Archive for category: Featured Stories

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Faith Community Pharmacy had humble beginnings in a “glorified closet,” inside of a Northern Kentucky St. Vincent dePaul, said Aaron Broomall, executive director, Faith Community Health Network. Since their operations began in 2002 the no-cost pharmacy has served over 10,800 individuals, dispensing more than 650,000 prescriptions.

Their community impact has decreased emergency room visits by 60 percent since 2021, and decreased hospitalizations by 74 percent. But the care provided by the pharmacy is limited by its very nature, “because we can only help people that have prescriptions,” said Mr. Broomall.

“We’ve always had dreams of opening a free clinic in Northern Kentucky, for a really long time,” said Mr. Broomall, but the timing, “never seemed right.”

In 2023 however, the team at Faith Community Pharmacy decided, it was time. “We started looking at it more in earnest, examining what we had, examining what the needs were in our community,” said Mr. Broomall.

The original strategic plan had the new Faith Community Clinic opening in 2027. However, at the beginning of 2025, legislation was passed that “has significant ramifications on our uninsured population in Northern Kentucky,” said Mr. Broomall, whose estimations has the uninsured population of Northern Kentucky rising to more than 40,000 by 2027. With this in mind the new Faith Community Clinic will be opening its doors in Newport, May of 2026, ready to serve the impoverished and uninsured with free, comprehensive healthcare.

With the addition of the clinic, the operations have turned into a health network, warranting a new name, The Faith Community Health Network. This includes both the Faith Community Pharmacy and Clinic.

The Faith Community Clinic will be staffed by volunteer providers, nurses and lab techs, a majority of which are being provided by the St. Elizabeth Healthcare System. The clinic will also have a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment) approved lab onsite for urinalysis and blood work.

The clinic will also complete a social determinant of health screening. “Those are all these other factors that contribute to health that are not just diagnosis and medication. This can be anything from housing to food to workforce to abuse situations,” said Mr. Broomall.

From that screening, a patient may be directed to community resources so that they can receive what they need, outside of medicinal care.

“We’re really trying to address the holistic person, and all of the challenges that they have, so that they can get to a point of thriving,” said Mr. Broomall.

Part of holistic care is spiritual healing, said Mr. Broomall. “Healing is not just a matter of the physical body, but it has other components to it also. One of those components is spiritual healing,” he said.

“Our hospitality team will offer to pray with every one of our patients that come in … we know that many patients that come to us, they’re stressed, they’re worried, they’re afraid … we want to do everything we can to put their mind at ease and to meet them where they are, and that certainly includes spiritual care,” said Mr. Broomall.

The Faith Community Clinic will have a Spiritual Advisory Committee, whose founding board chair is the Dioceses own Msgr. William Cleves, pastor, Holy Spirit Parish, Newport. All lay members of the hospitality team will undergo training to ensure there is no “spiritual harm,” to patients of the clinic.

“We want to ensure that everybody who is talking to our patients, is doing it in a way that promotes a God that loves them, and God that’s there for them, and a God that wants the best for them,” said Mr. Broomall.

This comprehensive, holistic approach to healthcare will make the hour that patients spend at the Faith Community Clinic, “one of the most valuable hours they have in their year,” said Mr. Broomall.

“By the time they give us that hour and they walk out the door, they will understand where they’re at with their health, they will have had somebody offer them care for their spiritual needs, we will have talked to them about the other challenges that they’re facing and worked with them to connect them to other resources so that they can be holistically healed and be on a better trajectory towards thriving, and we will have provided them with critical education,” he said.

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The first in a series of four meetings took place, April 14, for the Catholic Schools Commission as part of the new Diocese of Covington strategic planning process. This commission is one of three that will meet throughout the 2026 summer months to discuss a strategic plan which will carry the Diocese through 2030. The fourth commission, Diocesan Governance, will meet in the fall months and will build on the fruits of the commissions that came before.

Each commission is broken into four sub-committees. The Catholic Schools Commission sub-committees will focus on: mission and Catholic identity; academic excellence; governance and leadership; and operational vitality.

In his opening remarks, shared via video, Bishop John Iffert said to those in attendance, “The Diocese of Covington is rightly proud of its schools. In a Diocese of fewer than 90,000 Catholics, we have more than 10,000 people, 10,000 students in our Catholic Schools.”

It will be the work of the Catholic Schools Commission and its sub-committees to discuss, “a clear strategy around how do we strengthen the faith of the students and the teachers? How do we strengthen the Catholic identity,” said Deacon Jim Fortner, chief operating officer, Diocese of Covington.

The commission will, “really examine the faith, how it’s delivered, how we hire teacher’s, what’s our qualifications to be teaching,” he said.

Nearly 140 people attended the April 14 commission meeting including principals, teachers, priests, women religious and dedicated laity of the Diocese.

“It was like the Who’s Who, it was an all-star cast of experts in the schools,” said Deacon Fortner. “I’m pretty confident we have the right people. But they have got to believe in it themselves … this is not just an exercise.”

Kendra McGuire, superintendent of Catholic schools, said, “there’s a lot of people signed up on the commissions with a lot of varying backgrounds and knowledge and experiences, and I think with their input and review of this, I am hopeful that we will come out with … a strategic plan that we can move forward with to improve our schools.”

The Catholic Schools Commission is, so far, the largest of the four commissions, helping to realize Bishop Iffert’s vision for this strategic planning process.

“I want this process to benefit from as wide a collaboration as possible,” said Bishop Iffert in his video message. “I would like to see the participation of the entire Church – clergy, consecrated religious, lay people — working together to make decisions that are in our common interest and the common interest of our community.”

About the collaborative effort, Deacon Fortner said, “it’s a synod approach of listening, engaging people. The approach, I feel is very, very rich in theology and in practice in our Church.”

Deacon Fortner said that it is Bishop Iffert’s intention to be as transparent as possible, so that conversations and recommendations can be both mission and data driven. To that end, commission members received enrollment data from the last 30 years for every elementary and high school in the Diocese and will soon receive similar financial data. Additionally, the results of a recent survey of 1,200 alumni, parents, donors and priests have been shared.

Soon, leaders for the four sub-committees of the Catholic School Commission will be selected and prepared to lead the discussion of the fundamental aspects of Catholic education in the Diocese of Covington.

Mrs. McGuire emphasized that keeping the Holy Spirit at the forefront of the process is essential. “All of our work is guided by the Holy Spirit,” she said. “Our mission of Catholic education, at the center, is to be Christ-centered schools that are teaching about Jesus and the faith, and so everything we have do has to be through that lens.”

“I think the thing is, pray and trust that the Holy Spirit is going to guide us,” said Deacon Fortner. “It’s about spiritual transformation, it’s changing lives.” This, Deacon Fortner said, is why the Diocese is focusing on strategy, it is about changing the lives of those who walk through the doors of Diocesan schools.

“What is sacred in this process is the revelation that Jesus Christ is Lord, and the sacrifices of prayer, talent and treasure that our ancestors had offered in sewing the seed of faith in our region,” said Bishop Iffert.  “As far as I’m concerned, there are no other sacred cows, there is no other set agenda. We need to discern together the way forward.”

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

The change of seasons to springtime brings with it a period of preparation and cleaning for the warm months. During this period, people in a community may require assistance with getting into the swing of spring, and the sunny spring days of April 16 and 18 brought exactly that.

Through two service days, one on April 16 where the Diocese of Covington’s Curia employees set out into their community, and another where lay people joined the diocese’s religious sisters in similar projects — neighbors helped neighbors with tasks like gardening, serving food, childcare and organizing.

Ministries such as St. Vincent de Paul, the Brighton Center, Redwood, the Emergency Shelter, the Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home and diocesan schools, benefitted from volunteers on both days coming to serve. Prayer and reflection both began and concluded both days.

“To me, it’s the core mission of the Church of Jesus,” said Notre Dame Sister Marla Monahan, vicar for religious and one of the people behind planning both days. “They call it neighbor to neighbor — you don’t have to be Catholic to receive help, you don’t have to be Catholic to give help. It’s just about the dignity of each person.”

“For me,” Sister Marla said, “The relationship is totally mutual — we’re Christ to each other.”

This sentiment resonated with volunteers, many of whom spoke positively about the people they met during their time volunteering in the following reflections.

“I think our service days are really reminding us of the heart of the Gospel,” said Sister Marla, calling to mind Luke 4. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18–19).

“I think that’s what we do and receive from each other,” she said. “The core mission of Jesus, the core mission of the Church — the purpose of our lives … we’re made in the same image of community that reminds us that we’re one family, that we’re not saved alone. We’re saved with each other.”

Laura Keener

Editor

Bishop John Iffert led the inaugural Good Friday praying of the Stations of the Cross, April 3, at the newly dedicated Gardens of St. Patrick’s. Hundreds of people from across the Diocese of Covington participated. It was one of several events held at the Gardens during Holy Week, which culminated with sunrise Easter Sunday Mass with Father James Sichko.

Before opening prayers beginning the Stations of the Cross, Bishop Iffert shared that the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu is one of his favorite places he visited in Jerusalem. The church is believed to be built over the house of the high priest Joseph Caiaphas, and the place where Jesus was held in a lower-level dungeon the night before his passion and death.

“It’s a moving place,” said Bishp Iffert. “And one of things that makes it so moving is that as you descend the stairs down into the stone pit, you pass crosses and graffiti that has been scratched into the wall.”

Some of the graffiti dates to the late first century. The graffiti, said Bishop Iffert, “is part of the testimony that says this is the place where Jesus was held. It’s because of those early pilgrim witnesses who went there to join him in his place, so today, here in Maysville, Kentucky, we join ourselves to all of those believers in Jesus, all of those Christians, all of those who seek to be self-emptying like Christ. We join them in remembering the journey that Jesus took to his cross and to his tomb and beyond.”

At the Gardens there are 15 stations featuring life-sized bronze statues, 14 traditional stations with the 15th being the Resurrection. The 14th Station — Jesus is Laid in the Tomb — is nearly complete. The tomb and its 5,000-pound rolling stone are there; the statues are on the way. The tomb and rolling stone were hand carved by Kentuckians from ancient limestone, 485 million years old. The 15th Station — the Resurrection — still needs to be installed. Bishop Iffert said that he likes that the Gardens are not complete for the inaugural events because it reminds us that we aren’t complete and that God is continually drawing us to him.

The Via Dolorosa — the Way of Suffering — begins with visitors passing by a 6,000-year-old olive press, a tangible reminder of the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive garden, were with a kiss Judas betrayed Jesus, an innocent man.

Bishop Iffert invited everyone to join him in praying for all those wrongly accused, detained and imprisoned throughout the world.

The journey ends at reflection pools with fountains surrounding a 7.5 story lighted cross near the 15th Station. The cross is prominently placed so that it can be clearly seen by travelers passing along Route 62.

“To meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is to invite Jesus to be with us in carrying our crosses,” said Bishop Iffert, “to ask Jesus for the grace not that our cross would go away, not that our cross would be removed from us, but that Jesus will be with us under our crosses, and Jesus will strengthen us to be able to carry the cross that is ours in life.”

The evening revealed the event’s quiet power through the eyes of a young participant, Juan Briseño, a student from St. Patrick’s School who volunteered to serve for Bishop Iffert. He described being deeply moved while walking among the Stations and seeing them “brought to life,” an experience he said left him newly motivated. Like many in attendance, he was surprised by the size of the crowd — a testament to the strong sense of community and shared faith that shaped the night.

Visitors described the experience as deeply emotional, noting how the Stations of the Cross immediately invited personal reflection. The quiet, prayerful atmosphere allowed participants to pause and reflect on Christ’s passion in a way that felt both intimate and profound.

“I’ve lived here all my life, and this just touches my heart when you think about how much he (Jesus) did for us. This is the most amazing tribute someone could give to our community,” said Debbie Mason, parishioner at St. Patrick Parish, Maysville. She was especially moved by the First Station — Jesus is Condemned to Death. “That station reminds me that we all had a part in it — whether we want to admit it or not — through what we’ve done or failed to do.”

Several visitors emphasized how the scale and presentation of the displays intensified that experience. Helen McKay, parishioner, St. Patrick Parish, Maysville, noted that the larger-than-life elements made a lasting impression, explaining that “it’s much more moving than a three‑by‑three.” For her, the physical size and presence of the stations deepened the sense of walking alongside Christ on his journey.

St. Patrick parishioner Dana Casey, agreed. “To stand next to the life‑size Stations of the Cross instead of seeing them as small icons on the wall makes the story feel personal and real,” said Ms. Casey. An exceptionally emotional moment for her came at Station Four — Jesus Meets His Mother. “The moment when Jesus sees his mother — just that silent glance between them — really stayed with me. They didn’t need words. She had to say ‘yes’ at the beginning, and she had to say it again at the end.”

For others, attending the stations was an intentional part of observing Good Friday.

St. Catherine of Siena parishioners David and Sharon Kohr who traveled from Ft. Thomas echoed that sense of personal connection. Mr. Kohrs said that praying, “The Stations of the Cross were always very emotional—[they] go straight to the soul.”

Mr. Kohrs expressed the importance of making the time for Holy Week observances despite busy schedules, saying, “When we saw this in the Messenger, we just made it happen. We made ourselves make it into our schedule that we would come down and spend Good Friday here.” He added that retracing “the real journey of Christ, through his passion,” is “such an integral part of our faith,” and something they wanted to hold “in our heart and our soul.”

Mrs. Kohrs shared that the experience left a lasting impression. “It’s such a blessing,” she said, adding that she was “absolutely” glad they made the trip. The combination of personal prayer, art and shared worship made the observance both meaningful and memorable

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Continuing the tradition from last year, the diocesan Youth Ministry office held a Holy Week Mission of Mercy for diocesan youth, in partnership with the Regnum Christi Youth movement. Students were invited and challenged to spend Holy Week accompanying Jesus and taking their faith to the streets, sharing the love of Jesus with those who perhaps would not make it to church themselves.

The retreat featured prayer, fellowship and opportunities for evangelization. Seventy-five high school and 12 elementary students were joined by 12 young adult team leaders and 45 adult volunteers during the course of the three-day mission.

Included in the retreat was a Good Friday “Cross Walk.” During the Cross Walk, divided into eight groups, students were assigned with routes alongside adult chaperones — taking them into Covington and surrounding communities to pray for and with the people there.

Each group was equipped with a wooden cross and post it notes. As they met people on the streets, they invited them to pray with them and put their intentions onto the crosses.

“I do believe that because we’re walking and carrying a cross, it’s not just alongside of Jesus, but united to him,” said Father Andrew Gronotte, LC, a Legionnaire of Christ who joined students for the mission told youth prior to taking to the streets. “Our life is becoming one with his, and we’re part of the story of redemption. As we carry those crosses through the streets … we’re praying with others, we’re interceding for others. And that’s all the way in which Jesus is saying, ‘I want you to be part of me, be part of that redemption I’ve come to share with the world’.”

After the walk, students came together for the Good Friday liturgy at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, then set back out to pray the Stations of the Cross together while walking around the block. Friday ended with intercessory prayer by teams, recalling the many prayer intentions they had gathered throughout the previous two days, including a door-to-door mission inviting individuals to Mass the day before, on Holy Thursday.

“This was my second time participating in the Holy Week Missions and it has been a life changing experience,” said Dexter, one of the young adult volunteers. “From seeing high schoolers have the courage to pray with strangers, crying with people I just met or seeing how a simple smile can have such a positive impact on someone — it is evident that the Holy Spirit was all over Covington this Holy Week.”