LHC Honors Elaine Prevallet

By Martha Crawley

The Spirit of Loretto Awards are given annually to outstanding alumnae, former faculty and staff of Loretto Heights College (LHC) in recognition of personal achievement, substantial contribution of service to others and a commitment to the promotion of social justice consistent with the traditions and mission of the Sisters of Loretto.

Elaine Prevallet was one of the recipients this year. Elaine was not able to be present and requested that I receive the award on her behalf. Elaine sent the following statement to be read by me at the awards gathering in July at LHC: “First let me say that I’m sorry not to be there in person today to accept this honor. But, as many of you know, travel now is not as comfortable as it used to be, and the older I get, the harder it seems.

“So I’ll just quickly express my gratitude! To summarize my life … however and whoever I am today … well, blame the Sisters of Loretto who taught me from grade school through high school and Loretto Heights. Then, finishing with a Jesuit doctorate, I came back to LHC to teach theology for nine really wonderful years. So I knew the college from both sides, student and teacher.

“I hope you can join me when I recall how blessed we were during those college years: blessed with wise women teaching us values we could and would aspire to live by and blessed with friendships that were transformative and shaped the persons we have become. And I can recall the blessings of having the opportunity to interact with spunky, smart, truly lovable young, maturing women, who have grown into women of power and wisdom, faithful to the past, open to the future … each of you.

“Today let’s just seize the moment to remember — take a quiet moment — and let our hearts feel the gratitude — and say, with Dag Hammarskjold, ‘For all that has been, thanks; for all that will be YES.’ “

After I finished reading Elaine’s comments, I added the following: I was one of those spunky, smart, lovable, young women who had the real privilege of being taught by Elaine.

So, today, on behalf of those of us who have been taught by her, or guided by her wisdom or who have been part of her community of friends and family — we say thank you, Elaine Prevallet.

Your steady, strong commitment to the very heart of life, the truth of all that is sacred, has been and is a gift to us.

At this time in Elaine’s life she is being a most faithful friend to P.J. Manion, who received this award in 2013. To borrow a phrase from a friend, Elaine is walking P.J. home.