Local Resident Named Director of National Shrine

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EMMITSBURG, MD (07/31/2013)(readMedia)-- Emmitsburg, Maryland – Mount St. Mary's University recently appointed Lori Stewart as Director of the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

She will be responsible for the financial and general management of the Grotto and Cemetery, with a strong focus on establishing the St. Bernadette's Gift Shoppe in the Grotto's new Richard and Mary Lee Miller Family Visitors Center.

"Lori's professional experience and dynamic enthusiasm for the Catholic faith make her a great fit to direct our beloved Grotto," said University President Thomas H. Powell.  "We are thrilled she is joining us here at the Mount."

"I am most looking forward to continuing the legacy of this holy place. I want to use my gifts to ensure the Grotto's future by facilitating existing and new programs," said Stewart.  "I'm honored to now be a part of the Mount St. Mary's University community."

A resident of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and a MBA graduate of the Mount, Stewart comes to the Mount with more than 20 years in marketing, management and fundraising professions. She earned her bachelor of science degree from Clarion University.

Prior to joining the Mount, she was the Executive Director for the Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Daughters of Charity) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She was responsible for strategic and operational direction, internal and external relationships, and board and executive committee relationships. Stewart also developed and expanded financial management, fundraising, operations and an assorted mix of programs to attract visitors, donors and volunteers to the shrine.

An active member of her community, Stewart has served on the board of the Emmitsburg Business Professional Association, and is Eucharistic Minister and planner of the young adult ministry at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Emmitsburg.

The National Shrine Grotto welcomes more than 400,000 visitors a year and recently celebrated the opening of the Visitor's Center - a 4,000-square-foot facility housing administrative offices, a gallery, gift shop, and museum depicting the history of the Grotto - the oldest known American replica of the Lourdes Shrine in France.