The three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton featured two Masses, a candlelight concert, speakers, musical and theatrical performances, a village honoring “saints on their way,” and games and activities galore.
But for the nearly 3,000 people who attended the Sept. 12-14 events at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, there was something more meaningful: A recognition of the importance and dynamism of American Catholicism as embodied by this most relatable saint.
“Having a saint of your own nationality and of your own land is an inspiration because it does say to all of us, holiness is possible. Sanctity is possible. It’s open to anyone. There are no citizen cards in heaven,” said Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of Military Services (AMS) and president of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops.
Broglio was on the altar of the Shrine’s Basilica as one of the concelebrants of the Mass on Sept. 14, the actual date of the anniversary. Fifty years earlier, approximately 25,000 people crowded the grounds of the Shrine to watch from Rome as Pope Paul VI declared Mother Seton a saint.
Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori was a seminarian in 1975 at Mount St. Mary’s, just down the road from the Shrine in Emmitsburg, and he helped with the Mass that day. Fifty years later he was the principal celebrant and homilist at the Golden Anniversary Mass.
“She demonstrates for us ‘how to spin straw into gold’ and to find in the challenges and trials of our lives that newness of life which derives only from the Cross of Christ,” Archbishop Lori said. “No matter what your vocation, no matter the highways and byways of your life, chances are that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton walked the same road.
“From eternity she reaches out to show us that true holiness of life is attainable in every vocation, amid every responsibility, amid every trial and suffering. From eternity, she teaches us to exalt the Cross in our own lives. And so, with grateful hearts, we proclaim, as did Pope St. Paul VI 50 years ago, “Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint!”
Read Archbishop Lori’s complete homily here.
Concelebrants of the North American-televised Mass also included Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Va.; Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., auxiliary bishop of Washington; and Father Tomaž Mavrič, superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, and head of the Vincentian family worldwide.
But while the Mass included the pomp and circumstance you would expect, the weekend was also filled with events that celebrated the life and legacy of this critical American saint.
From around the country the pilgrims came — religious and laity, dignitaries, those who experienced miracles due to Mother Seton’s intercessions, members of the Knights of Columbus, the pep band and cheerleaders from Mount St. Mary’s University, families who let their young children frolic on the same grounds where Mother Seton raised her own children and plenty more who just wanted to be close to this saint.
The weekend kicked off with a Candlelight Concert Under the Stars on Friday, Sept. 12 with the award-winning Escencia Quartet joined by guitarist Sean Brennan and musicians from the Peabody Institute and The Juilliard School. Guests brought lawn chairs and picnic blankets and listened to pop music from the 1970s played on classical instruments.
Saturday, Sept. 13 was a day for reflection and discovery. The day began with Mass for the Vincentian family celebrated by Father Tomaž Mavrič. The Sisters of Charity Federation congregations held banners as they processed into the basilica. They were joined by the Daughters of Charity, leaders from the St. Vincent DePaul Society, and the Shrine’s National Leaders Council.
After Mass, Kathleen Cummings, author of A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American and professor at Notre Dame University gave a presentation on Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pope Leo XIV and the Global Church. Her comments were livestreamed and recorded: “Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pope Leo XIV, and the Global Church” by Kathleen Cummings. In the afternoon, all in attendance at the Shrine enjoyed museum and historic homes tours.
Mother Seton has been an important figure in the life of Michele Ridge, chair-elect of the Shrine’s National Leaders Council, since she attended Seton Hill University, which is connected to the Sisters of Charity of Greensburg.
“Years ago, my friends brought me to the Seton Shrine for my birthday, and we spent a day and a half here at the Shrine, and I got to know Mother Seton once again in a more wholesome way,” she said. “As a student of history, and I think she was such an important woman. Besides being a Catholic saint, she is also a very relatable woman who experienced everything in life.”
Sunday, Sept. 14 was day of joy. After Mass, visitors left the Basilica and joined a festival sprawling throughout the Shrine’s grounds.
Lucas Guerra, a teenage visitor from Virginia said, “ It’s been really breathtaking seeing the basilica and just looking at all of the pictures of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. It’s really powerful. The mass was packed and lots of people were standing. I’m really proud that I go to a Church in Lake Ridge, Va., whose patron is Elizabeth Ann Seton.”
Among the unique attractions on the grounds were Saints On Their Way Village, a collection of 20 guilds, each dedicated to advancing the cause of an American on the path to sainthood. Among those represented were Fr. Michael McGivney, Fr. Stanley Rother, Fr. Vincent Capodanno, Dorothy Day, Mother Mary Lange and many more.
Guild leaders provided information and networked with festival-goers and each other. Lisa Lickona, nationally recognized writer and speaker who teaches at Saint Bernard’s School of Theology and leads retreats on the lives of saints served as emcee on the Saints Stage.
She introduced writers Kevin Wells (Priest and Beggar) and Fr. Dan Mode (The Grunt Padre) and actors portraying Saints On Their Way, Servant of God Charlene Richard, Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, and Servant of God Michelle Duppong. An additional performance featuring Father Brute was presented in the White House.
Matt Swaim, co-host of the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN radio, director of outreach for The Coming Home Network, and producer of The Journey Home on EWTN served as emcee on the Legacy Stage where he introduced local and regional musicians and choirs.
In the museum, Scott Keefer, Provincial Archivist for the Daughters of Charity, gave a presentation on the year 1975, offering insight into the events of the era and Sister Betty Ann McNeill, D.C. and Sr. Mary Clark, SC talked about the canonization in Rome.
Visitors also met Ann O’Neill, Shannon Boyle, and Pat Drugan and learned about their miracle stories. Ann O’Neill’s healing was the third miracle attributed Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, officially recognized by the Vatican. Shannon Boyle shared a personal connection to Mother Seton through her sister’s healing. Pat Drugan’s daughter Cheryl experienced a healing attributed to the saint as well. Each gave powerful witness to faith and prayer.
“It’s amazing being here on site, just the overall pleasant happy attitude strolling around the grounds. We’ve known for many years at Visit Frederick Tourism what an anchor the Seton Shrine is for visitation in the northern part of our county,” said Dave Ziedelis, executive director of Visit Frederick.