A little brief history about this small community just south of the Mason Dixon Line. The town was founded in 1785, about the same time that Gettysburg became a borough. Emmitsburg is home to three different important locations around town. It is home to Mount St. Mary’s University, the National Shrine Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, and the Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Ms. Seton was the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized as a saint.
This area of northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania was in deep conflicts with the French and Indian Wars in the middle 1700s, and after the American Revolutionary War, the missionary established a convent, school, and hospital. Soon, with the Civil War approaching, all three would be converted to hospitals to care for the Union and Confederate soldiers after the battle of Gettysburg,
Prior to the battle of Gettysburg, in early June 1863, there was a fire that leveled many different buildings and structures in Emmitsburg. Citizens thought it was a Rebel raid that came through town and burned everything. In actuality though, it was a drunken resident and a fire that got out of control. Here is a picture of the buildings after the fire.
Now back to the 20th and 21st century: All three locations still exists. The importance of that is a brief family history. My mother’s aunt, Sr. Catherine Mueller, was a Nun with the Daughters of Charity. One of her locations that she served at was in Emmitsburg at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The odd thing about is that when she was here, I was never into history, but we came to Emmitsburg and Gettysburg for a weekend trip prior to heading to the beach in Delaware.