~ On My Way To Church ..... ~

Of course, a lady HAS to be appropriately attired on Sunday ... chuckle! If you ever meet me & I don't have on a hat, you won't recognize me, will you?

I thought I'd take you on a quick detour to these (3) beautiful historical areas in Emmitsburg, MD, that are both beautiful visually & deeply religious for all to enjoy. Today the (2) below I am sharing with you. Also, next door to the Fire Academy I wrote about last week, is (the 3rd) the seminary for priests.

This countryside is all farming land, right up near to the mountains (now let me tell you, these 'mountains' out here are like little knobs compared to the majestic snow capped peaks in WA ST where we are from, & many other states, but they are still quite pretty). Many fruit orchards & vineyards are nestled in these foothills.

Emmitsburg, is on the border of Maryland & Pennsylvania.

***(Please pray for Sandi @ Wayside Treasures Blog) cousins only child at ae 18 passed over today)***

The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is the oldest known replica of the revered French shrine, dating to about 1875 (the original Lourdes apparitions were in 1858). The Grotto has been in use since 1805 when Fr. John Dubois founded it as a place of prayer and devotion.
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Mother Seton

"Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage."

~ Pope Paul VI

Two hundred years ago, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph's, the first new community for religious women to be established in the United States. She also began Saint Joseph's Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic School for girls staffed by Sisters in the United States. Her enduring legacy now includes six religious communities with more than 5,000 members, hundreds of schools, social service centers, and hospitals throughout America and around the world. Her works led to her Canonization on Sunday, September 14, 1975, in Saint Peter's Square, by Pope Paul VI. The first citizen born in the United States to be Canonized, her remains are entombed here in the Basilica that bears her name.

The remarkable life of Elizabeth Ann Seton spans the full spectrum of human experience. She was a New York socialite, a devoted wife, a dedicated volunteer in charitable organizations, the mother of five children, a convert to Roman Catholicism, an educator, social minister, and catechist, and a spiritual leader and formator — a tireless servant of God. Her story is instrumental to understanding her ongoing legacy and enhancing your visit to the Shrine.