Saturday, August 24, 2013

Last day – St Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine & Basilica

We decided to spend our last full day by taking a daytrip to Emmitsburg to visit and tour the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Basilica. This is on the grounds of her home from 1809 to her death at age 46.
We started at the Visitor Center – here’s a statue of Mother Seton just outside the center.

Entrance to the visitor center of St Elizabeth Ann Seton Basilica

The center has a museum that recounts her life and legacy … and it shows a 15-minute film. The museum includes copies of St Elizabeth Ann Seton’s own letters as well as several of her own personal items.
For example, here is Mother Seton’s own writing desk and chairs that she used while here in Emmitsburg.

Elizabeth Ann Seton's desk and chairs

The Shrine Basilica is atop the visitor center. It is filled with images of the Daughters of Charity and Sisters of Charity, Stations of the Cross, and stained glass imagery of Mary as she is known by her various titles from the Litany of Loreto.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lies in the right-side shrine. (She was originally buried in the central cemetery, then was moved into a mortuary chapel on the cemetery grounds … and finally was brought here to her shrine when she was canonized.)

Basilica of St Elizabeth Ann Seton

After touring the museum and spending time in the Basilica, we headed to the grounds to see the homes – one is called the stone house and the other is called the white house – and the mortuary chapel in the original cemetery.

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