Created for Such a Time as This

I have a sign in my office that was given to me by a dear friend. It is a quote from Esther 4:14:  

“Perhaps you were created for such a time as this.”  

The quote, which was spoken by Mordachi to Queen Esther, reminds us that God provides us with opportunities in our lives when we can make a significant positive impact.  

That is where we find ourselves as a Seton Hall community. We are experiencing a graced time, a privileged time of coming together with desire and opportunity. A time when all our dreams and goals are within reach. 

In September, we launched a strategic plan called Inspiring Great Minds to Greater Purpose. Also that month, we debuted the public phase of our historic $225 million comprehensive campaign, For All, Forever. And as a University community, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization. It is a special joy to honor Mother Seton, our patroness and the aunt of our founder, Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley.  

During such a time as this, we realize we at Seton Hall have been entrusted with a mission that is bigger than any of us.  

Inspiring Great Minds to Greater Purpose builds on the University’s momentum while preparing us for a rapidly evolving higher education landscape. The plan serves as a North Star to point our way forward for the next five years. It is mission-focused and student centered, grounded in our Catholic identity and the life and example of Mother Seton. 

Our campaign, For All, Forever, builds on 170 years of eminence to launch the University into an even more vibrant future. We are preparing leaders by ensuring a Seton Hall education is within reach for everyone who dreams of making a positive difference in their lives and communities.  

We are enriching our education by equipping Setonians with immersive global skills they need to thrive in a changing world. 

And we are strengthening our cornerstones with academic excellence, research and faith. 

In a time such as this, we are called to embrace the enduring values that made Mother Seton and her namesake University exemplars for generations of students. Just as Mother Seton placed her faith in Jesus Christ and made hope at the center of her work, we are committed to exemplifying her Catholic values:  

Faith and Hope in God are what ground us in the present and propel us into the future. 

Trust and Integrity are the good soil that brings forth growth. They give credibility to who we are and what we do.  

Courage and Curiosity describe the character of our educational approach and the conviction to move forward. 

Compassion and Service, born of faith in God and after the example of Jesus Christ, remind us that we live not only for ourselves, but to nurture and support the good of others.  

Purpose and Resilience are what keep us showing up — and reaffirm that our drive to achieve cannot be slowed.  

Love and Action describe our shared calling of bringing to life and into life the animating love of God for one another.  

Such a time as this is our opportunity to rediscover what sets Seton Hall apart.  

At the heart of that distinction is our commitment to forming students of character and conscience. Through our strategic plan and comprehensive campaign, we are creating and deepening pathways for students from all walks of life to live out their God-given dignity and potential.  

Such a time as this calls us to recommit to who we are, to what is best about Seton Hall and to what we can give back.  

It begins with faith and hope in Jesus Christ.  

It is sustained by trust and integrity in how we lead.  

It requires courage and curiosity to face the future.  

It is anchored in purpose and resilience when challenges arise.  

And it is always expressed and manifests itself through compassion, service, love and action.  

I invite you to learn more about these initiatives and share our excitement. And I ask you to reflect on your time here. Think about how this University has been a blessing in your life and the lives of your loved ones. Then imagine the coming generations of students who will one day stand where you stood, made stronger because of what we will achieve together.