Sarah Nilles Catholic High School Senior Recipient Holy Family Parish, Grundy Center, IA

From Anastasia Nicklaus Schmelzer, nominator
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This quote from Philippians may explain how Sarah Nilles can touch the hearts of so many teens. At an age when many can be indifferent in their faith lives, Sarah shows enthusiasm, passion, and desire, and it rubs off on the teens she encounters.

Sarah is proud to be a Catholic Christian, even in an area not always open to our religion. She shares her faith in a respectful, nonjudgmental manner, not only in what some would consider the typical places (religious education/youth ministry), but also daily with her basketball team, friends, and classmates at her public school. Her classmates regularly seek Sarah's counsel in faith matters. Quite likely, this is because Sarah inspires them to deepen their faith lives through her own life of deep faith. Her peers notice that she puts God first in her life, relying on prayer to make everyday decisions and to discern larger ones. Sarah leads others to prayer by offering to pray with them, sharing her own faith journey, and modeling ways to pray. Sarah told me once how honored she was when a classmate who showed no outward faith asked Sarah to pray for her. Through her smile, laughter, and warm disposition, Sarah enlightens teens' hearts so they will try new faith experiences and grow closer to God.

Dennis Kurtz presents the Ambassador of Christ Recognition Award to Sarah Nilles.

Stewardship is what Sarah is all about--she freely shares her time, talent, and treasure to benefit others. How many teenagers want to travel to Africa for a mission trip as their 16th birthday present? Not exactly a big "Sweet Sixteen" party, but this is what Sarah asked for and received. While ministering to the people of Sierra Leone, Sarah discovered her charism of missionary work. When she saw children her age and younger learning primarily by memorization because they had no books and few other school supplies, Sarah knew she needed to do something. This led her to organize a large-scale project to collect school supplies for them. Sarah spent time organizing helpers to sort and pack supplies at multiple sites. One of the sorting sites was the church basement near my office, and it was a joy for me to hear Sarah share laughs, prayer, and information on Sierra Leone with the many teen volunteers. She generously gave nearly the entire summer before her senior year of high school to benefit others, and her example has led other teens to learn about the needs that are out there and ways they can help.

Sarah has been a major player In helping the youth of our parish. which includes four-plus towns, come together and feel like a true community of faith. She has done this by encouraging them to take active roles at youth ministry events and seeking out the opinions of others so that a true consensus can be reached. Sarah wants everyone to feel included and needed, and she networks to make sure this comes about. The youth of our parish will benefit from Sarah's ability to inspire for years to come, as it was partially through her efforts that our parish implemented having youth representatives on the parish council. This fall, Sarah's contributions to youth ministry were recognized on a larger scale through an archdiocesan award. The standing ovation she received while receiving the honor showed the breadth of the influence she has had on teens in the archdiocese.

These are just a few examples of how Sarah Nilles models what it means to be an ambassador of Christ. Edith Wharton said, "There are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Sarah definitely uses her inner flame to reflect the light of Christ. Through her compassion and faithfulness, high school teens see that being holy and fun can and do go together. Middle schoolers flock to Sarah's enthusiasm and love of the Lord. All are enlightened by her Spirit-filled presence. Perhaps this is why Sarah's name echoes over and over again when our youth ministry events involve teens mentioning names of those who have partnered with them in faith.