Rob Judge, National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
In Emmitsburg, Maryland, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton preserves the place where the famous Catholic figure lived, raised her children and trained missionaries. Rob Judge is executive director of the site, which attracts Catholics and Protestants to see two historic homes, a basilica and a museum.
Going On Faith: How has your visitation been in 2015?
Rob Judge: It was a very good year for us. We see about 45,000 visitors a year. Our numbers through the end of September were up 17 percent over 2014. We were at 38,600, and last year the same time, we were at 32,800. It’s been a great year; we rarely see that much of a jump.
GOF: What factors have contributed to the growth?
RJ: We’ve increased our marketing over the last number of years, so I’d like to say it’s because of that. We’re going to shows like the Going On Faith Conference and have been working directly with the tourism boards in the area. And the 40th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization in 2015 probably had something to do with it; we got a lot of good publicity from that.
GOF: What are people asking to see and do when they visit the shrine?
RJ: It’s a blend. One thing that is unique about it is that we have both the historical angle and the spiritual angle. You can come to learn about what life was like in the 1800s in rural Maryland or learn about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life, what she was doing with her sisters and serving the poor. Because we have the historical homes, museum and basilica, you can make it a light tour or make it more spiritual and blend the two together to whatever degree you want. You could attend Mass, pray by her tomb or meditate in the gardens outside.
GOF: What are your expectations for 2016?
RJ: I’d like to say that we would keep growing. We were just chosen as an official site for the Year of Mercy by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The pope has outlined 2016 as a Year of Mercy and is encouraging people to go on pilgrimage trips, and we’ve been chosen as a pilgrimage site.
GOF: What trends do you see impacting your business in the future?
RJ: We’re going to do a review of all our programming in the coming year. We’re trying to appeal to a more diverse audience. We don’t want to change who we are or what we have here, but we want to be able to communicate the breadth of it to people, regardless of their background. St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton was an amazing leader, not just a saint, and her story would interest people of many backgrounds.
Dixie Smith, Christian Tours of America
For six years, Christian Tours of America has specialized in hosting tours that showcase America’s faith heritage in Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, Virginia. Director Dixie Smith has also launched an Israel tour product, which has garnered a lot of interest in less than one year on the market.
Going On Faith: What has business been like in 2015?
Dixie Smith: It’s been OK. We’re looking for some growth. Israel has been kind of spotty. I had a lot of people interested in going, but they backed off when some things started happening there. But they still have an interest in going.
I had some churches go to Washington, D.C., in the fall, and got really good reviews on it. The Washington trip is also promoted by the Family Research Council and Watchmen on the Wall.
GOF: How is 2016 shaping up?
ds: I’d like to have more for next year. I have a couple of groups signed up for Israel, and they’re really low on registrations. I’ve talked to the pastors, and it’s because of the fear of terrorism.
I have several Washington trips scheduled. They typically don’t start getting registrations until January and February for those. I have a couple in May and a couple in September.
GOF: How do you handle security concerns in these destinations?
ds: In Washington, D.C., we have safety precautions and emergency contingencies set up. We are not going to send them anywhere that is dangerous; we want people to be safe. Washington is a primary concern for domestic terrorism, but I think these days the terrorists will look somewhere else besides Washington and New York.
In Israel, they’ve been fighting for years and years and years. But we had groups there last week, and they had great trips. The government there takes very high precautions for keeping groups safe. I have pastors say, “I’m not scared to go.”
GOF: How are you reaching faith-based travelers?
ds: The pastors are pretty key. We go to some conferences, like the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, and I’m getting ready to go to a Lutheran private school conference in California. We go to the Watchmen on the Wall conferences. Watchmen and the Family Research Council have more than 50,000 pastors signed up, and they do email campaigns for the trips that they sponsor.
GOF: What are today’s travelers asking for on your tours?
ds: In Washington, they enjoy having private, evening tours of the Capitol. We go in after hours, escorted by a representative or a senator. Our guide gives them Christian information in the Rotunda, the Hall of Statues and the Hall of Flags. It’s totally different than what they would get on the public Capitol tour and very detailed.
GOF: What factors will influence your business in the coming year?
ds: We’re hoping to get a lot of interest in the D.C. trip because it’s an election year.
