Originally published on Catholic Review
Although she died 201 years ago, devotees of America’s first native-born saint believe she can be a great role model for these troubled times.
That’s one of the main reasons behind the $4 million investment to renovate the museum and build a new visitors center at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg.
The year-long construction project is scheduled to begin this fall with the goal of enhancing the experience for pilgrims who want to learn more about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
The shrine held a ceremonial groundbreaking June 24. When it’s completed in late summer of 2023, the museum will include state-of-the-art galleries with interactive exhibits telling St. Elizabeth Ann’s story from childhood to sainthood.
It will be the first significant renovation of the museum in 40 years in a town where Mother Seton established the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in 1809.