Joy Reese Derr Award Presented to National Shrine
of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
On June 8, 2000, at the Docent Recognition Program sponsored by the Frederick Historic Sites Consortium, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was presented with the Joy Reese Derr Award for Outstanding Museum/Community Relations. Mr. John Fieseler, Executive Director of the Tourism Council of Frederick County presented the award which recognizes exceptional advancement in the public dimension of museum work; i.e., institutional progress in such areas as visitor services, museum education, interpretation, marketing and public relations, outreach and community partnerships.
The award acknowledges the gift of hospitality extended to the rapid influx of visitors at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. In the first five months of 2000, the Seton Shrine realized a nearly 12% increase in attendance as compared to the same period last year. This increase is partly due to the fact that the Seton Shrine is an official pilgrimage 		site for the Catholic Church in this Jubilee year. Mr. Fieseler further commented: "The Sisters of Charity offer an outstanding interpretive exhibition about the life of Mother Seton and invite guests to tour early nineteenth century buildings that tell the story of the Community’s early years. We know visitation at the Seton Shrine site is only going to escalate as the year progresses and we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in September..... The sisters set a standard for public service, which is a model all of us in the tourism industry should emulate."
The award is a rustic plaque made from wood reclaimed from an old Frederick County barn- it reminds us of our agricultural roots. It bears a ring of antique keys and a new tag that reads, "2000 award presented to the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton." The plaque is on exhibit at the shrine in the museum area and will remain until awarded to another recipient.

From the left are Mark Hudson, co-chairman, Frederick Historic Sites Consortium; John Fieseler, executive director, Tourism Council of Frederick County; accepting the award is Sister Cecilia Rose, administrator of Seton Shrine; and Bertha Kennedy, co-chairwoman, Frederick historic Sites Consortium.
Baltimore, MD was the host for the 97th National Catholic Education Association convention from April 25-28, 2000. As Baltimore is the first Catholic diocese in the United States and Elizabeth Ann Seton is the foundress of the Catholic parochial school system, this was the perfect place for Catholic educators to celebrate the new millennium. The NCEA is the largest private, professional education association in the world. The association represents more than 200,000 educators who are dedicated to providing quality education to 2.6 million students from pre-schools to universities.
The archdiocese has been blessed with many bright stars whose diversity has expanded our horizons and the vision of Catholic education. Archbishop John Carroll, James Cardinal Gibbons, Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, foundress of the Oblate Sisters of 		Providence, and Lawrence Cardinal Shehan have made Catholic education shine across the nation. One of its brightest stars is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose Baltimore roots established Catholic education roots for us all.
Tim Russert, Moderator of Meet the Press and political analyst for NBC Nightly News, was the keynote speaker. General session speakers were Dr. Benjamin Carson, Director of Pediatrics Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Martin O’Malley, Mayor of Baltimore, and Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity College in Washington, DC. Cardinal Pio Laghi celebrated the convention’s opening liturgy, and William Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore also celebrated Mass.
The convention hosted 400 sessions and 700 exhibits for the 15,000 educators attending.

According to new figures released by the NCEA during the 1999-2000 school year, Catholic school enrollment increased by 4,600 students over the previous year. Thirty-seven new Catholic schools opened this year, bringing the total to 8,144 schools nationwide. Nearly half of all Catholic schools have waiting lists.
In his keynote address, former Catholic schoolboy Tim Russert congratulated the educators for the role they play in shaping young minds. "You do change lives, and I have no doubt you have saved lives," he said. "The secret of your success is that you believe in something- in your God, your values, yourselves, your students. People like your students will make a difference in this country and this world."

Sister Carol Durkin, D.C.
Emmitsburg Province

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