Kevin Lovejoy

The Little Things of Service

When Kevin Lovejoy learned he would receive ISC’s 2026 Kathy Collins Spirit of Service Award, his first response was characteristically reluctant.

“The last thing you want when you volunteer to do something is to be recognized for it,” Kevin said. But that’s just part of why the award is a perfect fit for him.

The award was established in honor of Kathy Collins, a beloved and longtime ISC volunteer and contributor. Selected annually by ISC staff, the award recognizes a volunteer who reflects Kathy’s generosity of heart, selfless sharing of time and talents, and commitment to ISC’s mission.

Those qualities can be found throughout Kevin’s service to ISC.

Kevin’s formation in Ignatian spirituality began more than 50 years ago as an altar server at St. Joseph Parish and later a student at Seattle Prep. After college and 25 years in the Army, that formation was “re-awakened” when his family moved to Tacoma in 2006 and enrolled their oldest daughter at Bellarmine Prep.

Today, Kevin serves on ISC’s Board and chairs its Finance Committee. But much of his service happens more quietly.

Over the past several years, Kevin has helped ISC extend its presence in Tacoma and the South Sound, particularly as the community has navigated the departure of the Jesuits from St. Leo Parish. He arrives early to set up for programs and stays to clean up. He brings snacks, checks people in, welcomes participants, and reaches out personally to invite others.

“Kevin is passionate about Ignatian spirituality and has stepped into a leadership role in Tacoma, although he is not titled as a leader,” said ISC Executive Director Corinne Bergmann. “He just does it.”

Last year, Kevin personally invited dozens of people to Hearts on Fire and arranged a bus so Tacoma participants could attend together. Nineteen people came from Tacoma, an unusually large contingent.

For Kevin, such service is inseparable from his own spiritual formation.

“As I’ve learned repeatedly in my life, I receive two, five, ten times more from volunteering than I give to it,” he said. “Never fails.”

Perhaps that is what makes Kevin’s service so fitting for an award created in Kathy Collins’ memory: the willingness to show up, again and again, for the work that needs doing and the people who need welcoming.

As Corinne put it, “It is so many of the little things he does.”