By Jay Sorgi
(50 for 50 series) The year was 2015, the U.S. State Department was on the line, and Rob Judge, executive director of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, needed to think fast.
The reason? Pope Francis’s first and only visit to the United States was just several weeks away, and the White House needed a gift that President Obama would present to the Holy Father on behalf of the American people.
The President’s staff had already done plenty of research on Mother Seton, and they knew that she loved and served the poor, as did Pope Francis. They also knew that Pope Francis had declared 2015 as the year of consecrated life and that Mother Seton founded the first group of women religious in the U.S. – the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s who today continue to serve across the country.
They also knew they wanted something to capture the moment and not a relic or something from the gift shop.
So, acting fast, Judge put together a team of people that included the Sisters and Daughters of Charity, as well as their archivists. The group went through different possibilities and then they landed on what they thought was the perfect present with rich imagery – a gift of real and symbolic importance to both the Pope, the President, and the Saint.
The Keys to the Kingdom – and a house in Maryland
Keys have always played a symbolic part in the Catholic faith and have had special meaning to Peter and his successors. Afterall, two crossed keys representing the keys to the Kingdom were in Pope Francis’ coat of arms.
Now, it so happened that the Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise, who trace their roots to Mother Seton, had two original keys to Mother Seton’s Stone House, which still stands on the grounds of the Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a 75-minute drive from Washington DC.
“The key that I held in my hands was the very key that Mother Seton held in hers to open her door and to send the sisters into the world, where their influence as a force for good has been felt by literally millions of people for more than two centuries,” Judge said. “Even today, under the influence of Mother Seton, the sisters continue to care for the sick, feed the hungry, and educate the young.
“This seemed like an especially appropriate and meaningful gift for Peter’s successor, and particularly Pope Francis, who encouraged all of us to go out to the peripheries and serve the poor.”
Once that was settled, there was the issue of how to present it. The Shrine staff came up with the idea of affixing it to a piece of marble, the same marble that was used to build Mother Seton’s tomb and final resting place in the Shrine’s Basilica.
“We felt that the gift including a piece of her original home through the key and the marble, her final resting place would be really significant to the Holy Father,” Judge said.
A rush job and a dash to the White House
The White House agreed, and they offered artisans who could make an ornate velvet box to house the marble and affix the key to it. But there was a catch. They wanted it the next day.
That’s when Judge realized he should make a copy of the key but given its size and age, this was no job for the local hardware store.
So, Judge did an internet search and found Danko Arlington, a jobbing manufacturing company in Baltimore that specializes in 3D printing. It turned out that the company was run by John Danko, who had attended Mount St. Mary’s University, just down the road from the Shrine, and had a devotion to Mother Seton.
In less than a day, the company took the original key and used a combination of reverse engineering laser scanning software, and 3-D printing to create a 3-D copy and a digital virtual key. Months later, the company made bronze copies of Mother Seton’s key. For his part, Danko became a major supporter of the Shrine.
On the day of the Pope’s visit to Washington, Judge picked up the original and rushed it to the White House, where President Obama presented the key and the marble casing to Pope Francis. It was September 23, 2015, 40 years and nine days after Mother Seton’s canonization.
Now, the Shrine is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her canonization on Sept. 14, culminating a year of activities and commemorations honoring this important American saint. It’s also fitting that this past Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the door of St. Peter’s Basilica with another key to begin a Jubilee Year themed, “Pilgrims of Hope.” A few months later, on April 21, Pope Francis died.
“The 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization brings many symbolic threads to this Jubilee year, and its theme especially at the Shrine,” Judge said. “Pilgrims to our Shrine can encounter Mother Seton and draw hope and courage from the struggles and joys of her own journey in a way that’s relatable to them. The key and the doors it opened for her hold a special meaning for us as we go forth ourselves to bring Christ to the world.”
50 for 50 is a series of stories, quotes, clips, photos, and/or devotional statements from ordinary people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton as the first native-born American saint.