EMMITSBURG, MD (April 24, 2024) – The Living History Program at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton will show visitors what life was like in the year 1818 for students at St. Joseph’s Academy, the historic Catholic school for girls founded by the first native-born U.S. saint.
The annual Academy Alive program will bring history to life on the grounds of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton from Monday, April 29 through Saturday, May 4. All week, visitors can immerse themselves in a large-scale living history experience demonstrating what life was like for students and the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s during Mother Seton’s lifetime. Visitors can expect to learn about the world through exploring maps of the past in a geography lesson, test their bookkeeping skills in an exercise on maintaining a budget, play 19th century games, and tour Mother Seton’s first home.
“For our guests and all those who have a devotion to Mother Seton, she is not just a saint and friend in heaven – she is an educator, mother and a figure of great historical significance in American history,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Shrine. “Programs such as Academy Alive allow people to enter her world and deepen their connections to her.”
To accommodate greater demand, Academy Alive has been extended from two weekends to a week-long event. Academy Alive is free for children under six years old, five dollars for children ages seven to 18, and eight dollars for adults. Tickets are now available at https://setonshrine.org/academy-alive/.
Academy Alive comes one month before the Shrine is scheduled to participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Pilgrims traveling on the Seton Route, named for Mother Seton, are set to pass through Emmitsburg on June 6. The Shrine will celebrate by inviting hundreds of Catholics to walk together in a Eucharistic Procession following the steps of Mother Seton. Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will preside over a mass for the pilgrims, and the Shrine will offer additional devotional programming.
Visitors to the Shrine can also tour a new, modern museum and visitor center dedicated to telling the story of Mother Seton’s life through interactive displays, videos, and newly acquired artifacts.
“Mother Seton’s lifelong dedication to teaching and guiding America’s youth is one of the many reasons that she remains such an admired figure in modern Catholicism,” said Judge. “Central to our mission is the conviction that Mother Seton’s influence transcends time. She is not confined to history, but a beacon for us today and for all who seek solace and guidance in their spiritual journey.”
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native-born U.S. saint. The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton promotes her life and legacy to inspire everyone. More than 200 years ago, she came to Emmitsburg as a bankrupt widow with five children, and went on to found the first free Catholic school for girls staffed by sisters in the U.S., and the first community of religious women established in the U.S. Today, her legacy includes several religious communities with thousands of sisters, who serve others through schools, social service centers and hospitals throughout the world. Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized in 1975. Her remains are entombed at the National Shrine that bears her name. For more information, please visit https://setonshrine.org/.
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