Click to learn more
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
What's Coming Up View Full Calendar →
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
Lenten Retreat #1 – In The Footsteps of Jesus
When Jesus said, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:9), He wasn’t just talking to his apostles but to each and every one of us. Come learn how we might continue to follow in His footsteps during this holy season of Lent. Join us for this half day retreat with St. Joseph’s previous Associate Pastor, Fr. Charlie…
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Concert
Join us after Mass for a Celtic concert to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We welcome back John Knowles and his band for an afternoon of live traditional Irish music. Cost is $5; $3 for ages 7-18. The Morning Star is a trio of local musicians who exquisitely perform authentic traditional music from Ireland and Scotland.…
-
Lenten Retreat #2 – A Retreat on the Eucharist & Prayer
How does the Eucharist embody the love that Christ expressed on the Cross? And why is Lent a powerful time to enhance your prayer life? Come find out at the second of our Lenten Retreat Series. Join Shrine chaplains Fr. Daniel Mentesana, IVE and Fr. Ted Trinko, IVE on Friday, March 20th from 9am-Noon. Doors…
-
St. Joseph’s Valley Days
Experience spring in St. Joseph’s Valley at the Shrine’s newest living history program! Led by history interpreters in full period costume (the majority from our Junior History Interpreter program), you will learn how the Sisters and students welcomed in the spring season. Enjoy hands-on activities, such as learning colonial dances to live music, playing with…
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
St. Joseph’s Valley Days
Experience spring in St. Joseph’s Valley at the Shrine’s newest living history program! Led by history interpreters in full period costume (the majority from our Junior History Interpreter program), you will learn how the Sisters and students welcomed in the spring season. Enjoy hands-on activities, such as learning colonial dances to live music, playing with…
-
Lenten Retreat #3 – New Life In Christ
Venerable Fulton Sheen once wrote, “Unless there is a Good Friday in life, there can be no Easter Sunday.” Join us for this half day retreat with Dr. Ximena DeBroeck, Director of Catechetical and Pastoral Formation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Adjunct Professor of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, on Friday, March…
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
Stations of the Cross
Join us after Mass every Friday during Lent as we pray Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held in our Historic Cemetery or in the Basilica, so please dress accordingly.
-
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
All are welcome to join us for Mass on Holy Thursday at 7:30pm in the Basilica. Holy Thursday begins the sacred celebration of the Easter Triduum. Over these next few days, we acknowledge Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice to save us from sin, as well as celebrate his resurrection. There is no 1:30 Mass this day.
-
Good Friday Liturgy of The Lord’s Passion
Join us as Holy Week continues on Good Friday. We will celebrate the Liturgy of The Lord’s Passion in the Basilica at 3pm. An ASL interpreter will be present. Good Friday begins the Easter Triduum, where we enter into Jesus’ last days here on Earth, including his death on the cross. There is no 1:30pm…
-
Easter Vigil
Join us as we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection at the Easter Vigil, beginning at 8pm. An ASL interpreter will be present.
-
Easter Sunday Mass
We welcome everyone to join us as we celebrate the joy of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter Sunday Mass. It takes place at 1:30pm. As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, the Easter Triduum draws to a close and the week-long observance of Holy Week ends. On Easter Sunday, the Basilica opens at 12pm and closes after Mass…
-
Divine Mercy Sunday Holy Hour
Join us as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday with a Holy Hour beginning after 1:30pm Mass, around 2:45pm. Adoration will take place until 4pm. During the Holy Hour, there will be: Chaplet of Divine Mercy Readings from the diary of St. Faustina Silent prayer Benediction Confession is available prior to Mass from 12:15-1:15pm, as well…
-
National Christian Choir Concert
We welcome everyone to join us for a free concert featuring the National Christian Choir. The Choir is an auditioned choir of 160 members whose mission is “to glorify God through a unique ministry of music which draws people into a new and deeper relationship with Him”. Singers come from over 100 different churches within…
-
Retreat – A Journey to the Catholic Faith with the Coming Home Network
A time of fellowship and prayer for Catholic converts and those on the journey to the Catholic Church. Offered by the Seton Shrine in partnership with the Coming Home Network. Learn more about the Coming Home Network here. Elizabeth Ann Seton was raised Episcopalian, and converted to the Catholic faith when she was 30 years…
-
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Birthday Celebration
Join us as we celebrate Mother Seton’s birthday on the last Sunday of August at 1:30pm Mass and afterward on our grounds.
Latest News and Reflections View All →
-
Living Ash Wednesday the Way Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Did
| Mother Seton didn’t walk the Way of the Cross alone during her life, but rather she surrounded herself with a community, with whom she journeyed in mutual dependence, step by step, along the path Christ set for them. During Lent, together with the Church, we are all invited to do the same.
-
Evangelizers of New Lands: Saints Cyril and Methodius, and Elizabeth Ann Seton
| Though more than a millennium separates us from the evangelical mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and two centuries from Mother Seton, their approach to evangelization is a model for the Church today.
-
St. Blaise, Mother Seton, and Meeting Jesus in Our Physical Ailments
| Mother Seton was no stranger to illness and suffering within her family. By her example and through St. Blaise’s intercession, we can place our family’s health in the Lord’s hands, confident that He will bind up our wounds.
-
Don Bosco & Mother Seton: The Great Christian Educators
| St. John Bosco and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton presented lessons of love and gentleness to the most vulnerable of children. Their gentle instruction inspired their respective countries through the many thousands of pupils who would be taught by the communities they founded.
-
For Mother Seton and St. Francis de Sales, There Are No Ordinary Virtues
| Often the greatest saints practice the smallest and most simple virtues. Inspired by the spiritual writings of Francis de Sales, the saint of everyday holiness, Mother Seton put his teachings into practice as she treaded forward on her own path to sainthood.
-
Archbishop Lori’s Feast Day Homily
| Archbishop Lori was the main celebrant at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Feast Day Mass on January 4th, 2020. If you missed it, you can read his full homily on how she lived a life of love and service despite hardships and challenges.
-
Mother Seton, Saint of the Incarnation
| Something powerful always happens when divinity meets humanity. This is best exemplified in the Incarnation, when God took on human flesh, and we see this reflected when ordinary people rise to become saints. Mother Seton’s life speaks to this mystery, and by her example she leads us closer to the Incarnate Word.
-
Holy Innocents: Following St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Example to Build a Culture of Life
| Encountering the massacre of the innocents so soon after the joy of Christmas Day is a shock. How should we respond to such massive injustice? Mother Seton showed us that we can transform the world, one person at a time, by responding with love when faced with suffering, without asking “why” or waiting for justice.
-
Welcoming the Light of Christmas with Open Hearts and Gratitude
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s entire life testified to the meaning of the Incarnation. In Jesus’s vulnerability, He taught us to trust that all of God’s purposes redound to our good. In God’s gift of himself, He taught us how to freely give of ourselves to others.
-
To Expect Nothing—and Everything: Advent with John of the Cross and Mother Seton
| St. John of the Cross and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton teach us how to empty ourselves before God as we journey towards Christmas. Elizabeth’s barren womb, John the Baptist’s desert cry, the shepherd’s confusion, and Mary and Joseph in that cold stable—all of them point to the truth of Advent: the whole, poor world is waiting for Jesus to come.
-
What Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Message Meant to Mother Seton — And What it Means for Us
| At Guadalupe, our Blessed Mother’s personal relationship with the people of Mexico changed the world. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton discovered the same truth in her own life. When you remember that Jesus and Mary are your family, then truly, anything is possible.
-
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Witness of the ‘Church of Ambrose’
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton loved to quote Saint Ambrose, one of the four original Doctors of the Church. On his feast day, we pray that we might follow in his and Mother Seton’s footsteps in teaching the true faith to others — both in words, and in authentic lives of devotion and service.
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.
Read More
The Basilica
Awe-inspiring and amazing are a few words people have used to describe the Basilica.
Read More
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.
Read More
The Stone House
Step back in time while you tour the Stone House, which was originally built in the mid-1700s.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.