WELCOMING

In 1813, Elizabeth Seton wrote to her friend, Catherine Dupleix, “the front door, the back door, the side door that leads to the Chapel…all the windows, upstairs and downstairs, open at your coming.” This eager and charitable welcoming spirit has constituted the hospitality of the Sisters of Charity since the foundation of the community. Today, as you enter Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity, you are bound to be greeted by a Sister with the words “You are welcome.” A community is sustained by its ability to welcome others. The pillar of Welcoming further derives from the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, in which the dignity of the human person is central to all learning, living, and loving. Rooted in this belief, Seton Hill University has, for more than a century, upheld the principles of human dignity and hospitality in countless ways, both large and small. 

Among those who embodied this spirit most vividly was Sister Muriel Flamman. As a professor of botany, academic dean, and, later, dean of administration from 1935 until her death in 1982, Sister Muriel embraced the Setonian pillar of welcoming like none other. “If there is a special quality of warmth and welcome that pervades Seton Hill, it is there in large measure because of Sister Muriel…she listened, encouraged, understood differences, and eased the way when it was time for change.” She was, in every sense, a living model of the pillar of Welcoming. Yet, her example is shared by many others - student leaders, such as Resident Assistants, Griffin Guides, and Orientation Leaders; front-of-house staff who greet guests with kindness; and our faculty nurture personal connections in their classrooms. Each of these individuals contributes to a culture where welcoming is not merely a practice but a personal vocation.

However, the true measure of welcome is often tested in times of indifference or uncertainty. In Seton Hill’s earliest days, college leadership encouraged international student enrollment, an eclectic faculty body, and invited lecturers from across the theological, political, and social spectrum. In 1921, W.E.B. duBois, noted African-American historian and civil rights activist, was invited to Seton Hill to give a speech on “The Color Line.” The friendship that developed between Father James A.W. Reeves, Seton Hill President, and duBois reveals the value of fostering an open, dialogue-driven academic environment. It further illuminates the necessity of strong, forward-thinking leadership. Moments such as these demonstrate that welcoming is not a passive acceptance - it is active engagement guided by courage and conviction.

That same courageous spirit inspired Sister Gemma del Duca’s vision for the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education (NCCHE), founded at Seton Hill in 1987. Her initiative sought to heal the perceived scars between the Catholic and Jewish communities and to foster shared spirituality and mutual respect. Although Catholic in origin, Seton Hill has cherished an ecumenical approach to academic, social, and spiritual life. To welcome, in this sense, means to listen deeply, to honor other faith traditions, and to “break bread with others” - a symbolic act rooted in the Judeo-Christian call to communion and peace. 

Yet even with such a tradition of openness, the call to welcome has not always been easy. After WWII, Seton Hill’s all-female student body readily accepted male veterans on the GI Bill for a limited time, reflecting national change and compassion for those returning from war. However, by the 1960s and 70s, cultural shifts brought new questions about identity and mission. The proposal to make Seton Hill co-educational in the 1980s was met with significant resistance from students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Many wondered: How could the “college for women” reject its foundational identity? Would this change threaten its survival or renew its purpose? Would embracing male students in classrooms, dorms, and clubs change everything? The simple answer was, yes. Though difficult at first, this radical act of inclusion strengthened Seton Hill, broadening its reach and deepening its mission.