Mercy Service Awards | Mercy & Justice

Each year, Carlow University celebrates faculty, staff and students who embody our core value of service in an outstanding way. The honorees go beyond themselves to respond to the needs of those around them, interacting with people and institutions in ways which are transformational.

2020 Award Winners

Irene Long, the Sister M. Fidelis McDonough Spirit of Service Award
Bill Kowallis, the Sister Elizabeth Carroll Spirit of Service Award
Haley Wise, the Catherine Graham Servant Leader Award

Service Awards by name

Sister M. Fidelis McDonough Spirit of Service Award

The Sister M. Fidelis McDonough Spirit of Service Award is presented to a staff member who exemplifies, on and off campus, the ideal of service in the Mercy tradition. This award honors Sister Fidelis, an educator and talented musician who served the University as director of planning and facilities, vice president for planning and administration, and vice president for business affairs. Following her retirement from Carlow, Sister Fidelis founded Mercy Neighborhood Ministries in West Oakland. By walking the streets and knocking on doors, she discovered need and sought solutions for our neighbors.

The Sister Elizabeth Carroll Spirit of Service Award

The Sister Elizabeth Carroll Spirit of Service Award is presented to a faculty member who exemplifies, on and off campus, the ideal of service in the Mercy tradition. This award honors Sister Elizabeth Carroll, a historian who served on the faculty of the University before becoming academic dean and then president. After leaving the University she ministered at the Concern for Concern, a social justice lobby in Washington, DC. At the age of 70 she moved to Chimbote, Peru to provide support for the young community of sisters growing there. In Chimbote she served at Casa de la Mujer, a ministry aimed at empowering women.

A woman holding red roses hugs another woman at a service awards celebration in front of a small, clapping audience. — Honoree Kathleen Colletto, left, receives a hug from Jessica Webster after Colletto was honored for 40 years of service at the Campus Lab School during the Celebration of Service at Gailliot Center, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019. (Rebecca Droke/Carlow University)

The Catherine Graham Servant Leader Award

The Catherine Graham Servant Leader Award is given to a Carlow student who demonstrates leadership in community engagement and service. The candidate must be actively engaged in helping others, with a strong commitment to religious practice in their daily life. The student must have a history of community service with a continuing commitment to social justice and civic responsibility. The award is given in memory of Catherine Graham, mother-in-law of Emma Lucas Darby, faculty emerita. Graham is remembered for her dedication to serving her local community, including operating a soup kitchen. She cared about the people she served as a whole, cultivating their spiritual and physical well-being.