Press from Catholic Faith Network Live with Rob Judge
March 5, 2026
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Rob Judge appears on the Catholic Faith Network to talk about the Seton Shrine’s plans for America250, including the opening
Do The Good:
The Sisters Who Shaped America
A new special exhibit at the Seton Shrine exploring how generations of religious sisters, following Mother Seton’s example, served Christ in the poor and helped shape our nation.
Free admission · Opening March 19, 2026 · Emmitsburg, MD
Free admission
Opening March 19, 2026
Emmitsburg, MD
What You Will Experience
As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, step into the untold story of Mother Seton’s sisters—over 20,000 women whose faith and service helped shape a nation. From war and disaster to reform and renewal, they served Christ in the poorest and most vulnerable. Their fearless charity forged our country and changed history—and their stories still compel us today.
Self Guided Experience
Stories Spanning The Early Republic to Today
Real Women Responding To Real Crises
A Call To Live Charity Now
A Story That Unfolds
Guided by Saint Vincent de Paul’s call to “do the good,” the work that Mother Seton began more than two centuries ago has grown into a large family of congregations whose service helped shape education, care and compassion in the United States and beyond. Here’s the story you’ll experience:
In the early decades of the United States, rapid population growth, immigration, disease, and westward movement placed enormous strain on communities with few public systems of care. The Sisters of Charity responded by educating children, caring for the sick, and establishing orphanages and hospitals in cities and frontier settlements alike. Their work helped form a network of social services rooted in service to the most vulnerable.
The Civil War brought unprecedented suffering, testing the nation and its institutions. The Sisters served as nurses on battlefields and in hospitals, caring for soldiers from both sides amid violence, disease, and scarcity. Their discipline, experience, and willingness to serve without distinction earned respect and helped shape emerging standards of nursing and medical care in the United States.
Following the war, industrial growth and urban expansion transformed American life. Immigration surged, cities grew crowded, and the number of orphaned and vulnerable children rose sharply. The Sisters expanded schools, hospitals, and social services to meet these needs, building institutions that supported families, educated new Americans, and responded to disasters in rapidly changing communities.
The first half of the twentieth century brought global conflict, economic hardship, and widespread illness. During world wars and the Spanish flu pandemic, the Sisters served on the front lines of care at home and abroad. At the same time, they modernized hospitals, expanded nursing education, and adapted their ministries to new medical and social realities.
In recent decades, the Sisters have continued their commitment to service while responding to new challenges. Their work has included advocacy for civil rights, global missions, healthcare innovation, and outreach to those affected by poverty, displacement, and illness. Rooted in long-standing traditions of charity, their ministries continue to evolve in response to the needs of the present.
The Sisters Who Shaped America
Meet some of the sisters showcased throughout the exhibit
Sister Anthony O’Connell, SC
In the chaos after the Battle of Shiloh, Sister Anthony changed everything. As the wounded lay waiting, she made a radical choice—triaging the most critically injured first. From blood and mercy was born battlefield triage, and a legend rose with it: the “Angel of the Battlefield.”
Sister Sister Josella Conlin, SCN
In 1918, Spanish flu ravaged Camp Zachary Taylor. Sister Josella mobilized 88 Sisters to answer the crisis—standing alone in crowded barracks, bringing care, courage, and comfort where hope was scarce.
Sister Mary William Sullivan, D.C.
In 1964, Sister Mary William stood at the crossroads of faith and history as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the John F. Kennedy Award. From Chicago’s West Side, she transformed Marillac House into a force for civil rights—confronting injustice and shaping a legacy of empowerment that endures.
Sister Barbara Ford, SC
Missionary, healer, and servant, Sister Barbara Ford brought her healing hands and fierce compassion to Guatemala in 1978. From remote villages to clinics, she trained health promoters and midwives, brought clean water to indigenous communities, and created programs for those living with trauma. After their civil war, she helped uncover mass graves and guide survivors toward healing.
Plan Your Visit
Do the Good: The Sisters Who Shaped America is a self-guided exhibit at the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The exhibit is free and open to the public beginning March 19, 2026, and will remain on view through Spring 2027 during regular Shrine hours.
Visitors are invited to explore the exhibit at their own pace, engaging stories that span more than two centuries of American history and service. The exhibit is designed for individual visitors, families, educators, and groups.
Advance reservations are recommended for school groups, parishes, and other organized visits.
Press and Media
PRESS from The Saturday Evening Post: The Mother of American Charity
February 23, 2026
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Most people probably wouldn’t know much about Elizabeth Ann Seton if she hadn’t been canonized in 1975, but saint or not, she was an extraordinary person.
PRESS From OSV: Seton Shrine Prepares to Share Mother Seton’s ‘Revolutionary’ Impact as America Turns 250
January 7, 2026
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Mother Seton: The Hidden Hero of America’s 250-Year Story They Never Taught You!
Donors Make It Possible
The Seton Shrine offers special appreciation to all the donors who have supported our Do The Good: The Sisters Who Shaped America special exhibit. We offer special appreciation to Ascension, the presenting sponsor for this exhibit.
Anonymous
Ascension
Bozzuto Family Charitable Trust
Bill Chapman & Ellen Yankellow
Dave & Liz Foshage
Delaplaine Foundation, Inc.
Steve & Adele Dufilho
Sister Carol Durkin, DC
Linda Fiorelli
Ellen Kelly
The Mays Family Foundation
Tom & Michele Ridge
Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton Foundation, Inc.
Jonathon & Hiroko Smith
James M. and Margaret V. Stine Foundation
Pat Tursi
Visit Frederick
If you would like to learn more about supporting this exhibit, our Museum, the Basilica, or Seton Shrine tours and programs, kindly contact Maida Connor, Director of Donor Relations, at 301-447-6049, or by email maida.connor@setonshrine.org.
We Also Thank
the Sisters and Daughters of Charity for sharing your history and stories. Your legacy of hope, charity, kindness, and determination to do the good continues to guide and inspire us all.
The images and content were provided:
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archives, rights retained
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Archives
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Archival Center
Courtesy Archives, Sisters of Charity of New York
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives
Courtesy, Daughters of the west – Province of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Courtesy, Daughters Charity Province of St. Louise, St. Louis, MO.