St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast is celebrated on Jan. 4, led a bold and faith-filled life, which led to her becoming the first native-born American to be canonized in the Catholic Church on Sept. 14, 1975.
Now, 50 years later, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, has begun its yearlong celebration honoring the anniversary of the saint’s canonization. The special events and programming kick off on Jan. 4 with a Mass at the shrine celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, which will be aired nationally on EWTN at 6 p.m. ET.
On the same day, a new exhibit will open in the shrine’s museum called “One of Us,” which tells the backstory of Seton’s canonization — one of the most monumental days in the American Catholic Church during the 20th century.
The exhibit aims to take visitors back to 1975 to give them an understanding of the magnitude of Seton’s impact and her relevance today. In addition, there will be special artifacts on display including the canonization decree from Pope Paul VI and personal scrapbooks from those who attended the proceedings in Rome or watched them in Emmitsburg.