EMMITSBURG, MD (August 12, 2025) — In a historic first, representatives from nearly two dozen guilds — each dedicated to advancing the cause of an American on the path to sainthood — will gather together at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton on Sept. 14 as part of the Shrine’s three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization.
The guilds will be part of a “Saints On Their Way Village,” on the very grounds where Mother Seton lived, worshipped, taught and eventually died on her journey to becoming the first native-born American saint. The gathering is not only a unique opportunity for the public — it also provides a space for guild leaders to connect with one another and share ideas on navigating the rigorous canonization process.
Each guild will host a table with information and will be able to answer questions from those in attendance. One of the most popular sections of a new exhibit about Mother Seton’s canonization in the Shrine’s museum has been a wall panel dedicated to Americans who are in the canonization process. The guilds represent a who’s who of the American Catholic Church. Among them:
- Dorothy Day
- Michael J. McGivney
- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
- Stanley Rother
- Solanus Casey
- Mother Mary Lange
- Nicholas Black Elk
“As the home of the first native-born American saint, we feel a special joy and fellowship with these great men and women of faith, and we are humbled and excited that so many of their representatives are coming to celebrate with us,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine.
“Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and those on the path to joining her all share one thing in common. They each lived lives of love and service that embody the universal call to holiness. Moreover, they show us that we, too, can draw closer to God and achieve great things.”
The topic of “Saints On Their Way” will also be featured on the Garden Stage, one of two stages on the grounds of the Shrine. Fr. Dan Mode, from the U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplains Office, will speak about his book, “The Grunt Padre: The Service & Sacrifice of Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno.” Also, Kevin Wells, author of “Priest & Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz,” will speak.
Actors from the Shrine’s annual De vuelta de la muerte program will give dramatic portrayals of three Americans on the path to canonization: Thea Bowman, Charlene Richard, and Michelle Duppong.
More Family Faith and Entertainment Activities
Thousands of people are expected to converge at the Shrine from Sept. 12-14, just as they did 50 years ago to celebrate Mother Seton’s canonization at the Vatican.
The festivities begin with a Candlelight Concert Under the Stars on Friday Sept. 12 with the award-winning Escencia Quartet and ends with a concert by the popular Damascus Worship Band. In between there will be a livestreamed lecture by Notre Dame Professor Kathleen Sprows Cummings, author of “A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American,” special tours of the Seton Shrine’s museum and historical homes, activities for children, food trucks and concerts by local musicians.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, Father Tomaž Mavrič, C.M. , superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity will celebrate Mass for the sisters and the general public in the Shrine’s historic Basilica.
Then, on Sept. 14, the actual golden anniversary date of Mother Seton’s canonization, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will celebrate Mass in the Basilica. The Mass will be televised later that night at 7 pm on EWTN.
Catholic personality Matt Swaim will emcee the Friday night concert and the events on the Festival stage on Sunday. Swaim is co-host of the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN Radio, producer of EWTN’s The Journey Home, and Director of Outreach for The Coming Home Network.
The Seton Shrine is located on the very site that Mother Seton established the first Catholic school for girls and the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, the first congregation of women religious founded in the United States, in 1809. Mother Seton’s work continues today through the Sisters and Daughters of Charity in the U.S. and Canada. Both orders of religious sisters used Mother Seton as their spiritual guide, as they went out to start schools, hospitals and other organizations of service to benefit the communities where they lived. Many religious sisters will be in attendance.
All events except for the Friday night concert will be free. Tickets to that event start at $25 and can be reserved here.
For more information about the weekend, and a full lineup of events, visit https://setonshrine.org/celebration.
Santuario Nacional de Santa Isabel Ana Seton
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., is a place of God and of history, where visitors can walk in the footsteps of a saint. The Shrine offers pilgrims prayerful comfort from Mother Seton’s story and her intercessions as a friend in heaven. It is an active Basilica and has a wide range of historical buildings and programs that show what life was like when Mother Seton lived here more than 200 years ago. It was here that she founded the first community of religious women established in the U.S., created the first free Catholic school for girls staffed by sisters in the U.S. and fulfilled her mission of serving those in need. Today, her legacy includes several religious communities with thousands of sisters, who serve others through schools, social service centers and hospitals throughout the world. She was canonized in 1975. Her remains are entombed at the National Shrine that bears her name. For more information, please visit https://setonshrine.org/.