Diocese recognizes local volunteer

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
miltonreporter@yahoo.com

St. Ann parishioner Shelia Stevens has been an active-but modest-volunteer for years at the church and community. While she typically eschews all publicity for her work, she was recently honored with "Recognition of Women in Ministry" award by her parish and the Burlington Diocese.

St. Ann parishioner Sheila Stevens has been an active volunteer for years, but she typically eschews the spotlight when it comes to getting recognition for it. Early this month she made an exception, however, when the Diocese of Burlington came calling.

Stevens was one of 24 women statewide to take part in the dioceses’ Recognition of Women in Ministry ceremony at St. Augustine’s in Montpelier on Oct. 21.

The honor is given to woman who perform remarkable service for the parish or community, who are outstanding in the way they live their Christian lives, or women whose lives demonstrate gospel values, according the church nomination papers.

Stevens’ commitment to volunteerism led to a nomination for the award from the parish, said Father John Feltz of St. Ann. Her track record includes heading, organizing, and working in the Ladies of St. Ann funeral meals, which provide support for the grieving after a funeral mass. She’s also very active with preparing baskets for elderly shut-ins and those in nursing homes at Easter time.

Even so, Feltz cautioned that Stevens is quite modest when it comes to taking credit for it.

“She feels that this is a beautiful honor that she’s able to perform those tasks,” he said. “She really doesn’t want the recognition; she’d rather have people look at what we’re doing and have more people get involved with that.”

Stevens confirmed she doesn’t’ like being singled-out; there’s a lot of help from like-minded people at the parish, she said. That’s not just lip service; she actually wrote a letter recommending someone else for the award she received.

Overall, she said it’s important to offer comfort to the grieving, That also goes for those who are alone on Easter, saying the idea was to spread out the holiday cheer beyond just Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Past that, the retired teacher’s aide, who has lived in Milton since 1979, shrugged off any lengthy explanation of her volunteerism—or why she eschews the spotlight.

“It’s a personal thing,” she said. “It just makes me feel that I’ve been able to do some good for someone else.”

“I think sometimes we’re self centered and don’t think about others, and I think we should,” she added.