{"id":172182,"date":"2023-09-21T08:23:13","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T12:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/?p=172182"},"modified":"2023-09-21T14:13:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T18:13:19","slug":"press-release-national-shrine-of-saint-elizabeth-ann-seton-opens-4-million-museum-and-visitor-center-with-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/es\/press-release-national-shrine-of-saint-elizabeth-ann-seton-opens-4-million-museum-and-visitor-center-with-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"PRESS RELEASE: National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Opens $4 Million Museum and Visitor Center with Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

EMMITSBURG, MD (Sept. 22, 2023) \u2013 <\/strong>The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton<\/a> opened a $4 million museum and visitor center in a ceremony of Catholic pomp and circumstance that recognized the life and legacy of the first native-born American to be canonized.<\/p>\n

To commemorate the opening of the museum, the Seton Shrine hosted a Mass in its historic Basilica that was celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, as well as a blessing and ribbon-cutting.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike so many of you, my life has been greatly enriched by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and her Sisters,\u201d said Luci Baines Johnson, chair of the Shrine\u2019s National Leaders Council, which led the capital campaign that funded the new museum. \u201cThis museum will allow others to know Mother Seton and fully realize her impact on the world, which is as relevant today as it was 200 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The modernized museum uses rarely seen artifacts and state-of-the-art, interactive experiences to tell the story of Elizabeth Ann Seton, who opened one of the first free Catholic schools for girls in the United States and established the first order of women religious in the country \u2013 the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph\u2019s \u2013 on the very grounds where her Shrine and the new museum now rest.<\/p>\n

What was formerly the provincial entrance near the Basilica has been transformed into a modern and welcoming visitor center, seamlessly connecting visitors to the gift shop and museum galleries. Inside, the galleries paint an intimate portrait of Mother Seton through dozens of artifacts, visual storytelling displays and digital interactive exhibits.<\/p>\n

The museum is comprised of three core galleries:<\/p>\n