Second Sunday of Advent

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Father Suraj Abraham

Guest

A farmer once walked through his field after a wildfire had swept across the land. Everything was black and lifeless. He stood there in silence, heartbroken at the loss. But a few weeks later, as he walked the same path, he noticed tiny green shoots pushing up through the charred soil. Surprised, he knelt down and whispered, “Fire doesn’t destroy the promise of life; it prepares the ground for new things.”

On this second Sunday of Advent, this is exactly the kind of hope the prophet Isaiah offers us (Isaiah 11:1–10). Israel, too, felt like a burnt and barren field, cut down, exhausted, discouraged. Yet the Lord promises: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” (Is 11:1) From what looked dead, God brings forth the Messiah.

The early Church loved this image. St. Jerome wrote, “From a root that seemed without life, Christ springs forth with divine power.” The season of Advent invites us to believe that God can bring new life from the “burned fields” of our own hearts and situations.

St. Paul (Rom 15:4–9), tells us where such hope is strengthened: In the Scriptures; “Whatever was written … was written for our instruction, that we might have hope.” (Rom 15:4) The Catechism explains Paul: “The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual understanding of the Word of God to those who read or hear it, according to the dispositions of their hearts, so that they can live out the meaning of what they hear, contemplate and do in the celebration.” (CCC 1101)

Advent is therefore not only a season of waiting; it is a season of listening and allowing the Word to wash over us and renew our hearts. Advent is not just a countdown to Christmas; it is a school where God teaches us hope, unity and encouragement.

Then in the Gospel (Matt 3:1–12), John the Baptist stands before us not as a harsh figure, but as a friend of the Bridegroom, who wants us truly ready for Christ. His message is honest and freeing: “Repent! Make straight the paths.”

Repentance is not shame, it is healing. Not punishment, but an invitation. The Catechism says: “It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life.” (CCC 1427) John points us to Jesus, who baptizes “with the Holy Spirit and fire,” the fire of love that purifies and renews our hearts. John wants our hearts cleared, ready and open, so that Christ may plant something new within us.

Dear friends, may this Advent help us recognize the “green shoots” God is already raising in our lives. And may the Lord, who brings life out of ashes, prepare our hearts to welcome His Son with renewed hope and joy. Let us “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”

Father Suraj Abraham, CMI, is Parochial Vicar at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Ft. Mitchell.

The St. Patrick School community rallied to pack 5,000 bags of food for children overseas

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Students, families, faculty and staff at St. Patrick School, Taylor Mill, were abuzz with feelings of gratitude and giving, Nov. 21, as they participated in an on-campus service project, Feed the Need. As students packed meals to send overseas, smiles filled the room while they scooped, poured and sealed 5,000 bags of food.

“They [Feed the Need] take meals mostly to third world countries. Most of the food we pack will go to Bangladesh to feed the people there. Then they take them the message of the Gospel along with the meals,” said Pam Nunnelley, principal.

Simon, sixth grader at St. Patrick School, said, “It’s an organization that helps kids get food.”

Fifth grader, May, explained that “Everyone gets a scoop of vegetables, vitamin powdered, rice and lentils. We put it in a bag and then we measure to make sure it’s 380 to 400 grams. Then we seal the bag and put it in boxes.”

Together the school community packaged enough meals “to feed a student for a whole school year,” said Mrs. Nunnelley. “I was just trying to find a way to have the kids outside of themselves and to do something for other people,” she said.

Feed the Need provided St. Patrick School with all the packing supplies, food and event management, but they could not provide the excitement and spirit the students brought.

“They’re excited about being able to do something to help other people,” said Mrs. Nunnelley. “I’m excited to see the excitement on them. Some of them, since the day we talked about doing this … they’ve been asking every day ‘when do we get to do this?’”

Tristin, a fifth-grade student, said about his experience, “I just don’t want kids feeling hungry, especially in the wintertime when they can’t grow crops or anything.” Tristin wants people to remember that “You’re a human and they’re human, they just have a different life than you.”

Franciscan Daughters’ turkey giveaway fed 558 families ahead of Thanksgiving

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

An annual tradition, 558 families received turkeys, shelf-stable essentials, bread and produce from the Franciscan Daughters of Mary’s “Turkey Giveaway,” held Nov. 25 ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Alongside a team of volunteers, the sisters operated the giveaway out of their Rose Garden Mission, Covington.

Despite heavy rain on the day of the event, volunteers and sisters alike described it as both “peaceful” and “beautiful.”

“The Thanksgiving and Christmas giveaways have been part of our holiday season since our kids were babies,” said one volunteer. “We’re humbled to be a small part of the beautiful work the mission does to bring Christ’s love to the community.”

“I got home and was so sore, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I witnessed the loaves and the fish — the food just kept coming,” said another. “Each person got so much food with their turkey that they needed a volunteer to bring it to their car in a grocery cart.”

Future Deacons take a big step

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Bishop John Iffert, Diocese of Covington, accepted the petitions for “candidacy” of nine men taking the first formal step in deacon formation. With the support of their wives, they were admitted as Candidates for Ordination to the Diaconate at a Mass, Nov. 23. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Robert Casey of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at Mt. St. Mary Seminary and School of Theology, Cincinnati.

The candidates and their wives are: G. Michal and Juliette Bezold, St. Mary Parish, Alexandria; Jeffery and Susan Bier, St. Henry Parish, Elsmere; Kevin and Judine Hooker, St. Paul Parish, Florence; Juan Carlos and Julia Montes, Cristo Rey Parish, Florence; Thomas and Jennifer Paolucci, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Burlington; Gregory and Angie Smorey, St. Mary Parish, Alexandria; Jason Snapp, St. Augustine Parish, Augusta; Kevin and Mary Stamps, St. Timothy Parish, Union and Jerome (JJ) and Pamela Wurtz, St. Joseph Parish, Cold Spring.

In the candidacy ceremony, a man makes a public declaration of his resolve to complete his preparation for diaconate so as to give faithful service to Christ the Lord and his body — the Church. In turn, the sponsoring diocese receives the man’s declaration and expresses its joy and support.

Please continue to pray for the men in deacon formation and their wives as they continue to discern a call to diaconal ministry in the Diocese of Covington.

The Retired Fund for Religious helps retired religious and their communities with rising healthcare costs

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Benedictine Sister Emmanuel Pieper dedicated her life and ministry to students through art. Teaching grade school and high school art classes, Sister Emmanuel saw firsthand the impact that one person can have on another. Now, in her retirement, she stays busy making art and enjoying life at St. Walberg Monastery, Villa Hills. At 97 years old, however, Sister Emmanuel finds herself in need of additional healthcare, living at the onsite infirmary at St. Walberg Monastery.

Like Sister Emmanuel, tens of thousands of retired religious find themselves in need of additional healthcare, with the median age of nuns in the United States reaching 80 years old. As the aged and infirmed population is on the rise, religious orders are facing difficulties with the increasing cost of additional healthcare. Because of this, over 260 religious communities rely on funds from the Retirement Fund for Religious.  The retirement fund for religious has given over $1,000,000,000 to retired religious since their inception in 1988. This year, there will be a second collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious at Masses, December 12-14, so they can continue to provide for those retired religious in need.

“I think I have a wonderful life,” said Sister Emmanuel, “I thank God every morning for a new sunrise and a new day to live in his wonderful world.”

Her vocation story began at baptism, when she was named after her aunt who was a Benedictine Sister. She carried this with her throughout her life. “All my life I had an inclination to enter the monastery,” she said. Sure in her vocation, Sister Emmanuel entered the Order of St. Benedict at 17 years old, where they allowed her to continue her passion for art. She holds both her Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.

“I think I was born with a love of beauty, anything beautiful just attracts me so strongly,” she said of her affinity for the craft. Her artwork can be seen at Holy Cross District High School, Covington; St. Henry District High School, Erlanger, and Thomas More University, Crestview Hills.

She shared her love of art with the students she taught, whether in grade school or high school. “My favorite part was seeing how kids could develop,” she said, “seeing people catch on to something, be able to do it, be satisfied with themselves.”

Donating to the second collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious will help more sisters like Sister Emmanuel continue their ministry into retirement. Providing funds to those religious communities in need of help to offset healthcare costs.

National Catholic Youth Conference provides opportunities for deepening relationships with Christ

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Four hundred students and chaperons made their way back to the Diocese of Covington, Nov. 22, following the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), Indianapolis. The annual conference has become the premier destination for young Catholics to grow and reignite their faith, while growing in relationship with Christ and others. While there, the students participated in all the conference had to offer, Adoration, confession, prayer, games, breakout sessions, and most notably, a conference wide dialogue with Pope Leo XIV.

Covington Catholic senior, Brayden, had the unique opportunity to be part of the group of students from around the country to give input on the discussion topics for Pope Leo.

Even though the students gathered were from across the country, the central themes for their desired dialogue were the same. “Relationships, friendships, discussing things like technology, and things like that,” said Brayden. “We all have the same overarching ideas about our faith and the struggles with our faith and the things we go through in our daily lives.”

“It’s really cool to see how many different people can come together and share ideas and be able to hear different perspectives on things from people around the country,” he said.

Young Catholics uniting and forming relationships is a common theme of NCYC. One Notre Dame Academy, Park Hills, student, Noelle, said, “I really didn’t expect there to be a lot of people my age … but going out there and seeing all these young teenagers around my age and trying to grow deeper in their faith really inspired me to grow deeper in my faith as well.”

While the attendees form relationships with their peers from across the country, the true focus of the National Catholic Youth Conference is forming a strong relationship with Christ.

“I remember something that Pope Leo said and it really stuck with me,” said Noelle. “He basically said you have to deepen your relationship with God and want to have that relationship with him in order to give him your problems or struggles.”

Both Brayden and Noelle identified the Friday evening adoration at Lucas Oil Stadium as one of the most impactful moments of the conference in growing their relationship with Christ.

“Our entire diocese was able to sit down on the main floor of the stadium and so we were basically circled around the monstrance and Eucharist … the focus that people had on the Eucharist was amazing for me,” said Brayden.

Being down on the main floor of the stadium meant that there were approximately 16,000 other Catholics filling the stands of the stadium during Eucharistic adoration. But for Noelle, there was only one person she was focused on.

“I was surrounded by a huge crowd, but I was so zoned in on the Eucharist that I honestly forgot, I forgot everyone else was there, almost like it was just me and God in that instant,” she said. “Staring up at the host really got me feeling a lot about my faith, and very emotional. It brought me to tears a bit.”

The 2026 National Youth Conference will be held in Long Beach, California, and will return to Indianapolis in 2027.

“If you’re ever thinking about going to the conference, go in with an open heart and open arms, wanting to get the whole experience,” said Noelle.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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Father Phillip DeVous

Guest

“Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe … that the whole creation, set from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.”

These words of our opening collect for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, unequivocally state that it is the will of God to restore all things in Christ, that creation is to be set free from slavery, and that the purpose of the entirety of creation is to render the majesty of God service and ceaselessly proclaim praise to God. This, of course, is true, however we must grasp that this statement of truth is also poses some deeply personal questions to us: Do we want to be restored in Jesus Christ? Do we want to be set free from slavery? Do we even want to see how it is we might be enslaved in various ways by the forces of the world, the flesh and devil?

It is quite easier than we think to become apathetic about the holiness of one’s life. Saying Christ is King may fall easily from our lips, but it is much harder to acknowledge that kingship with the ardor of our lives. It is easy to go the way of the world, but quite difficult to live in confrontation with the dictatorship of the worldly, which comes about as the consequence of rejecting Jesus Christ as King. The temptation is always to be more social than truthful, negotiating for our comforts within the confines of the worldly dictatorship, rather than accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and King of our lives.

To live under the kingship of Christ is to be the target of the world’s animus. It is important to grapple with the depth of world’s hatred of those who belong to Christ. The theologian, Cardinal Jean Daniélou, describes it well:

“If I keep faith with Christ, I must incur the world’s reproach, it is impossible for me to be on good terms with the world . . . ‘The world’ [here] means the whole collection of those human tendencies that go against the Spirit of Christ, vanity, pride, hardness of heart, concupiscence; of which Christ himself said, ‘I am not praying for the world.’ [John 17:9] A Christian cannot agree with the spirit of this world, because there is a direct incompatibility between it and the spirit of Christ. So, it is natural for the Christian to be thoroughly disliked; his whole behavior is a living reproach. He has no love for the world’s ideals; this in itself is an intolerable position, because it amounts to a judgement and sentence passed upon the world. Therefore, the world hates him.”

That the world hates the Christian, because it first hates Jesus Christ, can be clearly seen in the Gospel: “the rulers sneered at Jesus … soldiers jeered at him … one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus.”

The rulers, the soldiers and the criminals in the crucifixion scene represent a Christological constellation of divine revelation: the scope of worldly powers opposed to the kingship of Christ. The rulers represent the forces of cynical political power, then and now, which understands power to be self-justifying by those who wield it. The soldiers represent the forces of egoism-those who get what they want by various forms of violence, believing that might makes right. Finally, the criminal gives voice to the force of sin and transgression which believes it can revile Jesus Christ without consequence.

We see here the comprehensive rejection of the Kingship of Jesus Christ, which Jesus exercises not through political power or violence or lawlessness-the ways of the world-but in humility, sacrifice and self-giving. The dictatorship of the worldly, with its cynicism, violence and free-form transgression is contrasted to the Kingdom of Christ, which is a “kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

The proclamation of Christ’s kingship and kingdom places before us the stark choice to be slave to the dictatorship of the worldly or to be sanctified citizen of the Kingdom of God. Though assailed and tempted by the various forces of the world, luring us down the paths of cynical power, egoistic violence and transgression, we make an act of profound trust in the Eucharistic Lord, knowing in my Holy Communion with Him, the Father has “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Fr. Phillip W. DeVous is the pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Flemingsburg and St. Rose of Lima Parish, May’s Lick.

The Bambinelli and Christmas tree blessing returns for a fourth year, celebrating the local church

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Bambinelli and Christmas tree blessing is back for another year, Dec. 13, at St. Mary’s Park, Covington, immediately following the 4:30 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington.  This will be the fourth of what has become an annual diocesan tradition, where Bishop John Iffert blesses the bambinelli (infant Jesus) of home nativities and lights the diocesan Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree will stand tall in St. Mary’s Park as a representation of the local church of Covington, as churches and schools decorate the ornaments which adorn the tree. While the blessing of the bambinelli is an active participation in the local church, “it’s a way to celebrate together,” said Jamie Schroeder, chancellor.

“It reminds us of the reason for season, which is the spirit of it. We’re celebrating the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ,” she said. The blessing of the bambinelli is a tradition popularized by St. Pope John Paul II in 1969. He invited children to bring their bambinelli to St. Peter’s Square where he blessed them. Now, the tradition lives on in the local church of Covington.

“It’s a beautiful way to celebrate the season, it’s kind of like the Curia’s gift to the diocese. It’s one way for us to show our gratitude and appreciation for the people of the diocese,” said Mrs. Schroeder.

This year, the Bambinelli and Christmas tree blessing will feature a performance by the St. Thomas Chrildrens Choir and the reading of a classic Christmas story by Bishop Iffert. Also available will be cookies, homemade by Curia staff members, as well as hot chocolate and hors d’oeuvres.

So far, the event as yielded an average attendance of “250 to 300 people who come each year,” said Mrs. Schroeder. “It lifts your heart,” she said, “to see how many people are out there. It’s just exciting.”

There is no registration required for the event, “all are welcome to come and be with us, to celebrate the season of Advent and to have their little baby Jesus blessed,” said Mrs. Schroeder. Like last year, small bambinelli will be provided so all may be included in the blessing.

Thomas More University professor takes part in Vatican-sponsored AI Builders Forum

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Laura Keener

Editor

A Catholic cruise with Catholic Answers has found Dr. John Rudnick, a year later, at a completely unexpected destination — the Vatican-sponsored AI Builders Forum.

“Catholic Answers reached out to me knowing that I was working in higher education and asked me what we were doing in artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Rudnick. “They thought it sounded interesting,” and offered Dr. Rudnick an invitation to the Forum.

When Catholic Answers extended the invitation and he accepted, Dr. Rudnick said he had no idea where the Forum was being held. The awe of being at the Vatican and among 200 like-minded Catholic leaders — educators, healthcare workers, innovators, priests, bishops and others — has left Dr. Rudnick on an “academic and spiritual high.”

“It was a wonderful time. The people that I met were just as kind and as welcoming and giving and sharing as one could have. It was very much a Catholic community and we were all rolling in the same direction,” Dr. Rudnick said. “You could say that our goal is to get each other to heaven, and our goal is to try to make sense of artificial intelligence in a positive way.”

Dr. Rudnick is a professor at the College of Business, Thomas More University, Crestview Hills. In addition to Thomas More University, other institutions of higher education with representatives at the Forum included Ave Maria College, Boston College, Catholic University of America and Notre Dame University.

His attendance at the AI Builders Forum is beneficial not only for TMU but also the Diocese of Covington. Already, Dr. Rudnick is working with Deacon Jim Fortner, chief operating officer, and Kendra McGuire, superintendent of Schools, to develop ways to share the information and to develop AI best practices with educators and leaders throughout the diocese.

The Church now stands at a pivotal moment comparable to the introduction of the printing press — an inflection point calling not for hesitation but for imaginative, evangelizing leadership, said Dr. Rudnick. AI presents new possibilities to expand access to learning, deepen pastoral outreach and strengthen global mission impact. Rather than retreat, the Church is invited to guide the development of Christian digital humanism, ensuring that emerging technologies serve truth, beauty, justice and communion, he said.

During the AI Builders Forum, the 200 members broke into six workshop groups. These six groups are now forming global cohorts to continue discussing, evaluating and recommending policies on AI. Dr. Rudnick is part of the education cohort.

“We will try to help shape policies and guidelines in relation to guardrails, privacy, cybersecurity and how artificial intelligence can be applied in education to make things more efficient and effective for faculty members and for staff, and to also be flexible and adaptive to the needs of diverse student learning types,” said Dr. Rudnick.

According to Dr. Rudnick, in the United States, Hollywood’s fascination and representation of AI, often as an antagonist in its movies, is a formidable hurdle to overcome in the general public’s understanding of AI.

“The Internet can be used for good things or bad things, and artificial intelligence can be used for good things or bad things,” Dr. Rudnick said.

The overarching theme at the Forum and one that will help guide the ongoing work of the cohorts is to leverage AI always with the dignity of the human person and the common good at the forefront. That, like with all human innovations, AI is a tool to be used by and for persons, not to replace persons.

“AI is changing hourly, and it’s something to be reckoned with,” said Dr. Rudnick. “But if we approach it with the foundation of truth, beauty and goodness, with regard to the need for the Catholic bias to be at the root, and for this to be aligned with our souls, then we’ll be okay.”

Together with community, sisters pray for national immigration reform

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops continued their sessions of the Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, faithful nationally were called to pray in solidarity with migrant communities and for the reform of laws surrounding immigration, Nov. 12, on the vigil of the Feast of St. Frances Cabrini — the first canonized American saint and an Italian immigrant.

The Intercommunity Sisters Peace and Justice Committee led the prayer service at St. Mary’s Park, Covington, joining with a sizeable crowd of sisters and laity for prayer and the recitation of the Rosary.

Divine Providence Sister Kay Kramer, a member of the committee, quoted Pope Leo XIV, saying, “Migrants and refugees remind us and the whole Church of her pilgrim dimension, perpetually journeying towards her final homeland, sustained by hope that is a theological virtue.”

“Hope should be our big resounding feeling today,” said Sister Kay, “Not despair, not sadness, but hope … We know with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious and faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs … We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialog with public and elected officials.”