Join Us!

Volunteer docents, or tour guides to the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, are men and women who greet and help visitors who visit the Shrine. Please consider giving your time to this worthy cause.

If you are unsure about volunteering, or what it involves, I invite you to give it a chance. You might like to speak to one of our volunteers, or "shadow" a docent for part of a day to see what it is like, before you commit yourself.

What Does A Docent Do?

A Shrine docent is a tour guide who greets visitors at one of four shrine sites and introduces them to the life and works of Elizabeth Ann Seton. A tour may be a busload of students on a field trip, a parish or family group, or several unrelated pilgrims.

Docents are given a script, a handbook which answers typical questions about each site, and are assigned an experienced docent to whom they can turn for advice. Docents will give a brief (5-10 minute) introduction about their site and then be available for questions as they complete a self guided tour.

Docent compensation is not monetary but offers many rewards, including:

• Complimentary hot lunch in the Sisters' dining room
• Meeting new friends
• The satisfaction of being needed
• New skills and job references to add to your resume
• Self-esteem
• Appreciation from visitors and Shrine staff
• Doing something that pleases God

The only requirement for Docents is to have a generous heart!

Docent Schedule (hours are flexible):

• Whatever suits your schedule — one or more days a week, one or two days a month, even a half-day helps us greatly!
• Vacation/time off is no problem; we work around your needs
• If you are a "couple," you can choose to volunteer at the same time
• Whatever time you give will be wonderful!
• Shrine hours are typically Tues-Sun, 10 am - 4:30 pm and closed major holidays

Find Out More

For more information and to learn about a description of a docent, you may contact us by email, or call 301-447-6606. You may view and print the Volunteer Docent Application form here.