Nearly 2,000 people, including Knights and their families, packed the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, on Sept. 14 for a Mass celebrating the 50th anniversary of the canonization of the shrine’s patroness — who, in 1975, became the United States’ first native-born saint.
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori was the principal celebrant and homilist, joined by concelebrants Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA; Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia; Bishop Roy Campbell Jr., auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C.; Father Tomaz Mavric, superior general of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; and more than 20 other priests. More than a dozen Fourth Degree Knights provided an honor guard for the Mass.
In his homily, Archbishop Lori reflected on the connection between the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated Sept. 14, and the life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, which was filled with deep sorrow and loss — including several tragic deaths in her family and financial insecurity.
“St. Elizabeth Ann Seton exalted the cross by her life in all its amazing iterations,” the supreme chaplain said. “She did not allow herself to wallow in self-pity but instead embraced her faith and extended herself in charity to others. … With deepest faith and purity of heart, her gaze penetrated beneath the pitiable appearance of the suffering Savior to his underlying glory — the glory to which we attain when we bear our sufferings in union with him.”
A wife, a mother, a religious sister and a foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is a source of encouragement to people from all walks of life, Archbishop Lori concluded.
“From eternity she reaches out to show us that freedom from sin and true holiness of life is attainable in every vocation, amid every responsibility, amid every trial and suffering,” he said. “From eternity, she teaches us how to be lifted up with the crucified Savior.”
Msgr. Jacek Pinocey, an official of the apostolic nunciature of the United States, delivered a greeting from Pope Leo XIV, in which the Holy Father expressed pleasure at the celebration of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and bestowed his apostolic blessing upon the faithful gathered at the event.
“His Holiness prays that you will take encouragement from the saint’s particular love of the Eucharist and thus be drawn ever more deeply into a loving relationship with Jesus, our Savior,” read Msgr. Pinocey. “In this way, your celebration will serve to inspire present and future generations to continue to bear witness to the saving message of the Gospel.”
The Sunday Mass was the culmination of a three-day celebration hosted by the shrine that drew thousands of visitors and featured concerts, lectures, museum tours, exhibits, and other family-friendly events honoring the life and legacy of Mother Seton.
The first U.S.-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton was a pioneering figure in American Catholicism. Despite opposition from friends and family, she converted to the Catholic faith as a young widow and mother and went on to found the first Catholic school for girls and the first congregation of women religious established in the United States. She is regarded by many as the founder of the U.S. Catholic school system. Since her death in 1821, Mother Seton’s mission has continued through the Sisters of Charity, who operate schools, hospitals and other charitable organizations in the United States and Canada.
Today, there are 87 American Catholics whose official causes for canonization have been opened. As a part of the anniversary celebration, the Seton Shrine hosted the “Saints on Their Way Village” — a display featuring the stories of Americans who have been named blessed, venerable or servants of God by the Church, among them Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.
“It was a very historic event — just to have so many blesseds and servants of God in one place, represented by their guilds, so we could learn about them,” said Megan Hermosillo, who attended the celebration with her husband, Joe, and their six children. “The whole theme was about Mother Seton helping others on the path to sainthood, and it was so neat seeing all these American saints we can look up to.”
In 2022, Joe was sick with COVID-19 and near death when he experienced a remarkable recovery after his family sought the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney. Along with the prayers of friends and extended family, Joe’s family was loaned two relics of Father McGivney during his most critical hours — a grace that Megan attributes to Mother Seton’s intercession.
Unknown to Megan, her sister-in-law and another close friend simultaneously visited Mother Seton’s tomb in Emmitsburg, asking her intercession for the Hermosillo family to obtain a relic of Father McGivney.
“Elizabeth Ann Seton was gifted with a lot of relics in her day by different priests,” explained Megan. “Maybe a week later, we ended up being presented with two relics of Blessed Michael McGivney, from two different sources on the same day.”
After making a full recovery, Joe joined the Knights as a member of Charles Carroll Council 15985 in Frederick, Maryland. He and his family now speculate about whether Father McGivney knew of Mother Seton during his lifetime.
Father McGivney was born in 1852, more than 31 years after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s death. But he spent his final years in seminary in Maryland and was no doubt familiar with Seton’s legacy as a foundress and Catholic educator.
“Obviously, all the saints are friends in heaven, but some saints are, in a particular way, connected to one another,” added Megan. “You just see this tradition of saints helping other saints get into heaven. It’s like there’s a chain of friends pulling each other up there.”
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CECILIA ENGBERT is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus Communications Department.