Shields: “These are wonderful
people …”
MONTICELLO – Sister Kevin John Shields was honored this week with the Sullivan County Legislature’s Distinguished Citizen Award.
“There are wonderful people who do so much for others around the county, in spite of their own hardships,” said Sister Kevin, a Roman Catholic nun.
Sister Kevin came to Sullivan County from Long Island in the 1960s when she ran the Sisters of St. Dominic’s camp in St. Joseph’s near Forestburgh. She made her stay permanent in 1977 beginning a religious education program in Sullivan and Orange counties with Sister Mary Elizabeth Kelleher. Sister Mary passed away six years ago, but Sister Kevin continues to direct the program from its Liberty office, which also doubles as her home.
Sister Kevin, who “fell in love with the area,” supervises curricula and trains volunteers to be religious education teachers.
She has also engaged in many other community activities. In 1983, she founded the Sullivan County Cares Coalition to address substance abuse and addiction.
