Ministries
Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Seton HillSeton Hill University
Through the years, through many changes, Seton Hill College, now University, has remained true to its mission—to educate students to think and act critically, creatively, and ethically as productive members of society, committed to transforming the world.
Seton Hill University is a leading Catholic coeducational liberal arts university founded by the Sisters of Charity. It embraces students of all faiths and offers degree and certificate programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Seton Junior College began in 1914, and in 1918, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted a charter establishing Seton Hill College, a four-year liberal arts college for women. In 2002, the college was granted University status, becoming Seton Hill University, a name and status representing the institution’s high-caliber academic programs and rich heritage while embracing its future as an institution offering a range of distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs. Seton Hill is evolving to meet new challenges in line with the Sisters of Charity’s tradition, as reflected in the following quotes.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton hoped to educate students “to fit you for that world in which you are destined to live.”
Mother Aloysia reminded each graduating student: “Seton Hill is your home. Come even if you don’t get an invitation. And let all of us—alumni, students, faculty, staff, administration, family, and friends—look to Seton Hill’s future, with the ardor of pioneers seeing great things ahead.”
“Educate a woman, and you educate generations” was a favorite saying of Sister M. De Chantal Leis, SC, an advocate of educating women long before it was commonplace for women to receive a postsecondary education.
The University’s residence halls and most academic buildings are on the main hilltop campus in Greensburg, PA. The newer downtown Greensburg campus at the foot of the Hill includes the University’s Performing Arts Center and Arts Center.
Roselia Foundling Home
With diocesan approval, the Seton Hill Sisters of Charity partnered with Mrs. Charles Donnelly, wife of a prominent businessman, to secure a foundling home. On July 16, 1891, the Sisters of Charity took possession of a small house on Forbes Street in Pittsburgh. Within a month, eighteen infants arrived, and the sisters realized more space was required. They procured, with the assistance of Mr. Donnelly, the old Ursuline Academy building at the corner of Cliff and Manilla Streets in the Hill District. Named Roselia in memory of Mrs. Roselia Rafferty Donnelly, the institution soon opened a maternity ward for shelter and prenatal care.
DePaul School for Hearing and Speech
Founded in 1908 by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, DePaul School for Hearing and Speech has been providing quality Listening and Spoken Language (LSL Programs) for over one hundred fifteen years. The goal then, as it remains today, was to prepare each student for success in the hearing and speaking world.
Today, hearing-impaired children are experiencing a major milestone with modern technology and the use of cochlear implants in developing oral education.
Seton Center
Elizabeth Seton Center was founded in 1985 based on Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton’s inspiration and the dedication of her Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, who devote their lives to spreading the Gospel, educating children, and caring for the sick and elderly. Seton Center’s mission is to create a hub for lifelong learning that brings together people of all ages to learn, grow, and be transformed in body, mind, and spirit.
The Center is guided by a family-centered tradition that drives their commitment to warmly welcome each child and senior, to engage each individual based on their specific needs and to offer intergenerational lifelong learning. The smiles that brighten the Center every day reflect the positive environment in which their community thrives.
Mary House
Sisters of Charity transformed the former St. Mary Nativity Convent in Uniontown, PA into a transitional home for women to live in community and gain support to achieve their life goals. The women are often transitioning from homelessness, drug addiction, or other difficult circumstances and are seeking direction and structure to return to society as contributing members.
For more information, visit Mary House on Facebook.
Seton Arts Service Corps
Music, dance, and art are powerful forms of creative expression that resonate with children of all ages. The Seton Arts Service Corps, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, allows children in grades one through eight to explore these artistic disciplines under the guidance of fine arts scholars from Seton Hill University. Seton Arts offers classes throughout the year. For more information, please call 724-836-0406 ext. 6610.
Elizabeth Seton Memory Care
The Elizabeth Seton Memory Care Center is a licensed personal care home dedicated to providing individualized, compassionate care for women with memory loss. Located in Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, the center offers a secure, welcoming environment with 12 private rooms designed to meet the special needs of the vulnerable women.
Licensed nurses and specially trained staff provide 24-hour supervision, personal care, and a variety of activities to maximize each resident’s potential and quality of life. Residents enjoy access to a beautiful outdoor garden, spacious common areas, and on-site chapel services.
Continuing the mission of the Sisters of Charity, the Elizabeth Seton Memory Care Center offers a nurturing and protective environment, fostering dignity, personal growth, and a sense of community for all residents.