Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)
Early on, Catholics in the United States recognized the need
for parochial schools. The Church was established
here at roughly the same time as universal education and the “Great Awakening.” The latter was a period of evangelical
revival in the nineteenth century. Being
a minority, many Catholic children would have been enfolded into Protestantism
had they attended public schools. Educated
in Catholic schools, however, they maintained their faith. As a result, the Church in America prospered.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton began the first free Catholic school
in the United States. She also founded a
congregation that staffed many others as well as orphanages. St. Elizabeth died at a young forty-six years
of age. However, her legacy of
inexpensive, quality Catholic education still lives. It may be said that the American Catholic
Church was built on the backs of women like Elizabeth Ann Seton.
In today’s gospel Jesus feeds five thousand with a few
loaves of bread and some fish. This miracle
primarily foreshadows the Eucharist. It can
also be seen as representative of Catholic education. With meager resources but the virtues of many
women like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Catholic schools have fed millions of children. Because of their efforts, generations of
children learned about salvation through reception of Jesus Christ in the
sacraments.
