FAYETTEVILLE – Parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church gathered Aug. 28 to observe the 250th anniversary of Elizabeth’s birth. They shared cake, coins, prayer cards and a dinner reception.
Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama joined Father Arturo Cabra, pastor, and Deacon Steven Canali, also of the parish, for Mass with the congregation. Also present were Father Matthew Nwafor, of St. Ann in Fayetteville, and Father John Forbes, dean of the Fayetteville Deanery.
Flowers decorated the sanctuary and a nearby statue of the saint reading with two children. Lilies, roses and gladiolus brought colors, including pink and purple, to the occasion.
Clergy and altar servers processed into the church as For All the Saints was sung, led by parish music director Jill Austin, who played piano. Some of the children dressed as a favorite saint.
During his homily, Bishop Luis discussed the lives of the saints, including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, noting that people may sometimes fail to see the difficulties saints lived through.
Her life, he said, was short and not easy. She died of tuberculosis at age 47, but before that was a mother of five, young widow at 29 and convert to the Catholic faith in her 30s.
“She found faith; she found a mission,” he said. “In the middle of struggles she found the Church … and we’re still talking today about her.”
He challenged those present to think of their lives and their faith, and to remember that love is a power that is present to help people live their faith.
Elizabeth Ann Seton lived her faith in small and large ways. She’s best known for founding the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph and starting both St. Joseph’s Academy and the Free School and, thereby, planting the seeds of Catholic education in the United States, according to the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
She was remembered in remarks by Father Arturo, and in the prayers of the faithful, which were offered by Jessica Ortiz Sánchez in English and Marie Damana in French. The responsorial psalm during Mass was “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want,” which was known to be Elizabeth’s favorite psalm.
In a letter to parishioners, Father Arturo acknowledged that the anniversary was a cause for joy, and that in 2021 they were unable to fully observe the anniversary of her January death because of the pandemic.
“This date could not go unnoticed. Significant milestones for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton are her birth in 1774, death in 1821 and beatification in 1975,” he wrote. “We look forward to the 50th anniversary of her beatification … on September 14, 2025. These milestone anniversaries are an opportunity for our parish to grow closer to our patroness.”
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s feast day is celebrated annually on Jan. 4.
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