Calls for help went out almost immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg was over.
Discover how the sisters in Emmitsburg answered the call and brought hope in the midst of despair on our Civil War Sisters Tour. Only two days left. LEARN MORE
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
What's Coming Up View Full Calendar →
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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Birthday Celebration
We welcome everyone to join us as we celebrate Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s birthday on August 25 at 1:30pm Mass, as well as afterward on our grounds with fun activities for kids of all ages! Mass will include a Backpack Blessing for all students in attendance. For the Blessing, students may bring a backpack or…
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Civil War Sisters Tour
During the Civil War, as the Battle of Gettysburg raged just miles from the peaceful home of the Sisters, they could not ignore the call to help care for the wounded. After the Battle was over, the Sisters traveled 12 miles north to the battlegrounds to care for the wounded from the North and the…
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First Saturday Films
Featuring – Spiderman Into The Spiderverse. We welcome everyone to join us for our First Saturday Films, featuring a free showing of Spiderman Into The Spiderverse. Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities. Rated PG. The Catholic News…
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Feast Day – Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Join us for Mass at 9am as we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. We acknowledge Jesus’ death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection, which gives us the promise of eternal life. In the Church’s history, there are two noteworthy events related to this day: the discovery of the True…
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Film – Monsieur Vincent
We welcome everyone to join us as we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul with a free viewing of the film, Monsieur Vincent. Vincent de Paul was a 17th century priest who cofounded the Daughters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac in 1633. He became a saint in 1737. This 1947…
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Annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services
We welcome everyone to join us for our annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services, where we honor and pray for the men and women who serve our country at sea. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was deemed the Patroness of Sea Services in the 1970s. Cosponsored by the Archdiocese of Military Services, we hold this annual…
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Back from the Dead Cemetery Walk
Back from the Dead Cemetery Walks take place October 18-20, 25-27, and October 30 in the historic cemetery at the Seton Shrine, located at 339 South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg, MD. Learn more about the walk in the video below. On the Cemetery Walk, as a guide leads you through the dark by…
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Emmitsburg Community Chorus Concert
Welcome back to the Emmitsburg Community Chorus as they return to the Shrine for their annual holiday concert. We welcome everyone to join us for this festive performance.
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Candlelight Tours
A guide will lead you on the Historic Homes Tour, with the homes lit by candlelight, and our grounds illuminated with 1,000 luminaries. On the tour, you’ll discover the life and legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and see the two historic homes and grounds where Elizabeth Ann lived and worked. This is the only…
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Door to Bethlehem
On the first Christmas Eve, Joseph and Mary wandered through the streets of Bethlehem, looking for shelter. All doors, however, were shut to them. No one would welcome them into their home. In our busy lives today, we too may shut the door to our hearts on Jesus and His family. Open your heart and…
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December Film Series
Featuring – The Star. We welcome everyone to join us for the Shrine’s Film Series in December, which features a free showing of The Star on December 7. A small but brave donkey and his friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas. Rated PG.…
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Museums by Candlelight
We welcome everyone to join us for Museums by Candlelight and see the candlelit historic homes and Basilica decorated for the Christmas season. The grounds will be illuminated with 1,000 luminaries. Enjoy living history activities related to the Christmas holiday within the historic homes. Museums by Candlelight is held in partnership with Visit Frederick and…
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December Film Series
Featuring – It’s A Wonderful Life. We welcome everyone to join us for the Shrine’s December Film Series, which features a free showing of It’s A Wonderful Life on December 14. An angel is sent from Heaven to help a suicidal man by showing him what life would have been like if he had never…
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December Film Series
Featuring – The Muppet Christmas Carol. We welcome everyone to join us for the Shrine Film Series in December, which features a free showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol on December 28. Characters from the Muppet universe re-tell Charles Dicken’s immortal classic “A Christmas Carol,” the story of an old and bitter miser’s redemption on…
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Feast Day of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
We welcome everyone to celebrate Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Feast Day with us! Learn about her life, and see where she lived and worked on our Historic Homes Tour, which takes place at 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm.The tours are available for free on this day. Mass for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Feast Day…
Latest News and Reflections View All →
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How the Queenship of Mary Helps Us To Understand Mother Seton’s Courage
| We don’t like to put ourselves under the authority of another. For us, power is often synonymous with oppression. But in Christ, and in Our Lady, Mother Seton, and the saints, power exists in the framework of love. And when Love is what rules us, everything changes.
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Mother Seton’s ‘Certain Hope’ in Mary, Assumed Into Heaven
| The Church teaches that Mary’s assumption anticipates the resurrection of the saved, and is a sign of hope and comfort for us all. In her life, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton continually relied on this certain hope, in the sure knowledge of Mary’s presence in eternity, body and soul.
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The Fervor of Elizabeth Ann Seton
| The example of Peter during the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor warns us against taking easy roads to holiness, a lesson that Mother Seton embodied in her life. She always stayed on the narrow path, walking alongside Christ, all the way to heaven.
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Giving Our Hearts to God with St. Anne and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
| Throughout their lives, St. Anne and Mother Seton had little idea of the glorious destiny God had in mind for them. They show us how to be faithful to God in all things, and to trust in his perfect plan for our lives.
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Discovering the True Simplicity of Sainthood with St. Mary Magdalene and Mother Seton
| In the lives of these two saints – one so modern, the other so ancient – the Church reminds us of what it means to be a saint: staying close to Christ.
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Praying and Working with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
| Like Saint Benedict, the father of western monasticism, Mother Seton’s life was grounded in contemplation and action. She was a woman of prayer who put all of her energy into the work God called her towards, always trusting in Grace.
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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and the American Spirit
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton had a bold spirit, embraced new identities, made a home in hard circumstances, and left a giant legacy. She embodied many of the best virtues of being American.
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Following Mother Seton’s Path Into the Sacred Heart of Jesus
| Devotion to the Sacred Heart teaches us that the way of the saints is not about an abstract ideal or rules for life, but about the unfathomable love of God, who we embrace—blood, sweat and all.
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How Mother Seton Teaches Us About the Gift of God Himself
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton believed in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist even before she was fully received into the Church. Let us remember her witness this Corpus Christi, as we approach the altar to receive the great gift of God himself.
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Into the Hands of God the Father with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
| Throughout her life, Mother Seton knew that we are never truly alone, even when life’s challenges are most daunting. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us—present, loving, merciful.
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On the Winds of Pentecost with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
| At Pentecost, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church through imagery of divine wind and fire. For Mother Seton—and for Catholics today—it’s within the storms and wreckage of life that grace is encountered, and new paths are revealed.
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The Ascension: What Mother Seton Found in the Sky
| What does the Ascension of the Lord mean for the world and for our own lives? The answer can be found in the faith journey of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who kept her gaze firmly fixed on Jesus, through time and eternity.
Home of the First American-Born Saint
Discover the inspirational life and legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Seton Shrine Museum
Begin your visit with a brief film about Elizabeth Ann Seton and browsing our exhibits. including our latest, Sisters Today: A World of Difference.
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The Basilica
Awe-inspiring and amazing are a few words people have used to describe the Basilica.
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Civil War Sisters
Discover how the Daughters and Sisters of Charity continued Elizabeth Ann Seton’s ministry of charity, helping those who were in need or wounded during the Civil War.
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The Stone House
Step back in time while you tour the Stone House, which was originally built in the mid-1700s.
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The White House
This historic home was built in 1810 when Elizabeth Ann Seton realized one home wasn’t enough for all that she had in mind.
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St. Joseph's Cemetery
In 1809, Mother Seton and her companions took a walk through the dense woods on their property to select a site for a cemetery.
Read MoreElizabeth Ann Seton
The First American-Born Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton was a wife and mother, and then found herself a widow at just 29 years old in 1803. Despite the hardships that she faced, she went on to do amazing work, and eventually became the first American-born saint in 1975. Visit this historic site and Shrine and see the museum, her historic homes, and the Basilica dedicated to her.
Elizabeth Ann Seton
The First American-Born Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton was a wife and mother, and then found herself a widow at just 29 years old in 1803. Despite the hardships that she faced, she went on to do amazing work, and eventually became the first American-born saint in 1975. Visit this historic site and Shrine and see the museum, her historic homes, and the Basilica dedicated to her.