The dead would like to have some words with you.
Leading up to Halloween, visitors of St. Joseph Cemetery on the campus of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton witnessed figures of the past come to life.
Among them were St. Joan of Arc, who led a French army to victory before she was burned at the stake, and Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest who championed free speech in Poland and fought against communism, only to be kidnapped, beaten and murdered. Then there’s young St. Maria Goretti, an Italian child who forgave her killer on her deathbed and has come to symbolize forgiveness.
For more than a decade, the Seton Shrine’s “Back from the Dead” faith drama has connected visitors with historically significant figures of the Catholic Church.
“They prayed, they sacrificed. Like us, they struggled,” Seton Shrine executive director Rob Judge said.
The production draws scores of volunteers who act as cemetery guides or actors. Many of them return each year, as the faith drama continues to grow in popularity.
The event drew thousands of visitors. By mid-October, they had sold and pre-booked about 2,380 tickets for this year’s event, Seton Shrine communications coordinator Carolyn Shields said.