She was a wife. A mother. A teacher.
She was also — as the title of a new exhibit at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg tells visitors — “One of Us.”
And as the first native-born American saint, the 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization will be celebrated with a full year of spiritually immersive activities — beginning Jan. 4 with an EWTN-televised Mass celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori — at the pilgrimage destination bearing her name.
“In many ways, she was an ordinary woman who did ordinary things — things not unlike you and I do today,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine. “She just did them through the lens of eternity, and God’s grace and his providence — this strong belief that he would take care of her, and that he could be sought in this world and in the next.
“That permeated her entire life experience. But what also was relevant about her life experience,” Judge added, “is she was just trying to figure things out — like we are today.”
Born in New York City in 1774 to a prominent Episcopal family, Mother Seton experienced much loss and sorrow — the death of her mother, the bankruptcy of her husband’s business, and his eventual death. But following her 1805 conversion to Catholicism, she also led a courageous and pioneering life — founding the first U.S. community for religious women, and planting the seeds of Catholic education in America.
On Sunday, Sept. 14, 1975, St. Paul VI canonized Mother Seton in St. Peter’s Square, declaring, “Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint! … St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American … Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And,” advised the pontiff, “know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.”
“Take ourselves back to the country in 1975 — that at the time was a huge deal,” said Judge, providing context for the canonization. “Our country is 200 years old. We had never had a native-born citizen here declared a saint. So when that finally happened, the church in our country was just elated. ‘Finally, we have a saint!’ There’s just this pride that one of us was recognized as a declared saint.”
That shouldn’t, however, distance people from Mother Seton.
“We’re all called to holiness — the universal call to holiness. … We all have that opportunity,” said Judge. “The fact that she did this — and led a very ordinary way responding to God’s grace, as she encountered the hardships and the joys of life — we have that same opportunity. So in that sense, too, we can become a saint like she was.”
Visitors can tour the “One of Us” exhibit, which transports them to 1975 to tell the backstory of Mother Seton’s canonization through artifacts, including the personal scrapbooks of those who attended the proceedings in Rome or watched them in Emmitsburg.
An original mural by Frederick artist Ellen Byrne depicts Mother Seton’s road to sainthood, while a separate installation shows other Americans in various stages of the canonization process.
Additional events during 2025 include an outreach program to the more than 200 U.S. parishes and schools under Mother Seton’s patronage; a series of pilgrimage initiatives; a “50 for 50” digital content campaign showing the personal impact of Mother Seton and her shrine; expansion of the Shrine’s “Seeds of Hope” program offering retreats to those living in poverty; and — on Sept. 14 — a “Day of Joy” anniversary celebration to commemorate the day Mother Seton was canonized.
The shrine — which attracts more than 50,000 visitors each year, who can see the places Mother Seton lived and worked, as well as her tomb — will also operate its regular programs, tours and other activities throughout the year.
“Our hope is that this isn’t just a celebration,” Judge shared. “Our hope is that it really encourages people to look at her as an intercessor, as a model, and really take up the same faith journey for themselves. Because we all have this opportunity, with God’s grace.”
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