EMMITSBURG, MD (September 14, 2025) — The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton announced a $50 million, 10-year endowment initiative to ensure the shrine of America’s first native-born saint remains a vibrant place of faith, hope and history for generations to come.
The news was announced during the Shrine’s three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization, which remains one of the most historic days in the history of the American Catholic Church.
“Here at Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Shrine, 204 years after her death and 50 years after her canonization, miracles are happening,” said Luci Baines Johnson, chair of the Seton Shrine National Leadership Council, which will spearhead the fundraising drive. “It is here that we feel the blessing of this holy place and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s miraculous touch.”
The Seton Shrine is a place of pilgrimage that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Mother Seton and is located on the same Maryland grounds where she lived the last 16 years of her life and started the first order of religious sisters in the U.S., the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph and the first free Catholic school for girls in the new nation. Ultimately, the order of sisters she created expanded all over North America to work in hospitals, education and in any number of ways to serve the poor.
That school and the home that she and her religious community and her own children lived in, still stand and are popular destinations. A Basilica was dedicated in 1965, where Mother Seton’s remains were moved after she was canonized a decade later.
“Mother Seton always looked ahead with a Christ-filled heart that was full of love and compassion,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine. “So, it’s only fitting that on the 50th anniversary of her canonization that we, too, look ahead to protect and preserve this beautiful shrine and place of worship so that her memory may never be forgotten.”
The Shrine attracts nearly 60,000 visitors each year who travel to Emmitsburg seeking hope, strength and healing — and to walk literally in the footsteps of a saint dedicated to service. Besides the Basilica and the historical buildings, the Shrine opened a $4 million, state of the art museum in 2023. The Shrine also runs a variety of programs throughout the year – from retreats for the poor to its popular Back from the Dead program in the fall, where visitors learn the stories of the saints from live actors.
The Shrine’s goal is to raise the $50 million by Sept. 14, 2035, the 60th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization. The Shrine hopes to reach the $25 million milestone by September 2031. The Seton Heritage Ministries Board, the governing body of the Shrine, has established the fund and designated the first $8 million.
The endowment is meant to provide a permanent and reliable source of support for the Shrine and its mission. This includes care of the Basilica, preservation of the historic homes and museum and the growth of programs, tours and media outreach aimed at sharing her story with the world.
People may support the endowment through outright gifts, planned/estate gifts and named funds. Donors to the Endowment who wish to be recognized will be featured in a museum display in appreciation for their support and commitment to the continuation of Mother Seton’s Legacy.
For more information about the endowment initiative, visit this link.
For more information about the Shrine, visit https://setonshrine.org/.
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., is a place of God and of history, where visitors can walk in the footsteps of a saint. The Shrine offers pilgrims prayerful comfort from Mother Seton’s story and her intercessions as a friend in heaven. It is an active Basilica and has a wide range of historical buildings and programs that show what life was like when Mother Seton lived here more than 200 years ago. It was here that she founded the first community of religious women established in the U.S., created the first free Catholic school for girls staffed by sisters in the U.S. and fulfilled her mission of serving those in need. Today, her legacy includes several religious communities with thousands of sisters, who serve others through schools, social service centers and hospitals throughout the world. She was canonized in 1975. Her remains are entombed at the National Shrine that bears her name. For more information, please visit https://setonshrine.org/.