GREENSBURG — Although she was born in 1774, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was very much a modern-day woman.

"She was a mother, single parent, an educator, a religious, a wife and a widow," said Sister of Charity Maureen O’Brien, director of campus ministry at Seton Hill University. "Her life speaks to contemporary women."

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born into a wealthy New York family and grew up as a devout Episcopalian. She married a man of means and had five children. Her husband, William Seton, eventually lost his business, and subsequently his health. While traveling in Italy in an attempt to regain his health, he died in 1803.

After her husband’s death, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton remained for a while in Italy, where she was first attracted to Catholicism. After she converted to the faith in 1805, her Episcopalian family and friends abandoned her.

Destitute and estranged from her family, she moved to Baltimore, where Archbishop John Carroll entrusted her with the mission of establishing Catholic education in the American Church. She structured the school system so that tuition from the wealthy families paid for the education of poor children. She recruited several like-minded women to help run the school, and she eventually founded a community of women religious. The community moved to Emmitsburg, Md., and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton adapted the rule of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to her new community.

In addition to her commitment to Catholic education, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and the sick. While working for the betterment of the less fortunate was the centerpiece of her life, so was prayer. "Without prayer, I should be of little service," she said.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton died in 1821 and was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI. She is the first native-born North American to become a saint.

Sister Maureen believes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton serves not only as a role model for the Sisters of Charity, but for others as well.

"She reached out to the underprivileged," she said. "But while she reached out to those who were deprived physically, she also sought to help those who were in need of spirituality. Her passion was to serve others while serving God."

The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill impress upon the students at the university the importance of service to others, according to Sister Maureen.

"We strive to make our students aware of the needs of others, and we hope they make service to the less fortunate a part of their life, not only while they are attending school but for the rest of their lives."

Sister Maureen also thinks the life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton shines like a beacon for single parents. "Her courage, care and concern and her determination to find a way offers an example to single parents. She was proactive and overcame whatever obstacles were placed in front of her."

Although St. Elizabeth Ann Seton suffered devastating losses in her life, including the deaths of two of her children along with her young husband, her faith remained solid. In a letter to a friend she once wrote: "Faith lifts the soul, hope supports it, experience says it must, and love says — let it be."