On Friday, January 16, 2026, guest speaker Sarah Swafford came to St. Pius X to talk to the student body about dating, relationships, and internal confidence.
“We desire for students to hear only good things,” said Director of Campus Ministry Miranda Contreras. “Sarah is a speaker who speaks only truth and goodness.”
Swafford focused her speech mainly on the dynamic of teenage relationships, romantic or platonic. She also introduced the cycle of use and gave solutions on how to part from these ways and run fully to God.
She taught the audience how to love and how to allow ourselves to be loved, avoiding this cycle of use. She acknowledged the teenage tendency to allow ourselves to use and be used by people we love. We do this to feel loved, not to fully love and give ourselves to the other person.
Actively engaging both audiences, men and women, in the crowd. She explained emotional virtue and the role it plays in healthy relationships.
Emotional virtue is the practice of aligning one’s emotions, desires, and passions with reason and moral truth, rather than being controlled by impulsive feelings or insecurities. She connected this to what it means to be in a relationship and how to truly love another person through virtue.
Senior Catherine Walker said, “She gave a really great message on self-worth,” adding, “as someone who struggles with self-acceptance, it was something I really needed to hear.”
Venturing off from her message on romantic relationships, Swafford stressed the importance of platonic relationships as well. She mentioned in her speech that the group of friends she made in her time at college shaped her into the woman and wife she is able to be today.
She said she focused her life on her relationship with God, running towards Him, and she found her most important friendships in the people running with her.
Overall, the message was very well received, and several stayed after to purchase her books after the talk.
Sophomore Lily Grace Fortner said, “I loved the message so much I bought both books.”
As for the boys, senior Elijah Huffman said, “It was what a lot of people needed to hear.”
Swafford’s visit left students with a challenge to reflect on their worth and relationships. She left them with a final encouragement to run towards God and look beside them to see who is running with them and to hold onto those relationships.
