Above: The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., is seen in this undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton)
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Apex and Knights of Columbus Council 7186 are sponsoring a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, March 21-23. The trip will include visits to The Basilica of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Masses with Father Chris Koehn and time to visit the Seton Shrine museum, St. Joseph Cemetery and the adjacent campus of Mount Saint Mary’s university and seminary.
"We are a youth ministry focused parish that also felt like we needed to pour some love and spirit into our adults," said Father Chris, St. Mary Magdalene pastor. “During COVID, most families had to cancel vacation trips and especially the older adults have been without travel. We thought we could at least have a short pilgrimage without planes or international travel restrictions."
Father Chris came to know the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg through stops on frequent drives between Boston and Raleigh during his seminary years. He learned of the relationship between the sisters, the shrine and the college campus and how it went from a desolate place to a beacon of hope.
“The key part of going to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine for us is in the power of prayer,” said Father Chris. “It’s a story I love to take people to see -- in person. The vision of answered prayers. Jesus is always surprising us.”
Visit the Seton Shrine website to learn more about this shrine honoring the first American-born saint. You can also learn about a new National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's video series, "Stories from the Sisters.”