(50 for 50 series) When Christine Hanus visited the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, she was searching for peace. What she found was something far more powerful. In this moving story from EWTN, Jennifer recounts how her pilgrimage to the Shrine—made during a time of intense worry for her daughter, Mary Catherine—became a turning point of both spiritual and physical healing.
Mary Catherine had been struggling with chronic pain and a series of medical challenges that doctors couldn’t quite explain. Jennifer, unsure where else to turn, brought her daughter to the Shrine and prayed for Mother Seton’s intercession. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary: the affliction began to fade, and healing took root in a way that felt unmistakably divine. It was a moment that deepened Jennifer’s faith and left her with a profound sense that Mother Seton was walking with them.
As the Shrine celebrates the 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization, stories like this bring her legacy to life. Mother Seton is more than a historical figure—she’s a living presence in the lives of many who seek her help, her example, and her quiet but powerful companionship in times of trial. For Jennifer and Mary Catherine, she became more than a saint. She became family.
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.