.
"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’" – Luke 6:36-38, which is today's Gospel.
Stained glass window from the National Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MA.
"Having first traced it carefully from its beginnings, Saint Luke wrote his gospel, that we might understand the instruction we had already received, in all its certainty. He wrote concerning all that Jesus set out to do and teach, that we might understand the instruction we had already received, in all its certainty."
– Matins responsory for the feast of St Luke.
Mosaic roundel from the National Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MD.
"Above all, the "just" man of Nazareth possesses the clear characteristics of a husband. Luke refers to Mary as "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph" (Lk 1:27). Even before the "mystery hidden for ages" (Eph 3:9) began to be fulfilled, the Gospels set before us the image of husband and wife. According to Jewish custom, marriage took place in two stages: first, the legal, or true marriage was celebrated, and then, only after a certain period of time, the husband brought the wife into his own house. Thus, before he lived with Mary, Joseph was already her "husband." Mary, however, preserved her deep desire to give herself exclusively to God. One may well ask how this desire of Mary's could be reconciled with a "wedding." The answer can only come from the saving events as they unfold, from the special action of God himself. From the moment of the Annunciation, Mary knew that she was to fulfill her virginal desire to give herself exclusively and fully to God precisely by becoming the Mother of God's Son. Becoming a Mother by the power of the Holy Spirit was the form taken by her gift of self: a form which God himself expected of the Virgin Mary, who was "betrothed" to Joseph. Mary uttered her fiat. The fact that Mary was "betrothed" to Joseph was part of the very plan of God. This is pointed out by Luke and especially by Matthew. The words spoken to Joseph are very significant: "Do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 1:20). These words explain the mystery of Joseph's wife: In her motherhood Mary is a virgin. In her, "the Son of the Most High" assumed a human body and became "the Son of Man."
Addressing Joseph through the words of the angel, God speaks to him as the husband of the Virgin of Nazareth. What took place in her through the power of the Holy Spirit also confirmed in a special way the marriage bond which already existed between Joseph and Mary. God's messenger was clear in what he said to Joseph: "Do not fear to take Mary your wife into your home." Hence, what had taken place earlier, namely, Joseph's marriage to Mary, happened in accord with God's will and was meant to endure. In her divine motherhood Mary had to continue to live as "a virgin, the wife of her husband" (cf. Lk 1:27)."
– Pope St John Paul II.
Stained glass window from the Basilica of St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MA.
"Joachim and Anne, how blessed a couple! All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of him." – St John Damascene.
My sermon for the feast of SS Joachim and Anne can be read here.
Stained glass in the National Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MA.
A new tribute drawing of the first native-born citizen of the USA to be made a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church: Elizabeth Ann Seton (New York, 1774 –1821). She established the first Catholic school in the nation, at Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she founded the first American congregation of Religious Sisters, the Sisters of Charity; which would go on to open orphanages in Philadelphia & New York City.
Elizabeth Ann Seton suffered many trials in her life including the early loss of her mother; and her tenderness and love for All God's Creatures is symbolised in this work by the baby bird, one of several she was said to have saved in childhood.
Her sainthood was ensured by three miracles of healing she performed : two of cancer and one of encephalitis. She is the Patron Saint of Catholic Schools.
Elizabeth Ann Seton was beatified on March 17, 1963, by Pope John XXIII who said on the occasion, “In a house that was very small, but with ample space for charity, she sowed a seed in America which by Divine Grace grew into a large tree.”
When she was canonised on September 14 1975 in a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, Rome, Pope Paul VI said, “Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.”
This drawing, inspired by prayer & various historical images, was created on the Feast Day of St Elizabeth Ann Seton: January 4, 2014.
Peace.
Charcoal on paper
23.4 x 16.5in/59 x 41cm
Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s in 1809, the first new community for religious women to be established in the United States. She also began St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic School for girls staffed by Sisters in the United States. Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized on Sunday, September 14, 1975 in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Paul VI. The first citizen born in the United States to be raised to the altars, her remains are entombed in the Basilica that bears her name.
Source: www.setonheritage.org/
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821
Mother Seton was the foundress of the Sisters of Charity. She was born in New York City on Aug 28, 1774. Her parents were not Catholic. Her father taught anatomy at Columbia College and was well regarded for his work as the health officer of the Port of New York. Her mother was the daughter of an Anglican minister of Staten Island, NY and died when Elizabeth was only 3 yrs old.
Her father remarried and had additional children, of whom Elizabeth was fond. She herself married at age 19, and was married only 9 years. In that time she had 5 children. Her father-in-law died and left Elizabeth and her husband, Will, with 7 additional children. This created financial difficulties, despite their careful budgeting. Then her husband became ill with tuberculosis and it was thought a sea voyage would aid his health, so he and Elizabeth and their oldest daughter, Anna, set out for Italy, where he had business partners, and left their other children in the care of others. His health became worse and he died later that same year after they reached Itlay, in Pisa, in 1803. She had already lost her father just two years earlier, in 1801, causing her a great deal of grief.
While in Italy, Elizabeth was exposed to the Catholic religion and it attracted her. After a good deal of reflection, deliberation and correspondence, even after her return to the United States, she became Catholic in 1805, where she was received into the Church in St. Peter's Church, Barclay St., New York City.
Her conversion created a rift with her Anglican family and relatives, and her financial situation was not secure. Through fits and starts, she ended up in Maryland where she opened a school for girls and taught there. Nearer to Georgetown, she had more opportunities to live out her faith in the sacramental life of the Church and she took on the life of a religious. Soon other women came to join her and the Sisters of Charity were born. While the school they ran to teach the daughters of the well-to-do prospered, it thus enabled them to do their work among the poor. They won the admiration of their community and beyond for their fervor.
Mother Seton's life included a great deal of difficulty and grief. Her father and husband's deaths, the loss of her close friend and sister-in-law, and the the death of at least two of her children, Anna in 1812, and Rebecca in 1816 were griefs that she bore with grace. Her own health was not good, and she succumbed to a pulmonary infection.
She died at Emmitsburg, MD.on Jan 4, 1821.
Reference and additional information can be found here.
Roman Catholic.
Houston, Texas.
March 11. 2010.
IMG_2151
James Watson House (currently part of the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton) at 7 State Street, Manhattan, New York City, USA, was built in 1793.
John Hughes was the founder of the St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York and also St. John's College, Fordham (now Fordham University. He planned and began St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, New York. He was once the gardiner and mason at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland and this was his cabin.
Mother Catherine, a woman of great courage and vision, is the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy who have served in our parish school since it opened in 1959. Mother was born on September 29, 1778 and died November 11, 1841. Her window faces the parish school and is positioned next to two other saints of education (St. Herman Joseph and St. Elizabeth Seton).
Mother Catherine’s face is based on a portrait painted while she was still living. She wears the original habit of the Sisters of Mercy. In her right hand she holds the rosary worn by the Sisters which is distinguished by the characteristic “Mercy Cross” (white inner Cross superimposed on a black outer Cross). This Cross also forms part of our parish school’s official shield. She wears on her left hand the simple ring which symbolizes the total consecration of her life to Jesus, her heavenly Spouse.
Mother is holding a cup of tea. Shortly before her death, when her sisters had been keeping vigil around the clock and wearing themselves out to take care of her in her final illness, Mother Catherine instructed the superior to “give them a cup of tea when I’m gone”.
The background has several details which evoke the Irish countryside, homeland of Mother Catherine and our Mercy Sisters. Typical hills, farmland, cottages, sheep and a grazing horse can be seen in addition to the shamrocks growing at her feet. The cat at Mother’s feet is a special tribute to Sister Mary Vianney Ennis, the Mercy Sister who has served our school the longest. She came to St. John’s in 1962 and became principal in 1975. Sister has endeared herself to generations of alumni and their families and happens to be a great lover of cats (the cat portrayed here belongs to the artist who designed the windows!).
The window contains the keys, symbol of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, placed in Mother Catherine’s window because of her great devotion to the mystery of God’s Mercy. They symbolize the power granted by Christ to His apostles (and through them to all priests) to bind and loose sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (cf. Jn. 20:22-23). The keys face away from each other to symbolize binding and loosing of sins. The cross-shaped design in the keys reminds us that it is the Lord’s Cross that unlocks the fountain of God’s mercy in our lives. These keys also happen to resemble the actual keys of Mother Catherine on display at her first foundation in Baggot Street, Dublin.
The shield in the lower panel is that of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher to which the donor of the windows belongs. The shield bears the typical “Jerusalem Cross” composed of five different Greek crosses, a large one in the middle for the wound in the heart of Christ and two at the top and bottom for the wounds in Our Lord’s hands and feet. All are in the color of blood.
St. Andrew is the most prominent of the Vietnamese martyrs. He was born in 1795 and died a martyr for the faith on December 21, 1839. He belonged to a peasant family, but eventually entered the priesthood at a time when the church was being severely persecuted by the Vietnamese authorities. His presence in this window represents another major ethnic group of the parish, the Vietnamese community, and indirectly, all those of Asian descent. He completes the trio of windows celebrating the ethnic diversity of our parish (which is by no means limited to the three cultural groups represented in the windows).
The face of St. Andrew is based on a popular representation consistent with the limited iconographic tradition. Although he is often portrayed wearing the black biretta of European origin, here he wears the typical conical hat which is a symbol of traditional Vietnamese life. It is worn throughout Vietnam and also appears in rural areas of neighboring Laos and bordering areas of Cambodia. In this window the hat is especially symbolic of the poor peasant background of St. Andrew’s family members who worked the land under the hot sun of Asia.
St. Andrew wears the vesture of a diocesan priest (black cassock, white surplice and stole). The red stole, reminiscent of his martyrdom, has a typically Vietnamese textile pattern. Around his neck is a thin red line, evoking his eventual martyrdom by beheading in 1839. His hands are chained to recall his suffering through imprisonment for the faith. At his feet are the typical Asian neck harness worn by prisoners of the time on their way to execution, as well as the blade used in his beheading. St. Andrew stands calmly above these instruments of death which he knows ultimately have no power over his soul. He holds the palm branch, symbol of his victory over death. In the background are plants typical of Asia, including palm trees to the left and right of his shoulders, evoking the psalm text, “The just man shall flourish like the palm tree” (Ps. 92:12). In the panel above his head is the sun, appearing here in the only window of a saint from the east. In the panel below his feet are lotus flowers and tropical fish evoking the beauty and colors of Asia.
The stole worn by St. Andrew is a common symbol of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. In this context, it takes on an even richer significance because it is worn by one who did not hesitate as a priest to “lay down his life for his sheep.”
The shield in the lower panel is that of Bishop Tod D. Brown, third bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1998 to present). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. On the right side of the shield are the personal arms of Bishop Brown.
St. Juan Diego is the humble Indian peasant of Mexico to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in 1531 and to whom She gave the famed likeness of Herself. He was born in 1474 and died on May 30, 1548. Together with the other windows on this side of the church, this window celebrates the marvelous cultural diversity of our parish and represents in a special way all those of Mexican and Latin American background.
The iconographic tradition for St. Juan Diego’s face is sketchy. In the earliest known image (the so-called “verdadero retrato”), he is depicted with dark skin and facial hair. Also present in this earliest depiction of St. Juan Diego is his broad-rimmed hat. He wears the hat which evokes both his cultural background and his labors and journeys under the hot sun of Mexico. He is also dressed in the
traditional garb of the Mexican peasant, the sandals on his feet once again underlining his humble origins. We are reminded in this window that Mary has most often chosen to visit the humble and the poor in Her apparitions on earth.
St. Juan Diego holds the tilma in front of him with roses spilling out, recalling the events which surrounded the first “unveiling” of the holy image. The miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is at the center and heart of the window, imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, as She was at the center and heart of the saint’s life.
St. Juan Diego’s Indian name (Cuauhtlatoatzin) means “the talking Eagle”. In the panel above his head there is a soaring eagle with beak opened. Pictured in the background of the window are some typical plants and cacti native to Mexico. The mountains in the background flatten at one point evoking the mesa-like landscape of the southwest.
The window contains a bottle at St. Juan Diego’s feet with the initials “O.I.” which stand for Oleum Infirmorum or “Oil of the Sick”. St. Juan Diego was on his way to seek the sacrament of the sick for his uncle who was seriously ill when Our Lady stopped him to give him the miraculous image on December 12th, 1531. The bottle at his feet represents his errand of mercy interrupted by Our Lady (who also looked after the cure of the sick uncle). Growing at St. Juan Diego’s feet are the aloe plants which are native to Mexico and contain many healing properties—a further symbol of God’s abundant graces granted to the sick who receive this Sacrament.
The shield in the lower panel is that of Bishop William R. Johnson, first bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1978-1986). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. On the right side of the shield are the personal arms of Bishop Johnson.
St. Patrick is the great missionary monk and bishop who evangelized the people of Ireland. He lived from about 390 to 460 A.D. Together with the other windows on this side of the church, his window celebrates the marvelous ethnic diversity of the parish. He represents the Irish and other Anglos of European background who were instrumental in establishing the parish in its early years. The founding pastor of St. John’s, Rev. Msgr. Anthony McGowan, was Irish, as were all the Sisters of Mercy attached to St. John’s.
This is the primary “dedication” window of the parishioner who donated all of the stained glass windows in the church. It (together with the other windows) is dedicated with humble gratitude to the memory of Msgr. Daniel Brennan who brought the donor into the Church at St. John’s and confirmed him. The face of St. Patrick, which has no reliable iconographic tradition, resembles that of the very Irish Msgr. Brennan (while St. Patrick is often portrayed with a beard, serious studies of his iconography actually prefer a beardless St. Patrick).
St. Patrick bears the insignia of a bishop – miter, crosier, and ring. The crosier is decorated with a shamrock leaf, highlighting its effective use by St. Patrick as a tool for teaching the mystery of the Trinity. Over his green chasuble (evoking the Irish) is the white pallium with superimposed crosses which represents his role as the founding bishop of the Irish Church.
In the background is a small stone church, symbolizing the many ancient churches and dioceses which St. Patrick founded in Ireland. Shamrocks grow at his feet and snakes scurry away. Though the ancient “legend” of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland can be historically questioned, the fact that he drove out many demons (represented by snakes in the tradition of the Scriptures) remains. His crosier is planted firmly on the head of one of those unfortunate “demons”.
Kneeling at the feet of St. Patrick is an adult representative of the many thousands brought to the faith by St. Patrick as well as those who have come into the Church through the ministry of St. John the Baptist parish. He wears a simple white alb, like those worn by the catechumens on the night of their baptism at the Easter Vigil.
St. Patrick is administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to the kneeling figure. A dove overhead symbolizes the Holy Spirit received in the Sacrament. St. Patrick’s thumb is signing the forehead of the kneeling figure with the oil of Chrism, as is done by the bishop at Confirmation in our own day.
The shield in the lower panel is that of the Order of the Knights of Malta to which the donor belongs. The shield features the typical “Maltese Cross” with pointed ends on each arm of the Cross to evoke the sharp nails and thorns in Our Lord’s Passion.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born citizen to be canonized a saint, completes the trio of education saints facing the school. She is considered the Patroness of Catholic Schools in the United States. Mother Seton was born on August 28, 1774 and died on January 4, 1821. She married and had five children before her conversion to Catholicism after the death of her husband.
Mother Seton’s face is based on two original portraits painted during her lifetime. She is wearing the original black habit of the Sisters of Charity, the Congregation which she founded, with the characteristic “bonnet”.
Her rosary hangs from the habit, a reminder of the emphasis she placed on prayer in her life and the life of her Sisters. She is holding a classic one-room American school house in her hands. Mother Seton established one of the earliest U.S. Catholic schools, St. Joseph’s Academy, shortly after her arrival in Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1809.
Mother holds the American flag in her hand, symbol of her distinction as the first “American” saint. The flag has fifteen stars and stripes, as it would have looked at the time of the founding of her first school. In 1818 Congress reduced the number of stripes to thirteen, allowing only the addition of stars for each new state.
Also emphasizing Mother Seton’s American background are the flora and fauna of the Eastern United States: the Monarch butterflies and Milkweed plant (upon which the Monarch depends), Lazy Susans and the Baltimore Oriole (state bird of Maryland where Mother Seton founded her congregation and school). There are also two hefty Elm trees to the right and left of her cape.
Mother Seton is wearing a precious wedding ring on her left hand, symbol of the Sacrament of Matrimony. She would not have worn this after becoming a nun, but it symbolizes the “treasure” of marriage which she left behind after her husband’s death to seek another kind of treasure. For parents with challenging children, Mother Seton is a wonderful patroness who struggled mightily and grieved deeply over the choices of her wayward son.
In the lower panel is the Shield of Bishop Norman F. McFarland, second bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1987-1998). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. Bishop McFarland’s personal arms are on the right side of the shield.
On this bracelet I added some gorgeous lampwork beads that I found at the bead show to adorn the Catholic Medals. I also addes some roses associated to Our Blessed Mother.
"The gate of heaven is very low; only the humble can enter it." (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)
#ChooseToBeBrave #Saints #SaintlyQuotes #YearOfTheLaity #StElizabethAnnSeton
On this bracelet I used very unique glass lampwork yellow flower beads and glass lampwork heart beads making the medals stand out more.
The Church of Our Lady of Rosary which contains the shrine to St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint to be canonised, dwarfed by the much newer skyscrapers on either side.
A panel on one of St. Patrick's Cathedral exterior doors. Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church (September 14, 1975).
St. Herman Joseph, a priest of the Norbertine Order, was born in the Rhineland around the middle of the 12th century and died at a great old age on April 4, 1241. As a young boy he attended one of the first and best known of the Order’s schools. He is the patron saint of students educated by the Norbertine Fathers. His window is positioned next to Mother Catherine, representing with her the commitment of dedicated religious to the work of education in our parish school.
St. Herman Joseph is the only saint in our windows whose head is uncovered—out of respect for the Lord present in his arms. His face is based on the ancient statue found in the abbey church of Steinfeld in the Eifel, Germany, where he entered the Order as a young boy. He wears the monastic tonsure (haircut) common in that epoch. He is dressed in the white habit of the Norbertines as it would have looked at that time.
From his childhood St. Herman Joseph had many mystical experiences. In one of them, as a boy, he offered an apple to the statue of the Virgin and Child at the church of the Capitol in Cologne. The statue came to life and the Child Jesus took the apple (He is holding the apple in the window). He holds the Child to evoke the nurturing aspect of the work of education. The Christ Child is dressed as King with His Sacred Heart exposed. St. Herman Joseph wrote the earliest known hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which opens with the line, “I hail Thee kingly Heart most high." St. Herman Joseph wears a ring on his left hand which he received from the Blessed Virgin during the celebration of their mystical espousals. The white roses growing at his feet are reminiscent of the saint’s purity and great love for the Blessed Virgin whom he liked to call his “Rose”. The crescent moon above his image also
evokes the Virgin. The bats flying in the air recall a story from his youth when he chased the bats out of the abbey bell tower using a volume of St. Augustine—the bats symbolizing the inner demons against which the true monk must struggle for a lifetime.
St. Herman Joseph shared the profound devotion of the Norbertines for the Blessed Sacrament. He holds a chalice, symbol of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Church’s life. A wooden pail sits by the side of the stream in the lower panel. This evokes the period in the saint’s life when he was sacristan of the abbey church, and would rise early each morning to fetch from a pure mountain stream the water which would be poured (a single drop) into the chalice at Mass: he wanted nothing but the best for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.
In the lower panel is also the coat of arms of Abbot Eugene J. Hayes, O.Praem., the abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey (1995—current) under whose tenure the Norbertine Fathers arrived at St. John’s. The left side of the shield is the coat of arms of the Norbertine Order (crossed crosiers and fleur-de-lis) and St. Michael’s Abbey (the wing of St. Michael). On the right are the personal arms of Abbot Hayes.
The first one notices is the Pangborn Memorial Campanile. The bell tower was dedicated in 1967 as a gift of the Pangborn Foundation of Hagerstown, Maryland. It is 95 feet high and crowned with a 25-foot, gold-leafed bronze figure of the Blessed Mother. It stands on the site of Father DuBois’ original Church on the Hill, which burned down in 1913.
I added a very unique Holy Trinity cross on this bracelet and beautiful ruby red wedding cake lampwork beads
the wedding of jan and charmel smith at st elizabeth ann seton in rowland heights, california.
photography and video provided by Triversity Wedding Productions.
On this bracelet, beautiful natural smokey faceted beads and green with brown porcelain beads and fresh water pearsl.
Replica of Our Lady of the Esplanade in Lourdes, France. This one is located in the National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes, Emmitsburg, Maryland
I love the colorful cameo of Our Lady Madonna of the Grapes with Child Jesus, I was inspired by it and added some beautiful lampwork heart beads