By Ryanne Forcht,
Sports Editor

On Thursday, April 17, Seton Hill University (SHU) celebrated the life and influence of its founder, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton at the 4th annual "Lunch with Liz."

Students and faculty gathered in Cecilian Hall over lunch and heard four panelists speak about the legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton created, and how she has influenced their lives. The panelists were Catherine Giunta, professor of business, JoAnne Boyle, SHU president, Fr. Steven West, and Sr. Betty Stock, S.C.

Stock opened the discussion by giving the audience a short description of the life and trials of Elizabeth Bayley; the chronic illness that befell her husband, the consequent fall from wealth to poverty, and the difficulty of supporting five children as a widow.
Amidst all of the trials, Elizabeth showed both grace and a trust in God. Her suffering led her to the Episcopal to the Catholic Church in which she found hope and guidance.

Giunta discussed how Elizabeth influenced her life as both a wife and a mother. Giunta, who attained her undergraduate degree at SHU, felt such a connection to Elizabeth that she named her own daughter after her.

Giunta said she admired Elizabeth as "a model mother," and that Elizabeth had "shown fortitude, even after her daughter died...she praised God in the midst of her suffering."

Boyle spoke regarding her own connection to Elizabeth Seton, much of which related to the humanity of Elizabeth and her mission as a leader as a Sister of Charity. Particularly, Boyle said she identified with Elizabeth as a school teacher, who often dealt with unhappy parents.

"Elizabeth took great risks; she lived among strangers, and she didn't say no to possibilities," said Boyle.

Guest speaker West spoke of his first "encounter" with the Saint.

While at seminary, West was asked to sing at Elizabeth's canonization mass. He read about her, and identified her as being like his mother in physical appearance, and how he identified with her as a family outcast.

West also spoke about Elizabeth's influence on the clergy. "Liz thought some priests needed some help with their homilies; she
gave hints for them to 'kick it in,'" said West.

Stock ended the panel discussion by speaking of Elizabeth's compassion and humanity. She said that "Elizabeth was devoted to her friends, and she had a lifetime of practice," and also remarked on how impressed she was by the human response Elizabeth made about becoming Catholic. "Elizabeth realized that a special relationship with God has always been in her life, there was just a change in how the relationship went on [when she converted]," she said.

After the discussion, students and faculty were invited to share
their own stories.

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