September 7, 2022
On Saturday, June 18, my wife and I attended a wonderful celebration at St. Mary’s Spiritual Center and Historical Site, 600 N. Paca Street, Baltimore, in honor of Elizabeth Seton’s 214th anniversary of taking her religious vows. There, in 1808, that ceremony took place in the chapelle basse of the Sulpician seminary designed by Maximilien Godefroy.
This year’s event began with a Corpus Christi feast day mass in that very basement chapel and was followed by a power point presentation given in Maréchal Hall by Terry McCormack, an associate at the center. Terry spoke extensively about the nine students studying in a house on the grounds where Elizabeth started her first school. Among the children were three from Francophone families – Louise Elizabeth Aglaë DuBourg, Celanire Victoire Delarue, and Marie Caroline Victoire Renaudet – and three Seton daughters – Anna Maria, Catherine, and Rebecca.
The Seton House now has a renovated balcony. It is well worth touring the entire structure to examine the space and furnishings. Before planning an excursion there, consult the Center’s website for days and hours open to the public.
This little Baltimore school was only in session for one academic year (1808-09) before Elizabeth was afforded the opportunity to create something greater and more adventurous in Emmitsburg, in Frederick County. It may take some by surprise that the widow Seton had her own children to care for on her religious journey. One of the earliest to join the sisterhood was Rose Landry White, a young Baltimore widow with a son Charles, who would be eventually placed under the care of Rev. John Dubois at Mount St. Mary’s, across town from that new northern Maryland mission.
By the way, the Paca Street site, now under the direction of Deacon Vito Piazza, has an attractive visitors’ center, with several displays and plenty of signage documenting the early Sulpicians, Elizabeth Seton, and Mother Mary Lange, cofounder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Engage Deacon Vito or one of the docents in a conversation about the delights available at Trinacria, the nearby Italian deli at 406 N. Paca.
For anyone in the Baltimore-Washington area interested in Terry’s talk, please contact me and I will pass on that request to him. There are also many fantastic videos on the St. Mary’s website (http://stmaryspacast.org), which can easily be found right here on my website (Resources˃Specialized Libraries˃St. Mary’s˃Our History˃More Videos).
Francophones in Maryland 