Sister Kathleen Anne Nelligan, CSC Award for Spiritual Service
Saint Mary's Stories
Cassie Fill '13, this year’s recipient of the Sister Kathleen Nelligan Award for Spiritual Service, has served the spiritual needs and faith life of the Saint Mary’s community graciously and generously since she arrived as a first year student. She is always willing to serve the prayer life of the community and to share her faith in ways that will encourage others to live their faith sincerely.
As a peer minister, Cassie has served in a variety of leadership positions, lending her gifts to the prayer and shared life of our community. The campus community has an active liturgical life around the celebration of the Eucharist and enjoys other occasions for worship. Cassie has served as a server, reader and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at many of our Eucharistic liturgies from the weekly Sunday gatherings to the more solemn celebrations at special times of the year. Cassie was trained to be a presider of campus prayer services and she has presided over a variety of liturgies such as reconciliation services, Stations of the Cross, and Solemn Exposition of the Eucharist.
When she was a first year student Cassie joined the campus Bible study because she was interested in the Bible but had little experience reading it closely. After that first year she offered to become one of the student bible study leaders, even though she was aware of her own inexperience with the scriptures. Nevertheless, she led Bible study out of her sense of humility, conveying to everyone that she was a learner too. Cassie has been a retreat leader for campus retreats giving talks that have witnessed her faith and the ways she has grown as a Christian. One talk in particular utilized a little story that other retreat leaders since Cassie have used in their own talks. Cassie has shown this community the joy of Christian living through her gentle and humble service in liturgy, learning and reflection.
~Citation read by Regina Wilson, assistant director of campus ministry at Volunteer Service Awards Dinner, April 9, 2013.