“Liz” read from her journal, sharing with the audience of students, faculty and staff anecdotes and reflections on her upbringing in New York in the 1700s, her life as a wife (and young widow), mother, convert to Catholicism, teacher, advocate for the poor, and founder of the Sisters of Charity.

Following Liz’s presentation, Associate Professor of Music Marvin Huls played host to a panel including Sr. Gertrude Foley, SC, junior Cherise Covington, and senior Daniel Kovacic, who discussed the spirit and legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and how she remains a vital part of Seton Hill today. Audience members then had the opportunity to share the ways in which Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and her Sisters of Charity had influenced them personally. Below are some of the thoughts and reflections shared by the panel members, and the audience, during this year’s “Lunch With Liz:”

“Elizabeth was holy, she wasn’t just pious. She didn’t have a separation in her life between the Church and everything else. She understood how everything connected… She was a pioneer, and a pioneer is not a wanderer. She said ‘our life was difficult but we had joy.’ She said this not because her life was easy, but because she knew where she was going, and she never lost faith.” – Sr. Gertrude Foley

“Perseverance can be more important than anything else. (Like Elizabeth Seton) I’ve also lost a lot of people – not only to death, but to addiction, temptation… I’m the first in my family to go to college, and I want to be a good role model to my younger brother and sister. If she could persevere, than so can I.” – junior Cherise Covington

“Liz never gave up.” – senior Daniel Kovacic

“She’s an example of how a single person can change the world, and of how a good teacher can inspire on a personal level as well… When they are hammering that last nail into my coffin, I know I will have succeeded if even one student can say ‘because of him, my life was improved.’” – Associate Professor of Music Marvin Huls

“I understand the importance of faith and family. My mother was a single mother, and after seeing what she did for me, I want to succeed, not just for myself, but for her as well.” – freshman Mikel Moore

“Liz was ahead of her time as a strong, independent woman. That pioneering spirit is still alive at Seton Hill now.” - Assistant Director of Residence Life Keisha Jimmerson