Start a New Tradition This Advent
Join Mary and Joseph as they search for shelter on their journey to Bethlehem. Open your heart to the Holy Family in our faith drama, Door to Bethlehem, on December 7-8. LEARN MORE
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
The Shrine is Closed Today. Mass and Confession are Cancelled.
Due to weather conditions, the Shrine is closed today. There will be no Mass or Confession. Keep safe in this wintry weather.
What's Coming Up View Full Calendar →
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Emmitsburg Community Chorus Concert
The Emmitsburg Community Chorus returns to the Shrine for their annual holiday concert. We welcome everyone to join us for this festive performance.
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Candlelight Tours
Your guide will take you on our historic homes tour, with the homes lit by candlelight, and our grounds illuminated with 1,000 luminaries. Tours take place December 1-6, at 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm. The tour costs $8 for adults, $6 for youth ages 7-18, and is free for children 6 and under. To reserve a…
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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 the carpenter from Nazareth and his wife, pregnant with the Christ-child, into their home. In our busy lives today, we too may shut the door to our…
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Museums by Candlelight
We welcome everyone to join us for Museums by Candlelight, where we’ll have guided tours of our grounds and candlelit historic homes and Basilica, decorated for the Christmas season. The grounds will be illuminated with 1,000 luminaries. Tour times are 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm & 3:30pm, and the tour lasts up to 45 minutes. Plus,…
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Christmas Eve Mass
Join us as we joyfully anticipate the birth of Jesus Christ! The Basilica reopens on December 24 at 6:30pm for Mass to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord at 7:30pm. If you can, come early at 7pm for carols.
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Christmas Day Mass
We welcome everyone to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with us! The Basilica will open at 12pm for Confession and Adoration at 12:15pm, and Mass at 1:30pm. After Mass, the Basilica will close at 3pm. Our regular hours resume on Wednesday, December 26.
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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast Day
We welcome everyone to join us for Mass to celebrate Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Feast Day. During the Mass, we will recognize all in attendance who are named after Saint Elizabeth Ann. Confession and Adoration are available before Mass, beginning at 12:15pm.
Latest News and Reflections View All →
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Can We Ever Pray Enough Prayers for the Dead?
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton knew the secret of God’s grace and generosity. She once wrote: “The greater my unworthiness, the more abundant His mercy.” Her words are a great consolation when we feel weak in the face of a world that needs us.
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The Saints Want Us to Be With Them
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, like so many other saints, took inspiration from the lives of those who came before her. For All Saints Day, why not copy the venerable practice of seeking out a patron saint to teach you throughout the next liturgical year?
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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: An American Daughter
| From the seeds planted 200 years ago, the church that Elizabeth Seton cherished as her “ark” today serves more than 64 million Catholics.
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The Unbreakable Elizabeth Ann Seton Helps Adjust Our Perspective Upwards
| There is a lot this homegrown saint can teach us, especially these three lessons from her life.
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The Setons, the Bayleys, and the Roosevelts
| Elizabeth Bayley Seton and her family shaped Catholic life in nineteenth century America. And they continue to shape it today.
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Mother Seton and the American Crisis
| If American Catholics are looking for a Christian role model during these turbulent times, Mother Seton is a wonderful choice.
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Ash Wednesday and the Witness of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
| An important step in Mother Seton’s conversion took place on Ash Wednesday, when she first entered the Catholic Church.
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.