Our Catholic Identity
"I opened not merely the door of this house; I swung the gates of an era."
-Rev. Daniel Richard Sullivan, Seton Hill President 1925-1931
"The highest of expectations for Seton Hill University were launched with the unlocking of a single door. The door opened to a story of modest beginnings and of passionate teachers and learners spurred on by excellence and a shared vision of what the world can be. Kept open by an enduring commitment to the vision of the founders, it has welcomed generations of students, alumni and friends, all joined in common purpose to prepare students who will transform the world."
-JoAnne Boyle, President
|
 |
 Catholic Identity at Seton Hill: The Vision
The Catholic identity of Seton Hill University is a distinguishing mark of the University today, as it has been since its founding by the Sisters of Charity in 1918.
While Catholic identity has been a lived reality at Seton Hill during its history, the challenges of embodying this identity in an increasingly complex and pluralistic world call for a new reflection. The faith vision permeates all that Seton Hill does. It is a vision of life grounded in the biblical experience of God in relation to humanity and of God's intentions for all of creation.
At the theological level, this vision affirms that God is gracious creator and loving savior, that God has become present personally in history in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and that the Spirit of God continues to live in the Church, guiding it to its final destiny with God.
This experience of the Divine exhibits several important truths about the world; that all of creation is sacred, that human beings made in the "image of God" have an incomparable worth and dignity, and that they are called to share with God through their graced actions in the world in the building of a more just and compassionate world.
This vision of life is a wholistic vision, inclusive of all peoples and of the whole of life. While its expression at Seton Hill has been shaped by the Roman Catholic tradition of Christianity, it naturally embraces all those who follow the biblical tradition; and its basic values are in harmony with the faith visions of the other great religious and humanistic traditions of the world.
In the ecumenical spirit of the Second Vatican Council, Seton Hill University welcomes peoples of all faiths to share the riches of their own religious and spiritual traditions. It respects their religious freedom and delights in the opportunities for enrichment of faith and culture that their presence offers.
|
