Vacation Day 4

Are you ready to stop in and visit St. Elizabeth Ann Seton? This was just a lovely day on our trip. Probably the best day of the whole week.

We were in the beautiful countryside of Pennsylvania, which really rivals Virginia for pastoral beauty, and the weather was perfect. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right.

This is a little shot of the visitor's center attached to the Basilica.

I think it was just recently designated a basilica when Mother Seton's remains were moved into the church a couple of years ago.



It's one of the loveliest churches I have seen in a long time. And it was built in the early 60's. Just in time, I say, to avoid the horrendous changes that occurred in church architecture.






Some children who weren't very excited about this aspect of our trip were at least inspired to stop and pray before the tabernacle.

After the basilica, we went to the stone house where Mother Seton first started her order in 1809.

Did you know they are having bicentennial activities this weekend? We just missed it! On the other hand, it was probably a good time to visit because everything was all spruced up.

There's the new memorial garden just recently installed for the 200th anniversary of the founding. You can buy a brick if you want.

Then there's the White House which was built later with more room for the sisters, and better construction, I guess. But the stone house was very charming with its basement kitchen with brick floors!

Here we have the original mausoleum donated by Mother Seton's brother.

It's surrounded by the graves of all the sisters and a couple of bishops (next to the door).

I thought it was sad to see how many graves there were and how there were several years where there was a funeral or two every month as the sisters died off. The one who gave us the mini-tour of the basilica said they used to have enough to fill it but not anymore.

Her original resting place:

At this point everyone is getting hungry and it's time to go. It's also the time when KT told Pipster to "put the street down". As we were walking back to the car he found a broken piece of asphalt on the edge of the road and picked it up. It was a large slab---about 1' x 3'---so I think it was fair to call it "the street"!


We had to turn right getting out which is the opposite direction, but KT and I had the same thought: Let's go to the Shamrock for lunch! Just the kind of different place we wanted to try instead of the same old fast food or Cracker Barrel.

I think all the kids commented on the placemats (above). They loved the kitschy decor and there were Irish goodies everywhere. Most of them for sale.

We had the hugest, yummiest sandwiches there that we had ever had. It was awesome. You simply have to stop in if you're going to Gettysburg, or St. Elizabeth Ann's Shrine, or Mount St. Marys.

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We're going to have to visit Gettysburg tomorrow. I know you're disappointed, but it has taken me all day to post this what with trips to get the oil changed, Joann's, Costco, piano, and Target.

Why Joann's, you say? Because my Little Princess is sick, sick, sick. She's been running a pretty good fever for 2 days now. That makes it really quiet around here! So I was able to finish the back of her quilt yesterday and I'm going to start quilting it!!!

Wonders never cease.