Pope Francis to celebrate Jubilees for communications, and many other vocations throughout the Jubilee Year

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

With the opening of the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Papal Bull by Pope Francis announced the year to be marked by the “hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.”

This hope is especially highlighted as part of the Jubilee Year’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” which likewise highlights our collective role as pilgrims.

As part of the Jubilee Year, the Holy See has declared special Jubilees through the holy year — each of which promote a different vocation, a different stage of life or a particular theme of the Jubilee. Notably, one of the first jubilees celebrated will be the Jubilee of the World of Communications, celebrated January 24–26. This jubilee will open with a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis, followed by cultural meetings, dialogues and round tables all in celebration and correspondence with the role of media and communications professionals as they relate to the Jubilee — a pattern that will repeat for each special jubilee throughout the year.

Jim Hess, director of Stewardship and Mission Services, describes these jubilees as a way that the “Church is celebrating different vocations and pathways we take in the world,” he said. “The jubilees celebrate holiness in these different stages of life.”

Following the Jubilee of the World of Communications, the next jubilees to join in the celebration are the Jubilees of Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel, Feb. 8–9, and of Artists, Feb. 15–18. The faithful are encouraged to take moments of prayer and celebration during their respective jubilees, and to offer prayers in support of loved ones during theirs.

A full list of jubilees can be found on the jubilee calendar online at https://www.iubilaeum2025.va. For more information on jubilee celebrations in the Diocese of Covington, visit https://covdio.org/jubilee/.

TMU Compassion Pantry co-directors, organize shoe drive to help the most vulnerable

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

As part of the Diocesan-wide Campaign of Mercy, the Messenger has been highlighting a different work of mercy each month. For the month of January, the focus is on the corporal work, clothing the naked.

In conjunction with the December work of mercy, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked focuses on aiding the most vulnerable. With temperatures falling, and snowbanks piling high, those without consistent shelter are at risk of frostbite and hypothermia, making warm clothes a necessity. Unfortunately, those that need warm clothes the most often have the least access. Whether it is low volume and high demand, or even cost, access to warm clothes is limited.

Thomas More University, Crestview Hills, students MaryKay Birtcil and Noah Francis, co-directors of Thomas More University Compassion Pantry, took note and are doing what they can to help. The Compassion Pantry typically focuses on nonperishable food items for students on campus, but the heart of the organization is in giving back. Ms. Birtcil and Mr. Francis met with their team of students and, in an effort to combat the lack of access, organized a shoe drive.

“I got the idea because I volunteered at the CCRU clinic, which is through the University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University College of Medicine. They would see 45 patients a night that would come into the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky in Covington, and I noticed that one common thing among all the patients was that they really needed a new pair of shoes,” said Ms. Birtcil. “The people that come to the shelter,” she continued, “do a lot of walking so it felt like a really important need for them.”

While the Compassion Pantry primarily serves the immediate Thomas More community, Ms. Birtcil and Mr. Francis saw this as the perfect opportunity to give back.

“We receive a lot from our greater community,” said Mr. Francis, “we have partnerships with Panera, they donate all of their leftover bread every Sunday night. Master Provisions lets us come in and do some grocery shopping. We get  donations from High Schools and the alumni all the time. It is all one big family in Northern Kentucky. I think that, as much as people have helped us, we should also help people.”

Giving back to the community that has given the Compassion Pantry so much is a hallmark of the shoe drive. All of the shoes that are collected are going to be donated to the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, to help them ncombat cold related injuries and illnesses.

The coordination of Ms. Birtcil, Mr. Francis, the Compassion Pantry team and the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky is a testament to the Northern Kentucky community and Mr. Francis said, their faith. “I would say faith does drive us in all aspects,” he said. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, Christ died for us, showing that love back into the community is our goal. I would say that is why we do everything.”

For those interested in donating to the shoe drive the drop off box is located inside the doors of the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, Crestview Hills, and to the left. The Chapel is on the campus of Thomas More University. The donation box will remain in the Chapel until Friday, Jan. 24.

“I hate when my feet are cold,” Mr. Francis said, “So I can only imagine what it is like for other people that don’t have roofs over their heads to not have shoes and warm feet.”

St. Charles Communities geographic footprint expands to current site of St. Joseph Heights

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

In a joint statement by the Sisters of Notre Dame and St. Charles Community, it was announced that the two organizations had “reached a preliminary agreement for an expansion of the St. Charles’ ministry to take place on the Dixie Highway campus of the SND.”

The Dixie Highway campus is known by many as the beloved St. Joseph Heights, Park Hills. With St. Charles Community acquiring the property, it was announced that St. Joseph Heights will be razed this summer.

In January of 2023 the Sisters of Notre Dame began officially moving out of the historic, storied home at St. Joseph Heights. Though the physical moving process began in 2023, the spiritual process of discernment began many years ago as the Sisters’ need for physical space began to diminish.

As the average age of the sisters grew, so too did the number of sisters whose level of care exceeded the capabilities available at St. Joseph Heights. As a result, the hallowed halls of St. Joseph Heights became increasingly empty as did the need for such a large space.

“Two years ago, that was a big piece of it, where we had to come to grips with what was happening. Here we had a big building, the number of sisters was shrinking, the expense was beginning to outweigh the gift of what was happening … We realized that it’s too big for us, and also, not necessarily the best for us,” said Notre Dame Sister Shauna Bankemper, assistant provincial and Leadership Team Member.

“The upkeep of such a large building, we felt, was not a good use of resources … Ten years ago Pope Francis declared the Year of Consecrated Life and one of the things he said to religious communities is look at your buildings and see how they need to be repurposed … For him and for us it is always how can that promote the mission? How can it serve the mission? Because that is why we exist in the first place,” said Notre Dame Sister Marla Monahan, vicar for religious, Diocese of Covington.

“All of us realize that the brick and mortar of this building holds beautiful memories, but we also want our mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame to go forward and if we can provide an environment for that mission … to thrive that’s, what I think, the future of this property is about,” said Sister Shauna.

Sister Marla added to this sentiment, “For us, we tried to see if there was a potential other us for the building. The cost of renovating an old building and what would be the mission needs. To be good stewards of resources, to keep the focus on mission, we first  reached out to Notre Dame Academy to see if their future plans might include some- thing of the property or building and it did not. Secondly, we reached out to our sponsored ministry, St. Charles Community.”

St. Charles Community is one of several sponsored ministries of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and where many of the sisters now live after moving from St. Joseph Heights.

“We made a decision that we would send our skilled care, our infirmary, to St. Charles. They have a wing called the Homestead available and we wanted to be able to pro- vide for our sisters there in that facility and we would bring our own staff… We have 18 sisters that live there and are getting the skilled care that they need,” said Sister Shauna. In addition to the sisters needing skilled care, other sisters wished to be close to healthcare and their fellow sisters.

“We realized that the future of our sisters would be on the St. Charles campus and so the sisters moved to St. Charles Lodge,” said Sister Shauna.

St. Charles Lodge is the assisted  living facility of the St. Charles Community. Its residents are independent enough to live on their own but need more support than what is typically practical at home.

In total, there are 38 sisters now living in the St. Charles Community at either the Lodge or Homestead.

Sister Shauna said that while the decision to move was not an easy one, the 38 sisters now living at St. Charles feel at ease in their new home. “It was a communal decision that we would be moving from the building, that was two years ago, that made the move a little bit easier. The sisters at St. Charles are very happy and content, that makes it a little easier.”

While the Sisters of Notre Dame may not have a use for the building they used to call home, St. Charles Community has found a use for the property on which the building sits.

“We believe that this expansion will enable us to reach more seniors in desperate need of compassionate care and services, while honoring and preserving the legacy of the Sisters of Notre Dame,” said Nichole Smith, executive director of the St. Charles Community, in the joint statement.

Sister Shauna assured those who love St. Joseph Heights that while the building will no longer be standing, the mission for which it stood will remain steadfast.

“In making decisions about the future, our goal is to maximize our mission-related impact and to continue to strengthen our existing ministries. We believe that transitioning the St. Joseph Heights property to St. Charles will provide significant benefits to both the sisters and St. Charles, and to the broader Covington/Park Hills communities,” she said in the joint statement. “This is the next step in St. Joseph Heights’ further service to mission.”

St. Augustine celebrates rededication of the parishes ‘temple of living stones,’ blessing of refurbished altar

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

A cold Sunday, January 12, marked a special celebration for St. Augustine Parish, Covington, as the pews were filled in honor of the re-dedication and the blessing of a new altar for the more than 100-year-old Church.

Father Daniel Schomaker, pastor of St. Augustine, began a capital campaign in February of 2018 with the goal of restoration, conservation and renovation of the church and other parts of St. Augustine’s campus. And now, after the trials of COVID-19 which interrupted and delayed parts of the project’s progress, St. Augustine was able to celebrate these achievements with the final piece — a new frontal was added to the Altar of Sacrifice, featuring the Eucharistic symbol of a mother pelican, and the whole of it was accentuated with gold ornamentation and a reliquary vault. First class relics, including examples of those such as St. Andrew, St. John Vianney, St. Pius X were entombed in the reliquary vault as part of the altar’s blessing.

Bishop John Iffert celebrated the Mass as well as blessed the updated altar and rededicated the Church, in choro with Bishop Emeritus Roger Foys and concelebrated with Father Michael Grady, pastor, St. Therese parish, Southgate; Msgr. Kurt Kemo, vice rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, and Father Stephen Bankemper, pastor, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Ft. Thomas. The ceremony was joined by many of St. Augustine’s parishioners participating as well.

In his homily, Bishop Iffert emphasized the importance of Christ’s baptism — a feast day celebrated the same day as the re-dedication. “People were coming from all over the region to be baptized,” he said, “… amid all the people, Jesus is revealed to be the new temple of God and the hope of divine life for all.”

He mentioned how the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus during his baptism, and that that “same spirit descends upon Christ’s holy people gathered in prayer … it will be made manifest that the same holy people gathered by Christ are the Church. That is the holy people.” Of course, representing the mirror event of the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples at Pentecost.

“The Church has also been the name given to the buildings in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God,” said Bishop Iffert, “and, so, we gather this morning, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, to rededicate this lovingly restored building and the temple of living stones that worships here, and goes out into the world from here to be the living mission of Jesus.”

“May the renewal of this building bring restored life to the temple …remind us to embody St. Augustine’s sacred truth, ‘One loving heart sets another on fire,’ and may God continue to pour out graces upon the people of St. Augustine and the Diocese of Covington … May the Lord make you and me his Eucharistic people and missionary disciples and use us to convey his peace to our neighbors and to all whom seek the truth.”

At the conclusion of Mass, Father Daniel Schomaker, pastor of St. Augustine, Covington, thanked all who came together for the celebration, but, also, in a special way the bishops present — both Bishop Iffert and Bishop Emeritus Foys, who initially gave Father Schomaker permission to begin the restoration project in 2018.

The bishops were presented with gifts from the parish, including ornaments from St. Augustine’s “Be Their Light” ministry, who care for sick and homebound parishioners, but this year honored specifically parishioners who had passed with ornaments on a tree at the front of the Church. The ornaments given to the bishops included the names of both of Bishop Foys’ late parents, and Bishop Iffert’s mother who passed in 2022.

The bishops were also both presented with images of commissioned pectoral crosses that they will soon be receiving on behalf of St. Augustine Parish. The crosses include a shell-engraved image of the Restless Heart of Jesus, a symbol pertinent to St. Augustine’s patron.

Campaign of Mercy — BBHS delivers Christmas cheer

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Every year, Mark Messmer, a Catholic Charities jail ministry volunteer, works with the Campbell County Detention Center, Newport, to get permission for jail ministers to bring a bag of Christmas cheer to each inmate and guard at CCDC. Each November, Bishop Brossart High School hosts a Turkey Bowl gathering donations for a variety of charities. In addition to the generous donations collected, the Turkey Bowl provides awareness of the people being served by the various ministries. This year, CCDC was added to the BBHS list of ministries.

BBHS generously responded with over 600 individually wrapped snack cakes and ChapStick for every inmate. Jail ministers had the privilege of personally handing out each bag individually. The inmates responded with great joy and thanks, grateful that people are remembering them. Jail ministers at CCDC lead weekly Bible studies. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington can always use more volunteers. It’s an important ministry of hope and comfort. Contact Jill Walsh at (859) 581-8974 or jwalch@covingtoncharities.org.

The Jubilee year acclaims that the source of all hope is God’s mercy, says Bishop Iffert

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Laura Keener

Editor

As instructed by Pope Francis and together with archdioceses and dioceses around the world, Bishop John Iffert and over 300 faithful of the Diocese of Covington celebrated Mass and the opening of the Jubilee Year 2025, “Pilgrims of Hope,” Dec. 29, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. The Jubilee Year officially began on Christmas Eve with Pope Francis opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

In accordance with ancient tradition, the Church celebrates an ordinary Jubilee — a year to forgive sins, debts and extend universal pardon — every 25 years so that every generation may experience that moment of grace and mercy in their life. In the Bull of Indiction, “Spes Non Confundit” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”), Pope Francis said that “Hope is also the central message of the coming Jubilee … For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1).” Pope Francis will close the Holy Door and the Jubilee Year will end Jan. 6, 2026, the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

At the Cathedral’s opening Mass, representatives from each parish of the diocese processed through the Cathedral carrying their parish banner as a sign of the journey of hope of the pilgrim people. To begin the procession, near the threshold of the Cathedral, Bishop Iffert elevated the designated Jubilee Cross three times with the congregation proclaiming, “We adore your Cross, O Lord, we praise and glorify your holy Resurrection, for behold, because of the wood of a tree, joy has come to the whole world.”

During the opening procession, which included many priests of the Diocese, Bishop Iffert sprinkled the congregation with Holy Water, “a living remembrance of Baptism which is the gate of entry in the journey of sacramental initiation and into the Church.” (The Rite of the Opening of the Jubilee Year) The procession ended with the Jubilee Cross being placed in a stand to the altar’s left and will remain there during the entire Jubilee year.

Focusing on the Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” Bishop Iffert began his homily saying, “Hope, we know, is the theological virtue, that supernatural virtue, by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to obtain eternal life … the theological virtue of hope protects us both from despair and from the sin of presumption,” the sin of expecting salvation without making the necessary effort to obtain it.

There are two “kinds of knowledge” that are needed to “really engage with and live in this virtue of hope,” said Bishop Iffert. The first is the knowledge that the goal is attainable. “We have to know that eternal life with God is obtainable. That God has made this possible through His death on the cross for our salvation … If we don’t know that our goals are obtainable, we won’t have any reason to work for them.”

“Our goal is obtainable because God’s mercy is indulgent,” Bishop Iffert said. “Our goal of eternal life, and our hope even for life in this world, is obtainable only because we know that God is reliable. We know that God is trustworthy. We know that God is merciful.”

The second knowledge, Bishop Iffert said, is “to know that we might fail, in fact, the sinfulness of our lives, the sinfulness of our human nature, our tendency towards sin inclines us towards failure. It is only through God’s grace — that solid place — where we can expect success in our endeavor.”

The message of the Jubilee, Bishop Iffert said, is “God’s mercy is indulgent. God’s mercy is abundant. God’s mercy is prodigious. This Jubilee year is a reminder to all of us that God is eager to pour that mercy out on us. That mercy alone, that grace of God, that action of God, on our part, is the fulcrum where the lever of faith can be applied, the steady place, the source of all our hope.”

Bishop Iffert names three local churches as sacred sites for Jubilee 2025

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Staff Report

With every Jubilee year, the Pope grants the faithful the opportunity to receive indulgences. In the Decree for the Granting of the Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025, Pope Francis calls the indulgence “a Jubilee grace.”

The gift of the indulgence, Pope Francis says, “is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds” (Spes Non Confundit, 23).

For the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis has declared three ways the faithful may obtain a Jubilee indulgence — by making a pilgrimage, through performing works of mercy and penance and by visiting sacred sites designated by the local bishop.

“…the faithful can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any Jubilee site and there, for a suitable period of time, engage in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God.” (Decree for the Granting of the Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025)

In the Diocese of Covington, Bishop John Iffert has designated three churches as sacred sites where pilgrims can visit and receive the Jubilee indulgence (see decree below). They are the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington; St. John the Evangelist Church, Carrollton and St. Patrick Church, Maysville.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Covington. The Cathedral is open for visitors Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mass and Sunday 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mass. Pilgrims visiting the Cathedral will find the Jubilee Cross, which will be displayed during every Mass throughout the Jubilee year.

St. John the Evangelist Church is the Diocese’s western-most church. St. John the Evangelist Parish was established in 1854. Its current church building took 14 years to build and was dedicated on June 25, 1916, by Bishop Ferdinand Brossart. The gothic structure was designed by Leon Coquared, the same architect that designed Covington’s Cathedral, and has been fondly referred to as “the cathedral in the cornstalks.” Mass times at St. John the Evangelist Church are: Saturday 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Spanish (11:30 a.m. during summer); Monday and Wednesday 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 6:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.; Friday noon. Adoration with closing Benediction is held Wednesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and First Friday, 11 a.m. to noon.

St. Patrick Parish, Maysville, was established in 1847 and predates the establishment of the Diocese of Covington (1853). The current St. Patrick Church building was dedicated June 26, 1910, by Bishop William Maes. Mass times at St. Patrick Church are: Saturday 8 a.m., 5:15 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 1p.m. (Spanish); Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. Adoration is held Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Bishop Iffert blesses new building for Catholic Charities supportive housing

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

On a chilly morning, December 19, friends of Catholic Charities and residents of its St. Joseph supportive housing came together for a blessing by Bishop John Iffert of a new building on the premises. Built with the skills of parishioners of St. Pius parish, Edgewood, the space will be used as additional storage for residents, as well as a communal space and office space for case workers.

The St. Joseph supportive housing consists of two apartment buildings in Elsmere, which are owned and operated by Catholic Charities of Northern Kentucky. The apartments provide permanent housing to individuals and families in need, as well as case support to help them achieve stability.

Bishop Iffert quoted Pope Francis as he prepared for the blessing, paraphrasing that “When we spend time with a neighbor who needs our help, we are making a pilgrimage to encounter the face of Christ in our daily lives.” Afterward, he thanked the work of Catholic Charities, and the hospitality of the residents of the apartments for welcoming him.