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On September 10 we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of
the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. We are delighted that
the main celebrant for the Mass to be celebrated at 2:00 pm will be
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn from Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese.
he was a participant in the celebrations at Emmitsburg on the day
of the canonization and is a great friend of St. Elizabeth Ann.
During the Eucharistic Liturgy, the Elizabeth Seton Founder's
Award will be bestowed on Sister Hildegarde Marie Mahoney, a
Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ. Sister was
the president of the Seton Federation at the time of the canonization.
How appropriate!
The shrine had another first
when we sponsored a Retreat Day in Spanish. Those who attended were
very enthusiastic. Unfortunately, we were unable to accept all who
applied.
In this and future issues of
the Seton Way we will feature some of the 89 churches that now bear
the name of St. Elizabeth Ann.
Devotedly,
The Seton Way Editorial Board: Typing & Layout |
Continued from page 1 her "blessed eternity." The crown jewel of the National Shrine is the basilica, a beautiful and majestic church built to honor the saint and to enshrine her mortal remains. The opportunity for prayer and reflection in such peaceful surroundings is a special grace for the docents who daily witness the faith and devotion of the people who visit the shrine each year in large numbers. Although the saint's body has indeed returned to dust, her spirit permeates the air with love and devotion to "her own" in the Blessed Sacrament. One reads a lot about sabbatical programs and experiences available to religious today, but I'm not sure that any could compare to my experience as a docent at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. As the months pass and I begin to think of returning to my province to take up a new ministry or an old ministry in a new place, I give thanks to God for this grace-filled interlude in my life. I trust I will have more to offer to those I will serve as a result of all I have received here in St. Joseph's Valley. Sr. Mary Ann O'Brien, D.C. Docent from the Province of the West "East is East, and West is West," as the song from the Forties goes. Culture does not need my verification that this is true, but I must say from my experience that it is. During my lifetime, I have resided in the South, the Midwest, the Far West, the Intermountain West, and the Northwest. I never really had any idea that I would also live for any time at all in the East, but I'm glad to have this opportunity. First of all, I was introduced to Seton Shrine itself. I had to keep reminding myself that in time I would remember which doors to unlock and lock, which light switches to press, etc. - in short, all of the physical details of each of the six stations. |
Then came the wonder of the history, the awesomeness of the Basilica, and being irresistibly drawn backward in Time where ancestral structures became more than place names. As the weeks passed in busy days, I have become progressively more aware of the importance of St. Joseph's Valley to the history of the early American Church - I might even say that this importance is vital and unique. From an American cultural point
of view, it does not take long to realize that the locations of American historic
places are all around you and are very, very real.
One forgets that Annapolis is not just "the Naval Academy" but incorporates a From a Community standpoint, it is welcoming to find customs and way of life just the same a continent away. To feel at home in any Community Provincial House is what one would expect, but it's all academic until it happens. I have felt welcomed as a Daughter of Charity and have been shown the greatest hospitality.
Pictured above is Sister Ellen Van Zandt, D.C. from the West Province explaining the Chapel of the Holy Agony to visitors. |
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