(50 for 50 series) Tom Royals was a plebe at the Naval Academy when he met Cathleen Corcoran. Both were attending the Sea Services pilgrimage at the Seton Shrine. He was singing in the choir, and she was attending the mass and reception with her family. They chatted over cake and punch and took a photo together. The next year, they met at Sea Services again and exchanged phone numbers. They eventually started dating and were married in 2007.
Cathleen’s family had a deep devotion to Mother Seton and her grandmother was at the shrine on September 14, 1975, the day Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized as the first American-born saint. Tom and Cathleen credit Mother Seton with bringing them together and helping them through a difficult first pregnancy. They say their devotion grew as their family grew.
Read more about how the Sea Services pilgrimage brought this family together and how Mother Seton continues to guide their ship. https://setonshrine.org/family-finds-faith-and-eventual-matrimony-at-seton-shrine-sea-services-pilgrimage/
50 for 50 is a series of stories, quotes, clips, photos, and/or devotional statements from ordinary people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton as the first native-born American saint.