Religion Teacher – St. Henry District High School

St. Henry District High School, a National Blue Ribbon School in Erlanger KY, is seeking a Religion teacher for the remainder of the 2024/2025 school year. SHDHS is a 490 student co-ed college prep high school located in a suburban area of Cincinnati. Hard-working and respectful students, small class sizes, congenial colleagues, and excellent support for new teachers are some of the attractive features of the position. An ideal candidate would have a major in Theology or a related field. Interested parties should click here to apply.

 

Preschool Aftercare Teacher (Part-time) – Saint Mary School

Saint Mary School, a blue ribbon school in Alexandria, KY, is seeking a part-time (M-F 1:30-6:00) Preschool Aftercare Teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma, be over 18 years of age, and have a minimum of 1 year working with children. Job responsibilities include working under the supervision of the directors and lead teachers to create a fun environment with engaging after-school activities, age-appropriate school concepts, positively encouraging children as they develop their fine motor, gross motor, language development, and social/ emotional skills, complying with state regulations, completing 15 training hours per school year, being Virtus trained and compliant, preparing lessons and daily classroom activities. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, résumé, and references to Preschool Director Megan Franzen at [email protected].

Part-time Learning Assistant/Tutor – Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology

Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology invites applications for a part-time learning assistant to work individually with seminarians to help them achieve their academic goals.

The learning assistant will provide personalized academic support as needed in such areas as course tutoring, study skills development, exam preparation, and written/oral communication skills. This is a unique opportunity for someone who values education and wants to advance our mission of preparing men for the Catholic priesthood.

This is a part-time (less than 20 hours per week) weekday position at the seminary campus, with flexibility for occasional online work sessions with students. A bachelor’s degree is required, and previous work experience in academia is preferred. The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills, be self-motivated, and be able to work independently. A background in theology or philosophy is a plus but not required. The position will start with spring semester (January 6, 2025) and will follow the institution’s academic calendar.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Fr. David Endres, Academic Dean, at [email protected].

Gone but Not Forgotten: MLB Unmarked Graves Project returns to the Diocese of Covington

Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington is no stranger to the work of the Gone But Not Forgotten: MLB Unmarked Graves Project. It was two years ago that David Shannon and Thomas Bucher, the project founders, provided a headstone to Henry “Hank” Gastright, who had been laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery, Wilder, in an unmarked grave. Their latest project focused on giving Robert “Bob” Clark of the 1891 Cincinnati Reds a headstone at St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell.

Mr. Clark was born in Covington on May 18, 1863. He would go on to play seven seasons in Major League Baseball, starting his career with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and staying for five seasons, where he would become a well-known catcher, before concluding his career in the Majors with the Reds.

Mr. Shannon read from an excerpt of the October 1889 edition of the Brooklyn Eagle, “The first two years he (Mr. Clark) was with Brooklyn he did not distinguish himself very much and was given comparatively little work to do. This year however, he came to the front, and his work as been of the gilt-edge order. He has demonstrated that he is a great back stop, a quick and accurate thrower to bases, a fine batsman and a clever base runner. Clark is now admittedly Brooklyn’s star catcher. He is a well-built fellow, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighs 175 pounds,” said Mr. Shannon to the crowd gathered.

Over his five seasons with Brooklyn, Mr. Clark became a standout playing in a total of 260 games. Despite playing a number of games, Mr. Clark was seemingly always injured. The most games he played in a season topped out at 53 in 1889.

In the succeeding 1890 season, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Mr. Clark had a chance to win the Pennant, what would we now call the World Series. However, “The series,” it was reported, “which was fraught with disaster to the Brooklyn’s, resulted in his disablement … His injury was a serious blow to Brooklyn’s hopes, for before he was hurt, they had a chance to win,” Mr. Shannon read aloud.

Of his injury in the World Series, Mr. Clark was quoted as saying, “My doctor seemed to think that I was paying up for severely straining myself and overtaxing my strength in those Brooklyn games. We ought to have won the Pennant.”

Because of his proclivity for injury, Brooklyn allowed the Cincinnati National League Club, to purchase his contract. In a press release from March 25, 1891, “The Cincinnati National League Club yesterday, closed a contract with another player, who will add strength to the team. Bob Clark, the fine catcher, who has been with the Brooklyn League Club for the past five seasons, will next summer wear the red and white of the Queen City Organization. This engagement will prove a good one. Clark is a Covington boy and is very popular on both sides of the river. He has a large following, and from a box-office standpoint, as well as in a playing sense, the local League Club scored a big mark in securing him,” Mr. Shannon read aloud.

Due to injury, Mr. Clark played in only 16 games for the Reds in the 1891 season.

After his retirement Mr. Clark became a saloonist. Mr. Shannon read, “There was an article from February 1892 that said he (Mr. Clark) was doing a prosperous business with a liquid emporium in Covington.” In 1895 it was reported that he was a government official, other reports noted him as a tax collector for the city of Covington. In the years leading up to his death, Mr. Clark worked at a chemical factory. It was at this chemical factory that he sustained life threatening injuries that eventually led to his death.

Mr. Clark was born a “Covington boy,” said Mr. Shannon. It was his affinity for baseball and his love of his city that was remembered as the veil was lifted from his new headstone. A round of applause came as the new granite marker was taken in by friends of the family and the family themselves.

Mr. Shannon concluded the program, “Through this project, I feel like I have gotten to know Bob Clark … Robert Clark may be gone, but hopefully not forgotten.”

SUMMIT 24 retreat brings ‘joy and love of the Eucharist’ to high school students

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

A joyous morning of prayer, dancing and song opened up Saturday morning of the SUMMIT 24 Eucharistic Retreat for high school students — just the beginning of a day of prayer and community for the young people in attendance.

This three-day retreat, Nov. 15–17, held hours of both celebration and reflection centered around the Eucharist, as well as this year’s retreat theme (which corresponds with the theme of the 2025 jubilee year), “Pilgrims of Hope.” Days consisted of Adoration, prayer and Mass, as well as educational sessions and free time to interact with fellow retreaters. This year, SUMMIT 24 welcomed 150 students.

This year’s retreat was also more diverse, according to Angie Poat, diocesan youth minister and orchestrator for the event, saying that “students came from new schools, new parishes and even from Ohio.”

“It was a blessing to see the students receive the joy of the Lord, and to grow in their depth and love for the Eucharist,” said Mrs. Poat. “They gained renewal in their own faith to be surrounded by such on-fire Catholics who were headed in the same direction as they are.”

Another “special” aspect of this year’s retreat, as Mrs. Poat described, was greater involvement in leadership from the students themselves — both from the SUMMIT core team and the YCET team, who had “larger roles in presenting the retreat.”

Following the retreat, one senior student expressed gratitude for the opportunities presented by SUMMIT 24, saying, “I am grateful for the people I met during this retreat and for the intimate relationship with God that I had in Adoration.”

The diocesan office of youth ministry is currently “building follow-up opportunities to SUMMIT,” said Mrs. Poat, which will tie in with the Eucharistic Revival and the Church’s year of mission. “We’re doing that with our young people,” she said.

Youth ministry is also gearing up for their next major “Connect” event in February, which serves a similar role as SUMMIT for junior high students.

For more information on Diocesan youth ministry events and programming, visit https://covdio.org/youth/.

Sacred Heart church celebrates 150 years of building and strengthening the Church in Bellevue

Laura Keener

Editor

Three-hundred and fifty years (1674) ago, in Paray-le-Monial, France, Jesus reveals devotions to His Sacred Heart to visionary Visitation Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque. Two-hundred years later (1874), in Bellevue, Kentucky, a church is established and dedicated under the patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In October 2024, Pope Francis writes his fourth encyclical, “Dilexit Nos,” (On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ),” calling for a rededication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Like a night time constellation spanning the constraints of time, Father Martin Pitstick, pastor, connected these seemingly random historic and current events as a guide for parishioners, encouraging devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, ultimately, eternal life with Him in heaven.

“Many generations have sacrificed so that the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus might be known in this town. Many generations of parishioners have prayed in this church. They have come and they have gone,” Father Pitstick said in his homily. “A million years from today, this church will be dust. But the immortal souls of those who built it and who have prayed in it will remain forever in one of two places.”

Parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish, Bellevue, gathered Nov. 17 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the dedication of its church building, Sacred Heart Church. The celebration began with Mass, which was broadcast live on Sacred Heart Radio and live streamed on the parish website, and included a Eucharistic procession from the church, around the school buildings and back to the church for Benediction.

“The message for us today is that, even in the midst of tribulation, we need not fear. The Lord himself is with us, and he is our inheritance. This is the same message that Jesus gave Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque about the love of his Sacred Heart,” Father Pitstick said.

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a door open wide, and Jesus is inviting me and you to come into his heart, to take refuge and to receive all of the treasures and graces and mercy and forgiveness that you long for,” he said.

In an interview the week before the sesquicentennial celebration, Father Pitstick shared that the parish is in the middle of a three-phase major restoration of Sacred Heart Church. Phase 1 was a $1.1 million restoration of the exterior of the church — repairing and replacing the roof and the copper bell tower. The parish has raised another $600,000 to begin the interior restoration. A third phase will add an elevator from the main church to the restrooms and undercroft making the entire church handicap accessible.

“It’s taking longer than I would have liked because there’s a lot of choices of colors and designs,” said Father Pitstick, mentioning that he has contracted with a company that specializes in sacred architecture and is working with the diocesan Office of Worship, “to make a beautiful interior restoration with a nice marble sanctuary and good lighting.”

The interior restoration will also include fixing water damage and painting the ceiling and walls.

Aside from improvements to the physical church, Father Pitstick is equally, if not more, excited to talk about “the things that we’ve been doing in the parish,” things that are building up God’s church — the people.

In May, Father Pitstick led 20 people, including some parishioners, on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. There they had a powerful spiritual experience during a rosary procession. Inspired by the experience, Father Pitstick and the pilgrims held a one-hour rosary procession around the city of Bellevue.

“We alternated the rosary and Marian hymns and prayers. It was nice,” said Father Pitstick.

Father Pitstick said that for many years the parish was trying, without success, to develop a strong youth ministry. About five years ago, he was approached by Brad Torline, former associate director for the diocesan Office of Catechesis and Evangelization and now executive director of the Angelico Project, to begin a Young Adult ministry instead.

“It’s better to start with the young adults because, after you get that as an anchor, then you can go in both directions,” said Father Pitstick. As the young adults age out of young adult ministry, the idea is that many will continue as active parishioners and those that marry and have children of their own, would instinctively want some kind of similar youth ministry for their children. So far, with the foundation laid by Mr. Torline and for the last several years coordinated by Nick Thorvaldsen, Young Adult Ministry is thriving at Divine Mercy Parish.

“We’ve used the win, build and send model,” said Father Pitstick. Win, Build, Send is a popular model used by college evangelization ministries like FOCUS. “You have some big events that are fun — that’s win,” said Father Pitstick mentioning their annual river boat swing dance cruise, which typically draws over 100 young adults.

Build incorporates catechetical events, like Bible study or prayer events. Send involves going out on mission — sharing your spiritual journey, serving others and bringing others to Christ. The Young Adult group is currently planning for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Mustard Seed Communities, a trip inspired after Bishop John Iffert’s visit to the Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica earlier this year.

“Go to the website and see all the stuff that’s going on, go to the Instagram page or the Facebook page … they’re always doing something,” said Father Pitstick.

Additionally, the parish recently reactived its Knights of Columbus Council 702, one of the original councils in Kentucky. Also, for the spiritual and missionary development of parishioners, the parish has begun offering That Man Is You, for its men members, and Walking With Purpose for women. And they started a new initiative for young families to get together socially for some faith-based activities, like the upcoming Advent wreath making event. The parish also has an active St. Vincent de Paul conference.

Father Pitstick is also pastor of neighboring St. Bernard Parish in Dayton. He said that between the two parishes there are less than 500 registered households. But their small size doesn’t diminish the desire to do more and more for each other, the community and ultimately the Lord.

“It’s hard to find these resources, so I’ve really stepped out in faith and stretched. We have a lot of staff, and the staff is fueling these things,” said Father Pitstick. “It puts pressure on me to raise the money to do all these things, but it’s bearing fruit and so far we haven’t collapsed financially. It seems like we’re moving forward bit by bit.”

To Love as God Loves

Dr. Mandy Sanchez of Culture Reframed presents on the harms of social media and pornography

Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

Invited by the Diocese of Covington Safe Environment Office, Dr. Many Sanchez, director of programming at Culture Reframed gave a presentation entitled “Growing Up in a Porn Culture: How Social Media, Gaming and Pornography Harms Our Youth.”

The November 6 presentation explored the culture we live in today and the affect it has had on young women and teenagers; forced to conform or be invisible. Dr. Sanchez explained social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, their relationship to the porn industry and how there is more on the platforms that what meets the eye.

Joanna Angel, a famous pornographer, said in an interview once that girls today come to her set porn ready. “They were ready when they came to her set, she didn’t really have to coach them. They already knew what to do, they knew how to pose, they knew what to wear they knew how to do it,” said Dr. Sanchez. How though, is this generation of young women porn-ready?

The answer, Dr. Sanchez said, lies in a culture of comparison exacerbated by social media.

“Porn sells, and I know we have heard that sex sells, but really it is the same thing,” said Dr. Sanchez. This is an important facet of the conversation to understand because it is what drives posting habits on social media, subconsciously or not. Comparison culture makes teenagers, and young adults crave the validation of their peers, most commonly in the form of likes, comments and reposts of their content on social media.

Dr. Sanchez explained the validation that comes from the engagement of peers on social media posts from the perspective of a teenager, “The more hearts and likes and shares that I get the more social cred I have, the less invisible I become.” Because porn sells, that is often what teenagers, especially young teenage girls will turn to. Posting in a shirt that is a little too cropped, or shorts that are a little too short, will generate buzz and interest. These posts though, are often not seen by parents or guardians. Rather they are hidden beneath the surface.

“75% of 13-17 years olds have at least one social media profile, the average amount of fake accounts that the average teenager has today is five,” said Dr. Sanchez. It is the fake accounts or, “finstas,” where teenagers will seek this validation. Finstas will have specific peers and strangers, curated based on the attention that the poster desires.

While Instagram perpetuates this comparison culture, the beloved platform, Snapchat, had it’s start with a much more sinister motive. “Snapchat was originally marketed as Peekaboo, to send and receive nude photos,” said Dr. Sanchez. Snapchat has also recently released a dangerous new feature known as Snap Maps. This feature, unless disabled in user settings, shares real time location with snap friends in the area.

“This Snap Map will show anyone who you have in your circle where you are. If we don’t turn this off, this will be on. We have worked with anti-trafficking organizations that work with survivors, law enforcement, and Interpol. They said that these Snap Maps are exactly what predators are looking for. If they know that there is a concentration of kids here, they can jump on Snapchat and connect with kids,” said Dr. Sanchez.

The perpetuation of comparison culture and the deep seeded need for validation instilled in young girls reinforces the role of porn in today’s culture. This leads young girls open and vulnerable to predators.

Dr. Gail Dines, founder and CEO of Culture Reframed, was conducting interviews with 12 men who were incarcerated in a maximum-security prison. Each of the twelve men were incarcerated for the sexual assault of a family member. In an interview with one of the men he said, “It was super easy to groom my twelve-year old stepdaughter. I started with little compliments, I told her how pretty she looked, and that was a nice dress, and that skirt made her legs look gorgeous, and that makeup, and the way you’re doing your hair. It was so easy because she already knew what to do, the culture did a lot of the grooming for me.”

The first step to protecting the younger generations against porn culture is a knowledge of how they are being exposed and how the culture is sustained. Through social media and the desire for external validation of peers, porn culture seeps into everyday lives, without many realizing it. Dr. Mandy Sanchez and her colleagues at Culture Reframed are dedicated to addressing the harms of pornography in youth. For more information about the Diocese of Covington Safe Environment Office and the work they do go to covdio.org/safe-environment/.

Chancery, Curia and parish collaboration and integration isa hallmark of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan

Laura Keener

Editor

Some people develop plans and after the plan is put on paper, shove it in a drawer and never look at it again, said Deacon Jim Fortner, chief operating officer, Diocese of Covington. But, that’s not what’s happening in the Diocese of Covington.

After a year of listening sessions, focus groups and diocesan-wide surveys, which began in October 2022 and continued through April 2023, the Diocese of Covington is now releasing to the public its three-year Pastoral Plan. The Pastoral Plan includes a summary of the Diocese’s priorities and goals. The Diocesan Pastoral Plan can be found on page #.

Additionally, ever parish in the diocese used the same data to develop a three-year parish pastoral plan. The parish plans, like the diocesan plan, is comprised of data-driven priorities and goals. A summary of each Parish Pastoral Plan is included in the digital version of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, which can be found online at www.covdio.org.

Last fall, Bishop John Iffert presented the Diocesan Pastoral Plan to the presbyterate, who affirmed its content. The Curia has been operating under the plan for nearly a year. Deacon Fortner said that there was even a need — the development of a formation program for deacon aspirants — uncovered by the Focus Groups that was so urgent that action was taken without the initiative making it into the Pastoral Plan.

“It was really critical for us to get this done in May,” said Deacon Fortner about the deacon aspirant program, as the next class of deacon aspirants was scheduled to begin in August. “If we had missed the deadline, it would be two years before another class of aspirants would begin,” he said, noting that the timeline for deacon formation is done in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

The entire pastoral planning process has been led by the Catholic Leadership Institute and Deacon Fortner. During the process two groups — made up of Sisters from local religious communities and parish lay leaders — has been organized. The first group, the Planning Commission, attended the listening sessions and focus groups and reviewed the survey data. Their work was completed in May 2023 when they identified and recommended to Bishop Iffert three priorities for the diocesan pastoral plan. A team of Curia staff then completed the plan by adding goals, strategies, action items and goal dates.

The second group, the Core Team, is meeting quarterly to help keep implementation of the plan on track and to offer feedback.

The three priorities of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan are: Ongoing Faith Formation, Evangelization and Leadership Development. The most strategic part of the plan, Deacon Fortner said, is the integration and collaboration between the Chancery, Curia and parishes that is lifting and moving together the entire Diocese.

Examples of this can be seen by parts of the plan that have already been implemented. First was the hiring of a diocesan Youth Minister to help lead and guide youth ministry. Another is the Diocesan partnership with Catechetical Institute of Franciscan University, with the Diocese making the entire library of Franciscan At Home catechetical workshops available at no charge to every parish and every parishioner.

The Catholic Leadership Institute is leading the leadership development part of the plan. Its programs are also being made available at no cost to the diocese, parishes or participants, thanks to a group of anonymous benefactors. These trainings, too, began immediately.

Leadership development starts with priests and the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds initiative. A first group of 20 priests and Bishop Iffert completed training in June 2024. Immediately following the priest training, 38 Curia and parish staff who work directly with these priests began in August Tending the Talents training, a program similar in content to Good Leaders, Good Shepherds. This first Tending the Talents cohort will conclude in December. A second cohort of priests will begin Good Leaders, Good Shepherds training in April 2025, and Cohort 2 of Tending the Talents will also be held in 2025.

Additionally, pastors were asked to identify and invite parish leaders to attend Parish Missionary Disciples training. A first cohort of 60 concluded training in April 2024 and a second cohort will begin February 2025. All these trainings integrate Chancery, Curia and parish leaders sitting and learning together side-by-side.

Another important collaboration between the Chancery, Curia and parishes has been the continuation, reestablishment or establishment of Professional Learning Communities. These communities of parish secretaries, business managers, principals, media coordinators, youth ministers and directors and coordinators of religious education meet regularly to learn and share best practices. Some, like the principals and parish secretaries, have been meeting for years. Others, like the media coordinators, just getting started. All are being tasked to look at ways they can be a true learning community and not just a group that meets.

“All of these roles we are working with as a collective team to share ideas, share best practices,” said Deacon Fortner. “We are wired into parish life in a much more collaborative way. This is going to be an ongoing process.”

For the complete Diocesan Pastoral Plan that includes summaries of Parish Pastoral Plans visit www.covdio.org

How peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will help form good, Christian men and women at St. Augustine School

Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

St. Augustine School, Covington, focuses on forming good, holy, Christian men and women through practical application of the faith. Father Dan Schomaker, pastor at St. Augustine Parish, Covington, asks the question, “How can we get the students used to understanding that the faith is practical? It’s not just this philosophy, or ideas, or feelings, it engages the whole person.” The answer this time lies in the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Recently inspired by a story told by Father Salvador Gonzalez, director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Father Schomaker knew he wanted to instill in the students the virtue in Father Gonzalez’s story. “Father Gonzalez, when he was a young man, was a server at his home parish. Before serving on the weekend, he would have to show up an hour early, he would have to go give a sandwich to one of the homeless people on the property. The pastor required that he had to get to know them, he had to learn their name.” The virtue, feed someone else before you feed yourself.

“I heard that, and it stuck with me,” said Father Schomaker, “How can I participate in the corporal work of mercy, giving food to the hungry, feeding the hungry?” Turning to Parish Kitchen, Covington, Father Schomaker had an idea, what if there were to-go bags of prepackaged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that patrons of Parish Kitchen could take with them? Inspired by Father Gonzalez and seeking to get his students involved in practical applications of faith, Father Schomaker decided that while the middle school students waited in line for breakfast, they would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be taken to Parish Kitchen.

“We announced yesterday to the kids that after Mass, the kids go to Mass every day and they have breakfast every day, that before they are allowed to eat, they have to feed somebody else. They have to provide food for someone that is hungry,” said Father Schomaker. In his announcement to the students Father Schomaker explained why the sandwiches are to be made before the students eat.

“I get that you are hungry, but you have food right over there, ready for you. There are other people who don’t know if they’re going to have food and so we’re going to provide it for them,” speaking to the students Father Schomaker continued, “You are going to sacrifice three minutes of hunger, five minutes of hunger, to feed someone else.”

Only the middle schoolers will be participating in the making of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “They go last anyway to get their food because the little kids go first and so instead of waiting in line doing nothing, they’re going to be making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” said Father Schomaker. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are not the only thing students will be making however, because people can be hungry in more way than one.

“Building off of what Mother Theresa has really talked about,” Father Schomaker said, “there is a greater hinger than just for food. There’s more of a hunger for love.” It was with this idea in mind that the students will also be making notes for those that receive the sandwiches.

To promote collaboration the St. Augustine Parish St. Vincent De Paul Conference will be donating the bread, peanut butter and jelly. “I talked to our conference and explained what I want to do to help promote the corporal works of mercy with the school children. I asked if they would be able to help pay for the food, and they said yes. I am very grateful for that,” said Father Schomaker.

“It’s just the practical aspect of the faith, you have to get your hands dirty, ours is not a philosophy, ours is a belief in a person who is Jesus Christ, who is God, who is put on flesh, who is given food to the poor and the hungry. He has done all these things, and we are called to emulate him. Well, this is that practice. How do we emulate the Lord? Here is a simple way that we can do it,” Father Schomaker said.