Grim's Hall: Feast of Elizabeth Ann Seton

Today is the feast day for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, an eighteenth century(!) saint who is by far the furthest removed from the events of Christmas. She is the first US citizen to be canonized. She converted to Catholicism fairly late in life, and was influential in the establishment of the faith in a new nation dominated by Protestant churches.

This raises a general point I have been wondering about regarding the Twelve Days of Christmas. Some of these feasts, solemnities, and memorials are clearly "of" the 12 Days, such as Childermas, the Feast of the Holy Family, and the Solemnity of Mary. Others are perhaps only 'during' the 12 days, including perhaps this one, St. Thomas Beckett, and some others. I've never seen a clear answer on which is which. Is St. Stephen's Day 'of' or 'during'? John the Evangelist?

Perhaps one of you has better information on that than I do. D29?

Tomorrow is Epiphany Eve, which closes the 12 Days: The Feast of the Epiphany, which has a clear connection to Christmas, is outside the range. So too the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which is Monday the 8th.

2 comments:

Assistant Village Idiot10:47 AM
ST Elizabeth Seton is the parish church next town over, an expensive suburb.
Dad2912:52 PM
St Elizabeth Seton also founded an Order of nuns which operated a large number of hospitals across the USA.

As to the feasts, I can speculate! The Roman Calendar has had many ...ahhh...interventions....which replaced "old" feast days (and saints) with "new" ones like Sr. Seton. As a matter of interest, my 1962 daily Missal has the following: 12/26: St Stephen. 12/27: St John, Evangelist. 12/28: Holy Innocents 12/29: St Thomas of Canterbury (a 12th C guy) 12/30: Day Within the Octave of Nativity 12/31: Day Within the Octave 1/1: Octave of Nativity (or) Holy Name of Jesus 1/2, 3, 4: Ferial Days 1/5: Ferial with commemoration of St Telesphorus 1/6: Epiphany.

If you are looking for rhyme and reason, you're in the wrong place.