They stood shoulder to shoulder in the pews, lined the aisles, crowded into the side chapels and pressed against the doors. Pilgrims filled the narthex and spilled outside, straining to take part in a liturgy at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The overwhelming turnout came on Sept. 14 for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American saint. The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross framed the Mass, uniting bishops, women religious, and lay faithful in remembering the moment in 1975 when Pope Paul VI declared her a saint of the universal Church. They came to honor her legacy as a mother, widow, convert, foundress, and pioneer whose life continues to shape Catholic education, health care, and religious life in the United States.
Warm welcome at the shrine
Sister Teresa George of the Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louis, welcomed the congregation to the shrine where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is laid to rest. She thanked Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore for serving as the principal celebrant, noting that his “love for Mother Seton and support for our ministry here in Emmitsburg is a true blessing for all who treasure this holy site.”
She also greeted Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington, and Father Tomaž Mavrič, superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and head of the worldwide Vincentian family.
Sister Teresa extended her welcome to the many women religious, members of the Vincentian family, clergy, seminarians, and pilgrims who filled the basilica or joined the celebration by livestream.
A message from Pope Leo XIV
Msgr. Jacek Pinocy, representing Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, read a message from Pope Leo XIV. The Holy Father expressed joy at the anniversary and extended his apostolic blessing.
Pope Leo praised the Sisters of Charity Federation for continuing Mother Seton’s concern for the poor and marginalized, and he encouraged the faithful to take inspiration from her devotion to the Eucharist. He prayed that present and future generations would draw deeper into a loving relationship with Christ and continue to bear witness to the Gospel.
Prayer for the Church and the world
During the prayers of the faithful, the congregation prayed for the women religious who carry forward Mother Seton’s legacy, for the visitors and benefactors of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and for all who entrust their prayers to the saint. Other intentions were offered for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for peace and justice in the nation, for those burdened by sickness, poverty, or loneliness, and for the faithful departed.
In his homily, Archbishop Lori reflected on the meaning of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. “The exaltation of the Cross has nothing to do with glorifying suffering as such, but everything to do with giving praise and thanks to God’s Incarnate Son,” he said.
He recounted the saint’s life, from her early years in New York to her marriage to William Seton, her widowhood, and eventual conversion to Catholicism. He spoke of her founding of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in Emmitsburg and her devotion to education, health care, and the poor.
Archbishop Lori described how Mother Seton embraced the Cross throughout her life. He quoted her prayer asking Jesus for the grace to “kiss the path of Calvary sprinkled with Thy blood, since it is that path alone which leads me to Thee.”
“She demonstrates for us how to spin straw into gold,” the archbishop said, pointing to her ability to transform suffering into new life through union with Christ. He reminded the faithful that in every vocation and every trial, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton shows the way to holiness.
“With grateful hearts, we proclaim, as did Pope St. Paul VI 50 years ago, ‘Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint,’” Archbishop Lori concluded.
A living legacy
The celebration in Emmitsburg was both a commemoration and a call to carry forward the legacy of a saint whose life touched education, health care, and the spiritual life of the Church in the United States. Archbishop Lori, greeting pilgrims long after Mass had ended, reflected on the history of Catholicism in this country, saying the Church in the United States has always been enriched by holy men and women, from its earliest days to the present. He added that the witness of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the election of an American pope show how that story of holiness continues to unfold in the lives of the Church’s own sons and daughters.
