Gilda Cellini joined Saint Elizabeth parish when she and her husband, Steve Shade, moved to Glenmoore in 2006. She grew up in St. Colman parish in Ardmore, PA. In June 2000, Gilda and Steve were married at St. Ann church in Phoenixville. They first met when Steve visited her company to do some IT work and again when Gilda called his company to invite a different Tech Rep to a company Happy Hour. Steve happened to answer his co-worker’s phone that day and asked if he could attend too, and the rest is history.
Gilda is retired from Bentley Systems, where she was a technical writer/editor and Steve now runs Connectivity Systems, a small company that specializes in network security in Phoenixville. They share their home with 6 cats and are actively involved in cat rescue, having rescued and fostered over 1000 cats and kittens over the past 23 years. Steve and Gilda are very close to Gilda’s nieces and nephew and have 4 great-nieces and 1 great-nephew who are like grandchildren to them.
Gilda is active in several Saint Elizabeth parish ministries and organizations. She helps to coordinate the annual Blessing of the Animals, has been a fourth grade EFF teacher since 2006, and is currently a member of the Creation Care Team, the Respect Life Committee and the Hospitality Ministry. Gilda can be found on many Sunday mornings at the welcome desk in the narthex answering questions and making people feel at home with her engaging smile and friendly greeting. 
Gilda’s call to stewardship service began well before moving to Glenmoore. She recently celebrated her 50th anniversary as a member of the Legion of Mary! “I joined the Legion in 1972 and it formed me and my life. Over the years I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people who have become like family to me. Not only does the Legion of Mary help me get closer to God, it also helps me get closer to people,” she explained. Gilda is one of the founding members of the Saint Elizabeth Legion of Mary group. She continues, “Our first meeting was on October 19, 2011, and we’ve been going strong ever since. Our group is truly a welcoming, warm family.” Active members attend weekly meetings, visit patients in nursing homes to pray with them and do other works of mercy. They are supported by an auxiliary group of members through daily prayer.
Gilda concludes, “The Legion helps us to live out the call of every baptized Catholic to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and it gives us an opportunity to work with Mary and be her presence in the world today. We try to see and serve Jesus in every person we meet the same way that Mary sees and serves her Son in every person.“
Gilda and Steve are living the stewardship way of life every day and our parish is stronger and blessed because they are part of our family.
For information on the parish Legion of Mary, go to the parish website and follow the links for Getting Involved/Ministries and Service Opportunities/Legion of Mary.
- Lisa Sheronas