Catholic Women of Faith in America
Grade Level
9–12
Big Idea
American and Catholic Identity in Justice Work
Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint, and Sister Margaret Traxler, a 20th-century advocate for women’s equality, lived out their faith in radically different eras. Their lives, Seton’s rooted in the founding of Catholic education in the United States and Traxler’s in movements for civil rights and gender justice, illustrate how Catholic women have shaped American society across centuries. Their legacies, preserved in schools, religious communities, and activism, tell us not only about their courage but also about the changing place of women in both Church and culture. Students will be able to identify the contributions of Seton and Traxler and create a timeline and reader’s theater-style skit, imagining a conversation between them about the role of Catholic women in their time and what the world knows of their witness today.
Guiding Question
How did these American women follow their faith to make lives better for those around them?
1–2 Class Periods (50 Minutes Each)
- Compare and contrast the Seton and Traxler approaches to living out their faith and influencing wider society.
- Articulate information from primary sources.
- Explain what the primary sources tell us about Seton and Traxler.
- Reflect on Seton’s and Traxler’s influence on our lives today.
Materials
Biography: Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton | Franciscan Media
Letters and Writings | Life and works of Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) | DePaul University
Biography: Sister Margaret Traxler
Founding Board Member Margaret Ellen Traxler, SSND | Mary’s Pence
The Church, Abortion, and Sister Margaret Ellen Traxler
Videos
The Life and Legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Voices of Change | Margaret Ellen Traxler, SSN | Sturdy Roots
Teaching Techniques
- Biographical Storytelling
- Small Group Discussion
- Primary Source Analysis
- Journaling
- Exit Ticket
01
Opening
10 minutes
Guiding Question
“What does it mean to live with courage?”
Give students 5 minutes to write.
02
Introduction to the Women
10 minutes
Watch short video clips or read summaries of Seton and Traxler.
03
Summaries
Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821)
Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first American-born Saint in the Catholic Church. Born into a prominent Episcopalian family in New York, she converted to Catholicism after her husband’s death and a trip to Italy. Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, which was the first community of women religious established in the United States. She also opened schools that began the legacy for the Catholic school system in the United States.
Sister Margaret Traxler (1924–2002)
Margaret Traxler, a School Sister of Notre Dame, was a 20th-century Catholic activist known for her outspoken advocacy for women’s equality in the Church and justice in society. She worked for civil rights, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, and later became a leading voice in the women’s movement within Catholicism. Traxler co-founded the National Coalition of American Nuns and challenged the Church on issues such as reproductive rights, poverty, and racism. Her legacy is one of courage, prophetic witness, and a relentless call for justice.
Brief Discussion
What are students’ first impressions? What surprised or inspired them?
03
Timeline/Comparison Activity
15 minutes
- Students create a visual timeline or Venn diagram comparing key moments in Seton and Traxler’s lives.
- Identify major themes: education, faith, civil rights, Church reform, suffering, and service.
04
Primary Source Analysis
10 minutes
- Read excerpts from Seton’s letters and Traxler’s speeches/interviews.
- In pairs or small groups, students answer questions:
- What does this show about her faith?
- How did she respond to injustice?
- What risks did she take?Group Reflection and Discussion (10 minutes)
05
Group Reflection and Discussion
10 minutes
- Discuss how both women modeled Catholic social teaching in their unique ways.
- What does “prophetic witness” look like in different eras?
06
Exit Ticket or Journal Prompt
5 minutes
Write: “How can I live out faith and justice like Seton or Traxler in my own life?
Extension Options
Research another Catholic woman in American history and present to the class.
Write a letter from the perspective of Seton or Traxler to the Church today.
- How would Elizabeth Ann Seton describe her mission in education and religious life?
- How would Margaret Traxler describe her mission in activism and justice work?
- What obstacles did each woman face from society, the Church, or their communities?
- How might they share stories of resilience?
- How did Seton’s role as a wife, mother, convert, and founder of a religious order challenge or fit the expectations of her time?
- How did Traxler’s activism for women’s equality in the Church and society push against norms in her era?
- What vision might Seton and Traxler share for Catholic women today?
- How might they encourage one another to keep faith and justice alive across centuries?
Measurement
- Participation in discussion and activities.
- Completion of the comparison chart or timeline.
- Journal response or exit ticket.
Optional
Graded reflection or presentation on another Catholic woman of faith.
Catholic Social Teaching
- Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities
- Early Educational History of the United States
- Social Action
C3 Standards
D2.His 9.3-5. Summarize how different kinds of historical sources are used to explain events in the past.
D2.His.12.3-5. Generate questions about multiple historical sources and their relationships to particular historical events and developments.
D3.3.3-5. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources in response to compelling questions.