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St. Patrick Parish celebrates shrine patroness, Our Lady of Knock, with novena, spiritual prayer and adoration

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

On a rainy night in Ireland, the villagers of Knock witnessed what is now known as the apparition of Our Lady of Knock. The Blessed Virgin Mary, joined by St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, who donned a bishop’s miter, standing near a sacrificial lamb on an altar of sacrifice surrounded by a host of angels, appeared to 15 villagers who had gathered to pray. During the two-hour apparition, Our Lady did not speak; however, the meaning of her appearance is understood to be one of hope, that God had not forsaken or forgotten his people during the famine.

“Our Lady of Knock had not forgotten the children after that potato famine, and just the brutal conditions in which the Irish were living at that time. That God had not forgotten his people,” said Father Jeff VonLehmen, pastor of St. Patrick Parish and Shrine, Taylor Mill. Since St. Patrick Parish’s designation as a shrine to Our Lady of Knock in 2007, parishioners gather once a year, from Aug. 14–22, to pray a novena to its patroness.

“It’s a prayer for inner peace and peace in the world,” said Father VonLehmen.

Throughout the nine days of prayer, participants have the opportunity to write their petitions and put them in a basket. At the conclusion of the novena, the prayers are stowed beneath the altar so that they are remembered at every celebrated Mass in the coming year. At the end of the year, the petitions are burned and placed in the parish’s grotto.

“People feel like their burdens are seen and heard, and heaven hasn’t forgotten them, just like Our Lady of Knock had not forgotten the brutal conditions in which the Irish people were living at that time. God had not forgotten his people,” said Father VonLehman.

At the conclusion of the Novena, Aug. 22, the prayerful are invited to an adoration and benediction to celebrate the conclusion of the novena. During adoration, the final rosary of the novena will be prayed, with special prayers, music and accounts from witnesses of the Our Lady of Knock apparition.

“It’s a beautiful, meditative service that lasts about an hour,” said John Schaefer, parishioner and musician for the event. “It’s quite moving.”

“There’s something about it that just lifts your spirits and makes you feel closer to the Lord,” said Sharon Drees, parishioner and organizer of the event. “You have the actual presence of the Blessed Sacrament there with you, and Mary just taking you by the hand and helping you be present to that … She wants you to be with her son.”

For those unable to attend in person, the novena can be prayed at home.

“The ultimate goal is to develop a hunger to be with Christ,” said Mrs. Drees, “for that service, during that time, it just becomes timeless. You truly do get a sense of the eternal.”

“Come, soak up Heaven, soak up a miracle, and just contemplate what something truly meaningful is in a world that is lacking so much meaning… when heaven comes in and interrupts, it’s a powerful, beautiful thing to meditate on,” said Mr. Schaefer.

Academic Excellence Committee prepares to set goals in final committee meeting

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

As the spring portion of the Diocese of Covington’s strategic planning process draws to a close, each commission and their respective committees will meet once more to draft their goals for the future. Since May, each commission has been involved in a deep process of education and discernment with members of the Diocesan community who have volunteered their time and effort as members of commission committees.

Over the course of three months, each committee has met to learn, grow and develop specific interest areas of the Diocese of Covington’s strategic plan. Together, they worked toward a common goal of improving the lives of all those who live and worship in the Diocese of Covington. For some commissions it was planned giving, for others it was ministry work, for the Schools Commission their goal was simple: promoting student success.

Chair of the Academic Excellence Committee and Chair of the School of Education for Thomas More University, Crestview Hills, Christy Petroze, said “my thought is always ‘how does this impact my students,’ and if it doesn’t really impact my students then I’d rather be doing something else.”

The Schools Commission consists of four committees: mission and Catholic identity, academic excellence, governance and leadership and operational vitality. “Those have to exist to support our work,” said Dr. Petroze, “but I would imagine at the heart of it is about student success in our Catholic Schools, to promote the Catholic faith in education.”

Dr. Petroze outlined that the Academic Excellence Committee has identified two primary areas focus areas of standardizing curriculum and increasing inclusive education. In August of 2025, the Diocese of Covington hired Emily Urlage, director of curriculum and instruction for the Diocese of Covington’s school office. Since being hired, Mrs. Urlage has worked to create a standardized curriculum for Diocesan schools.

Once completed, these new curricula will serve as “guidelines,” said Dr. Petroze, “they are not telling teachers how or what to teach.” But rather, the curriculum will continue to move Diocesan schools into a “more rigorous academic setting … that’s the expectation across the Diocese,” said Dr. Petroze.

In addition to standardized curricula, the committee is also focused on inclusive education, citing the support of the Fire Foundation of Northern Kentucky. Dr. Petroze explained that the question is “how can our Catholic schools be more inclusive to students with special needs?”

As the committee continued to meet throughout the summer months, members comprising of parents, grandparents, teachers and alumni have all come away with a deeper understanding “of the structure of the schools and the expectations of teachers, parents and students,” said Dr. Petroze. “It has been a nice community space to have these open conversations and people are just feeling free to ask the questions.”

As the committee meetings come to an end, Dr. Petroze reflected on the opportunity to meet and discern with members of the community who are spiritually invested in the state of Catholic education in the Diocese of Covington.

“It has been a really wonderful experience to see all of those community stakeholders who really do want to see Catholic education continue. They all have a stake in it, they want to see it grow and they are committed in positive ways to listening and solving … it’s been awesome to have that many people in the room who care about Catholic education,” she said.

Mission trip to Jamaica teaches members to surrender to God’s plan and the power of his love

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Eighteen members of the Divine Mercy/St. Bernard (DMSB) Young Adult Ministry group went international, June 6-13, to the Blessed Assurance Mustard Seed Community, St. James, Jamaica. There they served children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The experience taught the 18 to trust in God’s providence, to seek his love in service of others, and an abandonment of personal desires — a total trust in God’s own plan.

“We just had this insane level of surrender, and we kind of said surrender was like the motto of the week,” said Caitlin McGillivary, young adult minister for Divine Mercy Parish, Bellevue, and St. Bernard Parish, Dayton. “There were a lot of moments where we could have been totally defeated,” she said.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” said Ms. McGillivary, recalling that the day after their arrival, all the residents of the Community got sick. “We couldn’t be around them for three days,” said another member of the youth ministry group, Megan Syck.

In the meantime, the group set out to paint the rocks surrounding the Marian garden; however, “it rained every time we would paint. We would watch all the paint just go down with the water; you would see pink water just flooding down,” said Ms. Syck.

Despite all the setbacks, the group surrendered. “Even if we have plans, the plans aren’t going to go exactly how we want, but the Lord’s plans are better, and he has things and better ways to reveal certain things to us,” said Ms. McGillivary.

And through his plan, the 18 found love from those they served and an abandonment of their own personal desires.

“Every morning you’d wake up, they’d [the residents] be waiting outside of the mission house … waiting for us to come out, and then they’d give these huge hugs every morning … they were just so delighted to be with you,” said Ms. McGillivary. “It made me see the way that God loves us; it was very profound.”

“When we were there, you’re 24/7 in servitude to others,” said Caleb Sucietto, one of the 18.

The bulk of the group’s service was feeding and spending time with the residents, since many were unable to feed themselves due to the nature of their disability.

“It was definitely a challenge,” said Mr. Sucietto. “There was definitely a mental block there, fear of the unknown; you don’t know what to expect. As soon as you get into it, you understand that this person is made in the image and likeness of God, so you want to do everything and anything to make them comfortable,” he said. “You could see in their eyes they had joy; they were made in the image and likeness of Jesus; you could see Jesus looking back at you,” he said.

“The first thing you notice are their disabilities,” said Joe Herring, another member of the mission group. “That’s what kind of sticks out to you. It only took a week to be able to see their personalities and see them as individuals. It was an experience of going from seeing their disabilities to seeing their abilities,” he said.

By the end of the eight days, the team “felt like we’d been there the entire time, and we’ve been with these kids,” said Ms. Syck. “It’s just the grace of understanding and knowing and seeing their love and how they’re completely united with Christ. You truly got to see the ability of the kids instead of focusing on their disability,” she said.

Mr. Sucietto said, “It really puts your life into perspective, because over there some of the kids can’t walk, some of them are blind, they’re deaf, they all have these disabilities, but they’re so happy. You can literally see Jesus in them, the amount of joy they have in their life. They know completely who Jesus is.”

“They would see a crucifix, and they would make the sign of the cross, they know exactly who Jesus is, and seeing Jesus in them was so profound,” said Mr. Sucietto.

“I watched people crawl to the Eucharist,” said Ms. Syck.

Ms. McGillivary shared the story of one resident, who upon the group’s arrival walked up to them and said words or phrases that were difficult to understand with the thick Jamaican accent.

“He kept saying these phrases that nobody could figure out,” she said. “It was the second-to-last day I finally realized what he was saying. He was saying ‘give yourself away, and open the eyes of your heart.’ I realized they were two different worship songs,” she said. “So, we started playing these worship songs and seeing him just transform, like he would raise his hands and worship, it was actually beautiful,” she said.

“We thought we were going there to pour out our gifts and our ability and our help and our love on them, but it was kind of the opposite,” said Ms. McGillivary. “It was them pouring out so much love on us that we all kind of left different.”

“The trip was profound,” said Mr. Sucietto. “I would say it altered my life. I am a different person … I think maybe God was trying to put my life into perspective and show me how grateful I am to live where I live, to have running water, to have air conditioning. It definitely is a blessing.”

“You need to be intentional, stepping out and serving others when you’re not on a mission trip. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in, ‘I need to fulfill my desires in some way,’ … God shows us who we are, and we need to take the focus off ourselves and onto serving others,” said Mr. Herring.

After the many troubles, setbacks and anxieties subsided, what was left for the 18 members of the DMSB Young Adult Ministry group was an outpouring of love. Love from the residents, love found in service and the love of God throughout.

“We don’t have to know what God’s plan is for anything, especially with everything that went wrong on our trip,” said Ms. Syck. “God still used it for his good and for his glory. You don’t have to know what God’s plan is; you don’t need to know why God is doing what he’s doing, because we don’t need to. We just need to trust.”

Associates of the Congregation of Divine Providence celebrate golden jubilee and new members

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Laura Keener

Editor

On the 50th anniversary of the Associates program of the Congregation of Divine Providence, Melbourne, Bishop John Iffert celebrated Mass, June 28, in the chapel at Holy Family Home.

The Mass was joyful and filled to near capacity with both Sisters of Divine Providence and many of the over 80 Associates. During Mass, two women, Jerri Abrams of Newport, Ky., and Rachel Alonzo of New Mexico, were received as new Associates.

In his homily, reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the Associates program, Bishop Iffert connected the milestone to the wider witness of consecrated life and God’s abundant love. Consecrated life, he said, gives “witness to the universality of God’s love” and to the way God “shares his love prodigiously.”

Drawing on the image of a garden, Bishop Iffert noted that while people carefully place seed in prepared soil, “that’s not the way God sows seed,” adding that “the whole world is his garden.”

“God shares his love prodigiously, right, with a fecundity and an amazement that just takes hold of the world,” Bishop Iffert said.

For the associates marking this jubilee, Bishop Iffert described their commitment as a decision “to be associated with that” generous love and to share in it through their own vocations. He emphasized that this love reaches beyond family, community and national boundaries, calling believers “to love everyone in a crazy, prodigious way” and “to share that with the world” as fully as they are able.

Founded in 1976, the Associate program invites women and men, including priests, to grow deeper in their spiritual life as associate members of the Congregation of Divine Providence.

Two women shared their story of a call that came in very different ways but led to the same place — a deeper life with God, the sisters and one another.

Mary Helen Bertolini, an associate since the early years of the program, said her path began long before she made her commitment. She had once been in the convent with the Sisters of Divine Providence for 10 years. When she left, she said, the way things were then made the break feel final. “It was like, okay, you left, the doors closed,” she recalled.

Then Divine Providence Sister Mary Catherine Hunt invited former members back for a reunion day. For Ms. Bertolini, it was a moment of grace.

“You could feel the healing in the air,” she said. “The comfort, the welcome.”

After that, she became more connected with the sisters again. When the associate program became part of her life, she said, “It was like kind of coming home.”

For Jerri Abrams, who was received as an associate during the anniversary celebration, the call grew slowly. She had known the sisters as teachers, parish leaders and friends of the community.

“I’ve always found them to be women that were inspirational and fun,” she said. “The seed was planted long ago and just had to wait for the right timing.”

That timing came in a simple way. After Mrs. Abrams made a comment at church, another associate heard it and passed her name along. Soon she received a call.

“I was like, I didn’t call this person, but this person called me,” she said. “How did that happen?”

The story of the Sisters of Divine Providence begins in France in 1762 with Blessed Jean-Martin Moye, a parish priest who saw poor villages where children, especially girls, had little chance for school or faith formation. He sent women into those forgotten places to teach and to serve. They traveled with little security except trust in God. That trust became the heart of the Congregation of Divine Providence.

Today, sisters and associates try to live that same Providence charism. Their daily life is grounded in four fundamental virtues: poverty, simplicity, apostolic charity and abandonment to Divine Providence. For associates, those virtues do not take them away from daily life. They help them live it more deeply.

“You don’t do anything different in the life that’s yours,” Ms. Bertolini said. “This helps you just go deeper.” She said the associate life gives her a community for “walking the gospel path,” with sisters who are “support and friends and prayer partners.”

Mrs. Abrams said the virtue that speaks to her most right now is Abandonment to Divine Providence. As a mother and grandmother, she knows the pull to worry and hold on tight. The sisters’ charism, she said, reminds her to “let God be the leader” and to follow.

“You have to kind of let go of something to get something new,” she said. “You have to empty out to fill up with something refreshing.”

Both women spoke of the sisters not as distant figures, but as real people whose lives show faith in action. Mrs. Abrams said she has come to see how much the sisters have done for “Church families, children,” for people in need, and for justice. “They go beyond that,” she said. “Social justice and fairness and rights of others.”

What draws her most is their joy and closeness. Many have known one another since they were young sisters. After years of teaching, nursing, serving and praying, they now share daily life together. “They’re truly a community of love,” Mrs. Abrams said. “They just are so cool. I just love being around them.”

For Ms. Bertolini, the associate life unfolds one day at a time. “Each day has its own call,” she said. Each morning she asks God to help her “show Christ to others” and “walk the gospel path.” At night, she said, she asks forgiveness for the times she did not, and asks her guardian angel to urge her back when she starts to turn away.

Prayer also keeps associates connected even when they are far apart. During the anniversary celebration, associates drew names and promised to pray for another associate for the year. Ms. Bertolini said that kind of prayer “brings people together as community, whether they’re physically together or they’re not.”

That sense of Providence carried through the weekend. “God’s there,” Ms. Bertolini said. “Providence was right in the midst of it.”

Fifty years after the associate program began, the call continues in quiet, personal ways: through a reunion, a teacher, a church comment, a phone call, a prayer. For Ms. Bertolini, it was homecoming. For Mrs. Abrams, it was a new step on a long faith journey. For both, it is a way to share the sisters’ mission in everyday life, with joy, trust and open hands.

For information about becoming an associate, contact Marilyn Schleyer, ACDP, formation coordinator, at (859) 380-6155 or [email protected].

Foundation Commission’s governance committee reflects on the value of a Diocesan Foundation ahead of final phase

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington’s new strategic planning process is well underway, as the commissions and their sub-committees continue to meet and discuss the future of the Diocese. Discerning together, with the Holy Spirit, how best to serve the needs of diocesan schools, the community of Catholic Charities and the future of charitable giving in the Diocese through 2030 and beyond. Soon, the committee chairs will meet with Bishop John Iffert to update him on progress made and discuss with him possible next steps for their respective commissions.

Each commission has at least three sub-committees with Catholic Charities and Schools Commission having four. The committees of each commission are unique and were formed to serve specific functions within the structure of that commission. However, each has a governance sub-committee whose role is to evaluate the systems and structures currently in place for their commissions organization and to determine the best system of governance moving forward.

John Garvey III, Governance sub-committee co-chair for the Foundation Commission, shared that the strategic planning process, for them, has been one of education and understanding, immersing themselves in the culture and language of charitable giving through a Diocesan Foundation.

“It’s been a big learning process,” he said. Specifically, on “the needs of the Diocese as a whole, and the opportunity to explore the concept of a foundation, and how that could be of great service to many aspects of diocesan life and parish life, and the schools.”

“It’s been very fun,” said Mr. Garvey, “to dream big and contemplate whether a foundation could bring value to serving God’s people.”

To help the sub-committee discern the potential value of a foundation, the Foundation Commission has met with Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, school principals from the Diocese of Cleveland, and the development staff of the Christ Hospital Foundation. Throughout these meetings, the governance sub-committee has explored the models of different foundations so that they can make an educated recommendation to Bishop Iffert.

“The question, or the common refrain is, … ‘What does this really look like? How does it change lives? How does it improve parish life, improve education, improve charitable services, improve the functioning of the Curia.’ We’re looking for best practices and success stories,” said Mr. Garvey.

For Mr. Garvey, the possibility of a foundation surpasses the dollars and cents which could be raised, it exceeds the material goods which a foundation might steward. It is rather a foundation rooted in service to the Diocese and to the people, focused on the mission of the Diocese.

“Our Diocese, hands down, has everything it needs to get people into Heaven, that’s my belief in this foundation. My goal, my hope, is that collective wisdom to move forward with one (a foundation). I have an unshakable belief that a foundation in Covington would absolutely advance that goal.”

Youth Ministry interns host CONNECT Retreat for middle schoolers teaching them to do small things with great love

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington Office of Youth Ministry hosted the first of its bi-annual CONNECT middle school retreats. These retreats offer middle school students throughout the Diocese of Covington a chance to gather, connect and grow together in love of their faith.

The theme this year was “do small things with great love,” the well-known teaching of St. Terese of Lisieux. Twenty-seven middle schoolers came together in prayer, learning together how they can do small things with great love.

Leadership team members and current Thomas More University, Crestview Hills, students Dexter Bent, Eli Brown, Samuel Fisder and Adam Scott, recalled how the students interacted with the theme throughout the day, keeping it at the forefront of their prayer.

“It was really neat seeing them going up the front near the Eucharist and praying in front of it, kneeling on the hard ground … it was a small thing, but it meant a lot for them to do that,” said Mr. Fisder.

Small group leader, Mr. Brown, said that it was the student’s engagement with the theme which moved him. “The answers that some of the kids gave were really insightful, on topic. It kind of gave a statement to their knowledge of the faith, and where they were at individually.”

The students were able to engage with the theme in practical, hands-on ways.

“The activities were even centered around it,” said Angie Poat, director of the Office of Youth Ministry. “The small groups built roses out of Legos, so it was very practical, hands on — all ways from the activities, the discussion, the prayer.”

At the conclusion of the day, the small groups had assembled a bouquet of Lego roses, which was laid at the foot of a large rosary.

“The idea is small things with great love, like each Lego piece builds up the bigger act,” said Mr. Bent, emcee for the event.

This is the first CONNECT retreat planned entirely by the Office of Youth Ministry interns, which is currently comprised of Thomas More University students.

“These interns were using their gifts to create something special and unique that was for that day, that time, that moment,” said Mrs. Poat. “Seeing it executed so beautifully is what discipleship is all about, so we were multiplying the ministry in the way that the Lord intended.”

As they were planning the retreat, Mr. Bent said the interns had one goal in mind, “to spread youth ministry across the Diocese. My personal goal in any type of youth ministry ever is that the kids have fun, that they’re associated with the Church.”

“Helping the kids to understand that they can start practicing their faith now, is a huge, huge goal,” said Mr. Brown. “Even though they’re really young, the passion for the faith is still incredibly visible, it’s very vibrant, especially the young kids. It’s really cool to see not just the future of the Church, but also the Church starting to grow in the present,” he said.

Mr. Scott wants to remind students that it might be easy to forgo small retreats like these but encourages students to come.

“It’s very laid back, there’s not really any pressure. You just come, have fun and have that prayerful experience … I think they can be very powerful,” he said.

FIRE Foundation of Northern Kentucky awards grants to six diocesan schools, funding inclusive education

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Staff Report

The FIRE Foundation of Northern Kentucky — a nonprofit dedicated to Catholic education for children of all abilities — has announced the awarding of $154,600 in grants to six Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Covington, helping expand inclusive educational opportunities for students with diverse learning needs. The grants represent a significant investment in creating school environments where every child is welcomed, supported and empowered to succeed academically, socially and spiritually.

“This is truly a testament to the energy, effort, heart and soul that our schools and educators are putting into inclusive education,” said Missy Hail, president of the FIRE Foundation of Northern Kentucky. “We are inspired by their dedication and honored to partner with them in this important work. These grants help ensure that more students can experience the life-changing benefits of a Catholic education where they know they belong.”

For the 2026–2027 school year, grant recipients through the FIRE Foundation include: St. Therese School, Southgate; St. Henry Catholic School, Erlanger; Mary, Queen of Heaven School, Erlanger; St. Joseph School, Crescent Springs; St. Pius X School, Edgewood and St. Agnes School, Ft. Wright.

The funding provided will support a variety of inclusion-focused initiatives, including full-time special educators, paraprofessional staff, contracted speech and language therapy services, a reading specialist, special education classroom resources and supplies and seating and equipment, such as a chair lift, to further accessibility in the grant-receiving schools.

“These grants are helping schools build sustainable programs that directly impact students, teachers, and families,” Mrs. Hail added. “Together, we are creating a culture of belonging in our Catholic schools where every student is valued and given the opportunity to thrive.”

Through its grant-making efforts, the FIRE Foundation of Northern Kentucky continues to champion inclusive Catholic education by providing funding, advocacy and resources that help schools welcome and educate students of all abilities. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in the “belief that inclusive education benefits everyone. Students with disabilities receive meaningful educational opportunities, while their peers develop empathy, leadership and a deeper appreciation for diversity. Schools become stronger, families feel supported and entire communities are enriched.”

For more information about the FIRE Foundation of Northern Kentucky or to support its mission of inclusive Catholic education, visit www.firefoundationnky.org.

Parish Kitchen breaks ground on multipurpose space, prayer room, expanded facilities

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

On an overcast summer morning, June 25, employees and volunteers of Catholic Charities and its ministry, Parish Kitchen, gathered on the Parish Kitchen campus, Covington, to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new multipurpose building and prayer room to be built onto the Parish Kitchen campus.

The project, which includes space for Parish Kitchen’s Mobile Food Pantry — a truck that brings necessary food items to the Diocese of Covington’s six southernmost counties — will also feature a quiet prayer room, complete with a donated Stations of the Cross and additional space for storage. Also occupying the new space, in part, will be aspects of the Pickett’s Corner ministry, dedicated to providing working bicycles to those in need of a reliable, affordable and healthy transportation option.

Construction on the space will begin officially on July 13, said Deacon Barry Henry, who was hired as Catholic Charities’ Director of Community Ministries and Outreach ahead of the project.

“We’re really excited about getting this project started,” Deacon Henry said, looking forward to having more space for mobile food pantry and Pickett’s Corner facilities, and especially the prayer room, which will serve as a quiet place for guests and volunteers to connect and reflect. “I think that it will be a very big blessing.”

Chris Goddard, executive director, said that the idea for the project originated with Bishop Emeritus Roger Foys — who wanted to bring Parish Kitchen’s mission past the three northern counties of the diocese. This began with the mobile food pantry — but as needs grew, so did the necessity for space and facilities to support the growing ministry.

The ministry serves as “not only a potential way to be the hands and feet of Christ,” Mr. Goddard said, “but then also to minister to the spiritual needs of our volunteers.”

Parish Kitchen, to bring the project to life, is working with their construction partner, Century Construction, as well as architect Craig Chamberlain — who additionally works at the Parish Kitchen as weekend staff, a chance opportunity which Mr. Goddard described as a “gift from God.”

“The whole campus there is intended to live out the great commission of spreading the good news,” said Mr. Goddard, with Parish Kitchen serving through actions, words and evangelization — these additions underway, especially the added prayer room, support this mission.

‘Do not be afraid,’ Bishop Iffert tells graduates at TMU baccalaureate Mass

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Graduations among students in the Diocese of Covington began, May 15, with a Mass celebrating Thomas More University’s Class of 2026.

Many of the university’s graduating seniors — dressed in caps, gowns and tassels — were there to celebrate their achievements alongside the faculty, staff and administrators that guided them along the way to the weekend of their graduation, with commencement to be held the following day.

Bishop John Iffert was also present to celebrate the Mass at the university’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel. In his homily, he began by emphasizing words from the day’s Gospel: “Do not be afraid.”

“These words addressed to Jesus’s own disciples speak directly to us and directly to you, the class of 2026,” Bishop Iffert told graduates.

He compared them to St. Thomas More, the university’s patron, describing him as someone who loved “learning” and “his family,” who “served the common good with his whole living.”

“In that sense,” said Bishop Iffert, “his life looks a great deal like what you aspire to, like the aspirations celebrated by the degree that you will receive tomorrow. But what makes Thomas More a saint and not simply a successful graduate is this: When the decisive moment of challenge came, he knew who he was before God, and he refused to betray that truth.”

St. Thomas More famously sided with the Catholic Church during the protestant reformation and refused to acknowledge the queenship of Anne Boleyn after King Henry VIII divorced his first wife — and was executed for treason as a result.

“Jesus says,” Bishop Iffert quoted, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, rather be afraid of those who can destroy both soul and body. These are challenging words,” he said, “but they are ultimately liberating.”

These words “remind us that your identity in mind is not rooted in a resume or salary or status or any yardstick of success,” Bishop Iffert said. “Your deepest identity is that you are known, loved and called by God.”

Continuing, Bishop Iffert posed another question and challenge to graduates: “Will you have the courage to live the truth?”

Throughout life, graduates will encounter “pressure, pressure to compromise, pressure to remain silent, pressure to redefine truth according to convenience or popular opinion or the conventions of your industry,” Bishop Iffert said.

“Do not be afraid,” he told them once more. “Do not be afraid to let your conscience be formed by truth, not by pressure. Do not be afraid to promote peace and the dignity of every human person.”

Concluding, Bishop Iffert said to graduates, “Today we entrust you to the intercession of St. Thomas More. May he help you to unite intellect and conscience, success and holiness, service and fidelity … congratulations, graduates. Do not be afraid. And always remember — you are called to be saints.”

Diocese moves forward with four commissions rooted in With One Heart

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Laura Keener, Editor

As the Diocese of Covington ends its contractual business relationship with the Catholic Leadership Institute, the diocesan priorities identified in the With One Heart pastoral plan continue. This time, guided by consultants of L’Etoile Development Services, and through the establishment of four planning commissions.

Four years ago, as Bishop Iffert celebrated his one-year anniversary as shepherd of the Diocese of Covington, he announced the With One Heart pastoral planning initiative. The process was led by the Catholic Leadership Institute and funded by generous anonymous benefactors.

The multi-year WOH planning process began with a Disciple Maker Index survey, where every parishioner in the Diocese was asked to complete a 72-question survey reflecting “on their journey of discipleship and their parish’s effectiveness in supporting that journey.” Additionally, listening sessions were held in parishes throughout the Diocese.

Hosting the listening sessions, gathering and analyzing data into an identifiable and workable pastoral plan became the work of the Pastoral Planning Commission, a group of 11 people including clergy, religious and laity. From the data, the Planning Commission identified three diocesan priorities — Faith Formation, Evangelization and Leadership Development.

Over the course of the last four years, Bishop John Iffert, Deacon Jim Fortner, Jamie Schroeder, chancellor, and CLI consultant, Carla Molina, worked with a group 10 people — the WOH Core Team — who provided feedback and helped keep the implementation of the strategic plan on track.

During Lent 2026, a second DMI survey was conducted. Parishes throughout the diocese will use the data from this second survey to determine how well parish pastoral plans were implemented and what opportunities remain as they develop a new pastoral plan for their parish.

At the Diocesan level, four commissions have been established — Schools Commission, Catholic Charities Commission, Foundation Commission and Diocesan Governance Commission — to work on the development of its new strategic plan.

These commissions and their subcommittees did not emerge in isolation, said Deacon Fortner. Rather, they are the latest expression of the With One Heart pastoral planning process, which identified three perennial priorities for the local Church: faith formation, evangelization and leadership development.

In a recent interview, Deacon Fortner reflected on how the work underway today grows directly from that earlier discernment. What may appear to be a new set of initiatives, he said, is actually “building on what we’ve got in place,” as the Church continues to respond to the foundational priorities first named through With One Heart.

Those priorities provided a framework for recognizing where sustained attention and broader participation are needed. Faith formation remains visible in the continuing work of schools, catechetical efforts and parish formation. Evangelization has shaped outreach through service and ministries that invite people into deeper relationship with the Church. Leadership development has underscored the need to cultivate structures, resources and people capable of carrying ministries forward.

“We come back to the lay faithful and ask, based on these strategies, what’s our priority here now going forward?” Deacon Fortner said.

Deacon Fortner pointed to several examples. The ministries of Catholic Charities, he noted, are not only a work of mercy but also a pathway to evangelization, especially when younger people encounter the Church through service and volunteerism. Schools continue to play a central role in faith formation. Efforts tied to foundations and governance, meanwhile, highlight the importance of leadership development and stewardship for the future.

The current commissions and their subcommittees can therefore be understood as an extension of that pastoral vision. In areas where earlier priorities were only partially realized, these bodies now provide the structure to carry the work further. Rather than abandoning the original plan, the diocesan process is deepening it — bringing more people into discernment, sharpening strategy and translating pastoral priorities into ongoing action.

“This process, with all these people involved, that is a step change difference,” Deacon Fortner said pointing to the 373 planners involved with the commissions. “I think it is going to help really take us to a whole other level; this is breakthrough thinking,” he said.

That continuity also offers an important message for the lay faithful. As new strategies are introduced, the Church is not starting over. Instead, it is returning to the core priorities that have guided the pastoral plan from the beginning and asking how they can be lived more fully now. The commissions are one way of answering that question — creating focused avenues for collaboration, accountability and long-term mission.

“I’m pretty excited about that,” said Deacon Fortner as he realizes how the Holy Spirit has been guiding the pastoral planning, and now the strategic planning, process.

Seen in that light, the commissions are not separate from With One Heart; they are one of its clearest fruits. Their work, and the work of their subcommittees, represents the ongoing effort to realize the pastoral priorities of faith formation, evangelization and leadership development in practical, sustainable ways across the life of the Diocese.