This Sunday morning in St. Peter's Square, Elizabaeth Ann Seton of New York will be canonized a saint. Mother Seton, the founder of the Sisters of Charity is the first native born American to be named a saint. Mother Seton was born Elizabeth Ann Bailey in 1774 and died in 1821. The Bailey family was quite wealthy and quite socially prominent in New York. As a young girl Elizabeth witnessed George Washington's first inauguration and at the age
of 19 she married William Seton a wealthy businessman. William and Elizabeth Seton had five children and to improve William's health the family moved to Italy. Shortly after their arrival in Italy in 1803, William died. It was at this time that Elizabeth became interested in Catholicism. She returned to New York and was received into the Catholic faith at St. Peter's Church in 1805. Her conversion to Catholicism cost her many of
The ANCHOR An Anchor 01 the Soul, Sure and Flrm-St. Paul
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 11, 1975 Vol. 19, No. 37 Š 1975 The Anchor $5.D::~~E,~:
New Vocations 'Team Bishop Cronin has announced the reorganization of the Diocesan Vocations Apostolate. Assisting the Diocesan Director of Vocations, Reverend John J. Smith, will be Regional Coordinators of Vocations in each area of the Diocese. Bishop Cronin has appointed as Regional Coordinators:
FATIlER SMITH
Rev. George E. Bellenoit, of Saint Mark's Parish in Attleboro Falls, for the Attleboro area; Rev. Richard W. Beaulieu, of Saint Jacques' Parish in Taunton, for the Taunton area; Rev. Timothy' J. Goldrick, of Saint Margaret's Parish in Buzzards Bay, for the Upper Cape area; Rev. George W..Coleman, of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, for the Lower Cape area; Rev. Horace J. Travassos', of Saint James Parish in New Bedford for the greater New Bedford area. Rev. William L. Boffa, of Our Lady of Grace Parish in North Westport, for the greater Fall River area. Bishop Cronin, who has long identified the apostolate of promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life as a prominent Diocesan priority, expressed the confidence that Regional Coordinators, collaborating with the Diocesan Director of Vocations, would more effectively focus -attention upon vocations on the local, parish level, Turn to Page Two
The canonization of Mother the 1975 Holy Year. Pope Paul her former friends and her own Seton as first native-born Amer- is expected to write a special socially prominent position. Elizabeth moved to Baltimore ican citizen-saint is also being message on women for the cele(See page two) where she opened a school for marked as "Women's Day" of bration. young girls in 1801. The following year with a group of her followers she formed the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. Taking her first vows, she received the title "Mother." In 1810, she founded a school at Emmitsburg, Maryland, and for her efforts she is known as the foundress of the American Catholic School system. The Sisters of Charity which she founded now number over 7500 sisters in various branches. Mother Seton was declared venerable by Pope John XXIH in 1959 and reached the second stage of sainthood in 1963 when she was declared blessed. Actually, efforts for her canonization have been underway for over a century but only with the 1974 . verification of a third miracle attributed to her was sainthood a possibility. Thirty-six people related by blood or marriage to Mother Elizabeth Seton will be in Rome to attend the canonization. Among them will be Redemptorist Father Claire Collins of S1. Alphonsus Church, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Sister Anne Bayley, a member of the Company of Mary in England, who is coming with her mother. Also expected are Antony Graham Shanley of the United Nations Commissariat for Refu,gees in Switzerland, and his wife, Seton Shanley, the noted New Jersey watercolorist, and his .wife, and Countess August de Govon of France. Coming also are . Rear Adm. and Mrs. C. S. Williams Jr. Adm. Williams, whose wife is related to Mother Seton, is commander of the U. S. Mediterranean air fleet. Senior member of the family will be George Hoffman of New York, who is 92. He will be accompanied by his wife and his brother, Col. Albert L. Hoffman of Washington, D.C. Four women will break Vatican precedent at the canonization by taking a speaking part in the ceremonies. The four - a young girl, a mother, a widow and a Religious - will give a brief oral 'presentation of the four stages of the life of Mof)her Seton - girlhood, motherhood, widowhood and Religious life. MEMORIAL COIN: This commemorative coin, marking Vatican sources believe that the canonization of Mother Elizabeth Seton, will be sold this will be the first time that' women will have speaking roles starting Sept. 14 at the Seton Shrine Center at Emmitsburg, in a papal ceremony at the Vati- Md. It is the only place where it will be available. Two early can. copies were presented to retired Cardinal Lawrence Shehan It is also believed to be the first time that presentations of of Baltimore and his successor, Archbishop William Borders, this nature will be made at a by Sister Jerome Nossell of the Daughters of Charity. Emmitsburg is in the Baltimore archdiocese. NC Photo canonization.
. . .---,'n This Issue-------------------------------....;..------. New Feature - Read ~ What Took Place 5,10, and 15 years ago in the Diocese. Only Yesterday Page 3
Controversy rages over Mary Carson's column in Letters to the Editor Page 5
Boston College vs. , Notre Dame local features Pages 8 and 9
Two New Bedford Maryknoll Priests are active in South America Page 10
Marriage Encounter Is it for you? Read Page 12