EMMITSBURG, Md. — Carla Fonseca and Ivan Sanchez could not fully explain why they felt drawn to the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton on the morning of Jan. 4. It was only after they arrived on the quiet grounds, framed by winter trees and crisp air, that the reason became clear.
“When we came to visit today, we just had a feeling we needed to be here,” Fonseca said. “Then we realized that it was her Feast Day, and we knew we were meant to be here.”
Fonseca and Sanchez, who are originally from Nicaragua and now live in Mount Airy, Md., were among the more than 600 pilgrims who gathered at the Shrine to celebrate the feast day of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American saint. The observance, which this year fell on the Feast of the Epiphany, drew longtime devotees, local families and first-time visitors for a day marked by prayer, reflection and celebration.
“We have visited before and feel that she was working in our lives,” Sanchez said. “We didn’t plan for it. We felt it. It is so peaceful here and gives us a good feeling. This place is a gift for us.”
Honoring “America’s Saint”
The celebration served as a transition for the Shrine, which is closing out the 50th anniversary year of Mother Seton’s canonization and beginning a new chapter focused on her uniquely American legacy.
“All are invited to the Shrine throughout the year to seek and find their own connection to the first native-born American saint and find comfort in Elizabeth Ann Seton’s story,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Shrine. “She is a wonderful example of how personal holiness and God’s grace can transform lives.”
This year, the Shrine will host a series of initiatives tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States, known as America250. The programming will explore Mother Seton’s life in post-Revolutionary War America and the lasting impact of the Sisters and Daughters of Charity, who trace their roots to her.
The year began, however, as it always does — with Mother Seton’s feast day.
Prayer, Music and Personal Connection
The Mass in the Shrine’s Basilica was celebrated by Fr. Harry Arnone, CM, who likened Mother Seton’s conversion journey to those of the Magi at the Epiphany. She entered the Catholic Church in 1805 following the death of her husband, William, in Italy and eventually moved from New York to Emmitsburg, where she founded both the first community for apostolic religious women and the first free Catholic school for girls in the U.S.
“Like the Magi, Mother Seton was searching for her path forward,” Fr. Arnone said. “Amid personal loss after the death of William, she struggled to decide whether to join the Catholic Church. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s star ultimately led her to Bethlehem (the house of bread) which she equated to the Catholic Church. Her encounter with Christ’s love in the Eucharist sustained and renewed her through her personal tragedies.”
Throughout the day, visitors participated in confession and adoration, joined docent-led tours of Mother Seton’s historic homes and explored the Shrine’s museum. The celebration concluded with a concert by Seasons, a popular Celtic band that frequently performs at the Shrine.
For many, the feast day offered an opportunity to reconnect with Mother Seton’s story and to reflect on how her faith continues to resonate in their own lives.
Peter and Emily Mitchell, who live near the Shrine, brought their family to attend Mass and participate in the day’s activities. Both said they feel a deep connection to Mother Seton as converts to Catholicism and through their shared devotion to the Eucharist.
“There is a truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic Church,” Peter Mitchell said. “It is a manifestation that is real. Christ is really there in the Eucharist.”
Emily Mitchell said Mother Seton’s role as an educator also holds special meaning for her.
“We decided to come today to celebrate her Feast Day,” she said. “I have an affinity to her as a convert and as a teacher. I am a teacher and a home schooler.”
Their 12-year-old daughter, Ruth, is a Junior History Interpreter at the Shrine and said Mother Seton’s life inspires her own hopes for the future.
“She is a saint that I like a lot,” Ruth said. “She was a teacher and that’s a job I myself want to do some day.”
Music was woven throughout the celebration, including during Mass, when Anne Goad led the singing from the altar.
“It was powerful to sing for her Feast Day and then ask her intercession,” Goad said. “I’m a teacher so I asked for intercession for my students as we head back to school this week.”
Setting the Stage for the Year Ahead
As pilgrims moved between prayer in the Basilica and exploration of the grounds, many reflected on Mother Seton’s example of trust in God amid uncertainty — a theme that resonated strongly on a feast day that also looked ahead.
Among the planned initiatives is a new museum exhibit, Do the Good: The Sisters Who Shaped America, which will highlight the role of the Sisters and Daughters of Charity in education, health care and social services. Additional programming includes special America250 presentations, pilgrimages reflecting Mother Seton’s journey to Maryland, continued promotion of the Saints on Their Way initiative and the Seton Shrine Endowment campaign, themed “A Saint for Our Time.”
As pilgrims departed the Shrine grounds at day’s end, many carried with them a renewed sense of connection — to Mother Seton, to one another and to a faith that continues to shape lives more than two centuries after her death.