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This article explores the origin and depth of devotion to the Word of God that permeated Elizabeth Bayley Seton’s life and informed her spirituality. The future saint’s early years were suffused with scripture at home and in Anglican/Episcopal services she attended. The deep devotion this engendered was enhanced by her love for poetry, prose, and song. Through her early adult life she was spiritually nourished by the cadences of scripture and the hymns that filled liturgical celebrations. During a brief hiatus during her early adult years, Elizabeth broadened her scope to embrace a variety of intellectual influences. However, her devotion to scripture rekindled as deep family crises engulfed her. The comfort and strength she gained through reliance on her Bible assisted her in navigating enormous changes in her religious, economic, and social circumstances. At the time she converted to Catholicism, the ethos of the U. S. Catholic Church encouraged her to continue this focus. In addition to acquiring her own Catholic edition of the Bible, she deepened her immersion in the scriptures as evidenced by the numerous reflections, prayers, verses, and letters she wrote.

In her third interpretation of Elizabeth Seton’s spirituality within the framework of ecological theology, Sun Hae Kim examines volumes 3a and 3b of Elizabeth’s writings. These volumes cover Elizabeth’s entire life. The presence of God was “the mystery that not only sustained her throughout her life but also united her vision of the entire universe of natural creation and humanity into one.” Kim also puts Elizabeth’s views of creation, humanity, suffering, and death within the context of three ecological theologians: Hildegard of Bingen, Sallie McFague, and Elizabeth A. Johnson. According to Elizabeth, God’s presence “consecrates every part of the universe”; caring for the earth—which is God’s body according to Johnson—is, as Kim says, “an act of obedience to the Creator, who wants all life to flourish.” At the end of time, Elizabeth looked to “the complete transformation of the earth,” which for her involved our salvation and “the glory of the natural world.” Death and suffering, as a part of the natural world, are a part of ecology in which God is present as well. Moreover, “suffering is a mystery that humbles and unites both humans and non-human living beings of the earth.”

This article is a companion to “The Ecological Spirituality of Elizabeth Ann Seton,” which appeared in Vincentian Heritage 32:2 (2015). Using extensive quotations from Elizabeth’s letters, Sung-Hae Kim explores how she practiced ecological principles in her relationships with family, friends, and members of her religious community. Elizabeth’s relationships with her students, parents of students, other benefactors, and church leaders are also discussed. Ecological principles include mutual aid, self-governance, harmony, and balance. Elizabeth used these and others to form interconnected ecological communities. The concept of ecological community is defined, drawing from the work of the philosophers Peter Kropotkin, Henry David Thoreau, and Murray Bookchin. Ecological aspects of the Sisters of Charity’s ministry and of the community’s structure and governance are described.

Elizabeth Seton lost her mother at an early age and felt a deep need for a mother’s care and affection. She eventually found this in her relationship with Mary. When Elizabeth’s beloved husband died, she found solace in Catholicism, particularly because of its veneration of Mary. As a dedicated mother herself, the leader of a new religious community, and a teacher of children and young people, Elizabeth related to Mary’s motherhood. Elizabeth’s affinity for Mary increased because the priests who guided her also loved Mary. Elizabeth made Marian devotion an important aspect of her community’s life; Mary was the role model for the Sisters of Charity.

Christopher Worthman explores the defining characteristics of pre-K through 12th grade Vincentian teacher preparation and how it can ready teachers, regardless of their faith, to teach all student populations in all schools. He explains how the American preoccupation with accountability and standardization in schools is a social justice issue. To discern principles of Vincentian preparation, he uses the work of modern Vincentian scholars and draws on examples from the educational efforts of Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Marguerite Naseau, Frederic Ozanam, and Elizabeth Seton. Worthman identifies three principles: Lucan spirituality, a sense of immediacy, and affective and effective action. Lucan spirituality goes by many names in many faiths. It encourages pre-service teachers to reflect on how their experiences and values affect their relationships with students, parents, and colleagues and vice versa. A sense of immediacy refers to the necessity of addressing students’ greatest needs and assessing how well they are met. Affective and effective action arises from pre-service teachers’ convictions about who they are as educators and how they should teach. It serves “the whole individual and society writ large.” Suggestions for instilling these principles in pre-service teachers are described.