Emmitsburg, MD, October 2003

In late October, 2003, when our Israeli friend Eli was visiting, we made a small pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, Maryland, a short day trip that we had enjoyed once before. Emmitsburg, a small town just south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is known mostly for its association with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (or "Mother Seton"), the first American-born citizen to be sainted by the Catholic Church. Mother Seton arrived in Emmitsburg in 1809, where she established a religious order, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. There are two lovely, meditative spots to visit: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, the oldest grotto recreation in America (located on a wooded hill behind Mt. St. Mary's College), and The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, named a "Minor Basilica" in 1991 by Pope John Paul II. And, while we were there, we stopped at the roadside fruit and vegetable stand of the voluble "Mr. Natural".