“If the world takes something from us on the one hand, God will give us something on the other.”
St. Louise de Marillac
Hazard Yet Forward: Following the Steps of Elizabeth
By Sebastian Isaacs, Communications intern
Earlier this summer, S. Joyce Richter joined a group of Mount St. Joseph University (MSJU) faculty and staff on the Steps of Elizabeth pilgrimage, traveling to Gettysburg, Emmitsburg, and Baltimore, Maryland, to deepen their understanding of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founder of the Sisters of Charity and the first American-born saint.
The pilgrimage was led by Michelle Arnold, MSJU’s assistant director of mission and a discerning Associate in Mission, who was making her fourth journey along the route.
Although it was Michelle’s first time serving as the pilgrimage’s spiritual and logistical guide, she credited S. Judith Metz with preparing her for the role.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to S. Judy for all the time that she has spent over the years educating others and sharing the history and life of Elizabeth Seton and the Sisters of Charity,” Michelle said. “I am thankful that I listened attentively and took notes while learning from her. She prepared me well to lead our group on this pilgrimage.”
S. Joyce echoed that praise, highlighting the prayers, reflection questions, and daily itineraries Michelle prepared for the group. “We were all extremely impressed by Michelle’s organization,” she said. “It was very special to be able to go there and to be prepped ahead of time. The others on the journey were very respectful and eager to learn – such wonderful people.”
After arriving in Gettysburg from Cincinnati, the group rested before visiting the Civil War battlefield, where Sisters of Charity nursed wounded soldiers and ministered to the dying. The pilgrims then traveled to Emmitsburg, where the impact of Elizabeth’s legacy was felt most intimately.
For Erin Hofmeyer, a graduate of Seton High School and a former student of S. Joyce when MSJU was still a college, the pilgrimage deepened her appreciation for Elizabeth’s work as an educator. “What struck me most profoundly about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was her vision as an educator,” Erin said.
That vision resonated as Erin visited the White House, where Elizabeth taught subjects including history, language, and bookkeeping to young students.
Seton embodied the spirit of ‘Hazard Yet Forward,’ the motto woven into the Mount’s mission, by preparing her students with skills that society had not yet deemed worthy of women. In doing so, Erin said, Elizabeth modeled “what it means to truly see the person in front of you and prepare them for the future that others had not yet imagined.”
Kathy Hurley said the experience renewed the group’s shared commitment to the university’s mission. “I feel like we all came back with a renewed sense of purpose, a desire to keep the Mount’s mission true to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s ideal of educating all those in need,” she said.
While in Emmitsburg, the group also visited the original site of St. Joseph Academy, where the National Fire Academy and National Fallen Firefighters Memorial now stand.
“It was extremely touching for me as a former firefighter and now as an employee at the Mount,” Steve Ober said. “It had a special meaning because I have a friend memorialized there who died in a fire in 2001.” For Steve, the site was sacred not only because of Elizabeth’s connection to it, but also because it united his years in the fire service with the Sisters of Charity’s enduring mission to help others in their time of need.
While many of the Mount faculty and staff reflected on how the pilgrimage renewed their commitment to the university’s mission, S. Joyce experienced it through the lens of her vocation as a Sister of Charity. Visiting the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg was especially meaningful, knowing that Elizabeth had prayed there centuries earlier.
On the pilgrimage’s third day, S. Joyce also found solace in the Baltimore Basilica, describing the beauty of the nation’s first cathedral as “breathtaking.”
Michelle believes experiences like the Steps of Elizabeth pilgrimage help Mount employees connect more deeply with the university’s mission. “They provide powerful reminders of our university mission to serve others, to show respect and concern for all, and to cultivate an awareness of a diversity of cultures and beliefs,” she said.
As he begins his second year as chief mission officer at MSJU, Joe Shadle said the pilgrimage transformed the history he had studied into something much more personal. “It was so deeply moving to encounter the history that grounds our mission,” Joe said. “While I have read a considerable amount about the Sisters of Charity, hearing those same stories where they actually happened brought new meaning and fresh perspective to what I had only read about.”
Reflecting on the journey, Joe added, “Whether in Emmitsburg, Gettysburg, or Baltimore, the courage, commitment, and compassion of these remarkable women now inspires me even more deeply as their legacy grounds me in my ministry and work at the Mount.”
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