The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., opened a special exhibit March 19, titled “Do the Good: The Sisters Who Shaped America.”
The self-guided exhibit is dedicated to telling the stories of more than 20,000 religious sisters whose orders trace their lineage to Mother Seton. The exhibit explores how these sisters, following Mother Seton’s example, served the poor, responded to crises and helped shape education, health care and social services across the United States for more than two centuries and up to the present day.
Organized around key periods in American history, the exhibit begins in the early years of the American republic and follows the sisters’ work through the Civil War, when they served as battlefield nurses and into the 20th century, when they cared for the sick during pandemics, expanded nursing education and responded to the challenges of industrialization, immigration and global conflict.
“The stories in this exhibit remind us that the charitable work Mother Seton began is still unfolding,” said Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine. “The women featured in this exhibit responded to the challenges of their times — war, disease, poverty and social change with love and compassion. Their example reminds us that the call to serve Christ in the poorest among us through direct, personal service, does not end with them. It continues in every generation, inviting each of us to carry that spirit of service forward.”
In recent decades, the sisters’ work has continued to evolve. Their ministries include global missions, health care innovation, advocacy for civil rights and outreach to communities affected by poverty, illness and displacement.
The exhibit runs through spring 2027.
Find out more
For more information, go to setonshrine.org.
