Archive for category: Featured Stories

Laura Keener

Editor

Receptions in Erlanger was teeming with volunteers and supporters of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington, March 10, for the annual appreciation dinner. Bishop Iffert, Chris Goddard, executive director, and Deacon Barry Henry, director of Community Ministries and Outreach, welcomed and honored guests.

“The Gospel tells us in Christ’s own words, whatever you did for one of these least of mine, you did for me,” said Deacon Henry as he expressed gratitude to all the volunteers that make the many ministries at Catholic Charities thrive. “Look around tonight, you’ll see the face of Christ. You are the face of Christ to the poor, the marginalized when we serve with those around us.”

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of two awards, the Marcella Strategier Angel of Hope Award and the Community Partner Award.

This year’s Angel of Hope Award was awarded to Rose Schlosser. Jill Walch, director of Donor and Volunteer Engagement, introduced Mrs. Schlosser, highlighting her humility and dedication.

“When we approached Rose about receiving this award, she did something very characteristic. She cried and said, ‘Why me?’” said Ms. Walch. “The answer is simple. That humility is exactly why Rose is the perfect recipient of this award.”

Mrs. Schlosser is a “behind-the-scenes angel, quiet, steady, faithful and deeply compassionate woman,” said Ms. Walch. Mrs. Schlosser serves and prepares meals at Parish Kitchen and does whatever needs to be done. She and her husband also are prolific gardeners, sharing their produce with the Parish Kitchen so that guests have fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Rose is also deeply attentive to the people she serves,” said Ms. Walch. “She notices when guests are not present and she worries about them. Her concern is genuine, tender and rooted in love.”

As a member of the cooking team, Mrs. Schlosser also cooks for staff and board meetings. “Her meals nourish not only our bodies but also the sense of community and connection we share in our work,” said Ms. Walch.

CommonSpirit Health was the recipient of the Community Partner Award. For a decade, CommonSpirit Health has been a pillar of generosity and compassion for the families of St. Joseph Apartments, a supportive housing program serving formerly homeless families with disabilities. Brandy Medaugh, client care specialist and St. Joseph Apartment case manager, praised the partnership as one rooted in genuine service from the very first day. “They didn’t come seeking recognition,” she recalled. “They came with a genuine desire to give back and to strengthen our community.”

Over the years, CommonSpirit has provided everything from school supplies to holiday support, even maintaining their commitment through the pandemic. “Every time they returned with more than was expected — more items, more support, more blessings,” Ms. Medaugh said.

One of the most transformative moments was the redesign of the Christmas program, which empowered children to “earn” gifts through goal‑setting. “It wasn’t about giving less — it was about giving differently,” she explained. “It was about the blessing of giving, the dignity of working hard, and the joy of earning something meaningful.”

In the summer of 2025, Ms. Medaugh launched a literacy program at St. Joseph Apartments, and CommonSpirit immediately jumped in, providing tutors who worked weekly with children. They created homework stations and built a literacy library.

“When I met with the schools before the holidays, they shared that reading scores for several of the children in the program had improved,” said Ms. Medaugh. “That was huge, a direct result of the dedication, consistency and unwavering support of this partnership.”

Ms. Medaugh concluded with gratitude: “Because of you, families are stronger, children are learning, and communities are brighter.”

In his remarks, Mr. Goddard reflected on the importance of service, gratitude, and spiritual encounter. Calling the evening’s event his “favorite day as part of Catholic Charities,” Mr. Goddard said the gathering allows staff and volunteers to pause from daily responsibilities to “stop, reflect, rejoice and acknowledge all the great work.”

He emphasized that their mission extends beyond operations to meaningful human connection, noting that Catholic Charities strives to “encounter them in a deeper way” through intentional practices like prayer groups and Bible studies.  Inspired by the Gospel story of the woman at the well — his “absolute favorite Bible story” — Mr. Goddard highlighted encounter as the heart of transformation for both volunteers and those they serve.

“And as Bishop Iffert reminds us so beautifully, it’s through that encounter that we’re often we’re the ones that are transformed. It’s in growing in that relationship with Christ as a volunteer that we grow ourselves,” Mr. Goddard said.

Bishop Iffert ended the evening saying to those present, “You are like God. You remind me of God,” as an awesome silence fell over the room. “I think we forget that we are supposed to desire to be like God.” Not in an all-powerful, cosmic superhero kind of way, but “we are called to aspire to be like the essential character of God … to be merciful in the way God is merciful … in his capacity for compassion, for mercy, for love.”

“What you’re doing is you’re sharing in the divine work of God to be merciful to those who need him and then to participate in his divine creativity, to spread that goodness around the world,” Bishop Iffert said. “That’s what you do. That’s why we’re so grateful. That’s why this room is such a joy to be part of.”

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Mandy Sanchez, director of programming at Culture Reframed, will return to the Diocese of Covington for a public presentation, “AI: The Dangers of an Increasingly Digital World.” Dr. Sanchez has been educating the public on pornography and violence for over 20 years, specializing in sexual violence, the intersectionality of gender, sexualities, place and trauma. Twice previously, Dr. Sanchez has presented in the Diocese on the dangers of social media, pornography and the relationship between the two.

These past presentations were well received by attendees. “What we found was that there were a lot of people who were not in the know about how social media was affecting kids,” said Julie Feinauer, director for the Safe Environment Office in the Diocese of Covington. “This time she’s going to focus more on AI (Artificial Intelligence). I think that parents are really nervous about how AI is not only affecting their kids, how their kids are using it, but also how it’s being used against their kids in certain aspects,” she said.

The dangers of AI are plentiful with deepfake images, false information and impersonation of one’s identity on the rise. The question remains, “how do we allow students to use this wonderful tool, but also stay safe,” asks Mrs. Feinauer.

Dr. Sanchez will host a public presentation at Bishop Howard Memorial Auditorium, on March 25, beginning at 7 p.m. She will also host a private presentation for teachers, principals and school staff.

“I hope for our principals and school staff that what they’re able to find is that AI can be something that can be used safely when there are specific guidelines set in place. Or, if they’re choosing not to allow students to use it, how can they keep it out if that’s something they’re choosing to do,” said Mrs. Feinauer. “I think that it’s important that they understand that it’s out there and it’s not going away. So, how do they incorporate it in a way that is safe?”

Much of what Dr. Sanchez will discuss is sensitive in nature and may be “hard to hear,” said Mrs. Feinauer. “Especially for people who have been taken advantage of online or if they’re a survivor in any way.” The March 25 presentation is free and open to the public, however only those 18 years of age or older are permitted to attend.

“There are these new exciting tools that are out there, but all of it comes at a price,” said Mrs. Feinauer. “We have to understand that if we’re going to use these tools, we have to know all they can offer. But also, we have to know the safety precautions to take in order to use them effectively and safely.”

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

One of over 400 catechumens and candidates to enter into the Church in the Diocese of Covington this year, catechumen Chris Santiago of Mother of God Parish, Covington, will be baptized and receive the sacrament of First Communion at this year’s Easter Vigil.

A teacher working for the Cincinnati nonprofit Healthy Visions, Mr. Santiago’s conversion story began with his friend and former girlfriend and her grandfather, and their influence in his life.

Although her grandfather passed away last March, Mr. Santiago describes these interactions as “integral” to his story.

“We went to Church with him all the time,” Mr. Santiago said. “He had stage four cancer.”

Previously having no ties to religion, Mr. Santiago’s time with his previous girlfriend and her grandfather developed his relationship with God.

When they first started going to Mass together, “It was for her,” said Mr. Santiago, “and her family.”

Although Mr. Santiago describes going to Mass with her family as “nice and peaceful,” a turning point occurred during a day of prayer in Cincinnati — where he and his girlfriend were climbing steps, praying the rosary together in a crowd of other faithful.

“All of it was kind of breathtaking,” he said, “And it was, ‘wow!’ … It was something that took me back.”

Her grandfather, who had continued to get sicker, passed away sometime afterwards — and from there, Mr. Santiago’s relationship to God continued to grow.

“I’m building this relationship with God, and it’s just kind of snowballing into this thing,” Mr. Santiagio said. “I started feeling close to God.”

Although Mr. Santiago and his former girlfriend have since separated, the two are still friends — with her still showing up to support him on his faith journey.

“I always appreciate her for bringing me close to God,” he said, “because I feel like this connection that I have … I needed it more than anything. I was getting to a point in my life where I’m 28 years old, I have a good job, I have a good house — I’m doing all the things I’m supposed to do, but I still felt like I needed something … and I didn’t know what I needed. And, come to find out, it was this thing that every Sunday — that I was kind of like ‘Oh, here we go again!’ — but actually putting down my head, paying attention and worshipping … these past couple months have been amazing.”

Mr. Santiagio expressed his excitement as the Easter Vigil approaches, especially towards receiving his first Communion.

“All these conversations we’ve had about the power of God and Jesus, and we’re actually taking him in … it’s kind of overwhelming a bit to me. The idea of doing that as one of the sacraments and being able to do that for the rest of my life — it’s kind of amazing,” he said. “And I can’t wait.”

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

A crowd gathered in the Curia’s Bishop Howard Memorial Hall, Covington, for a presentation titled “An Evening of Prayer, Reflection and Conversation”, March 2. The presentation, organized by the Intercommunity Sisters Peace and Justice Committee, welcomed Thomas More University’s Hannah Keegan, director of the Center for Faith, Mission and Catholic Education, as the speaker. The presentation discussed Catholic social teaching and its key principals through the lens of two Papal documents: Pope Francis’s “Dilexit Nos” (“He loved us”) and Pope Leo XIV’s “Dilexi Te” (“I have loved you”).

The documents — which speak mutually on Christ’s human and divine love — are continuations of each other. “Dilexi Te” was originally conceived by Pope Francis before his passing and later completed and published by Pope Leo XIV last October.

The presentation tackled themes such as humility, love and the dignity of the poor — with Hannah Keegan defining key principles within Catholic social teaching. (These principles being human dignity, common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, universal destination of goods and option for the poor and vulnerable.)

“Everything that Pope Leo is saying is built on the non-negotiable reality that all human beings share an intrinsic dignity due to being made in God’s image and likeness,” Mrs. Keegan said. “And this dignity is not dependent on wealth status, economic status, mental or physical functioning.”

She described this with the words “Dignitas Infinita,” or infinite dignity — as outlined in “Dilexi Te.”

“There’s a kind of material dignity that you can’t lose,” said Mrs. Keegan. “Someone who’s living in homelessness is not living in a dignified place, and we have to recognize that, but they can never lose their intrinsic dignity.”

“We, who have enough, have the responsibility — we’re obligated — that we should have a particular preference for the poor and the vulnerable, for those who can not care for themselves adequately,” she said.

Mrs. Keegan also encouraged those at the presentation to read the documents for themselves — citing them as a “great thing to read for Lent.”

“It’s so helpful to put your heart in the place of receiving what the Holy Spirit is asking right now,” she said.

Laura Keener

Editor

The public phase of the Diocesan Parish Annual Appeal kicked-off, March 3, with the first of two dinners. Over 50 people gathered with Bishop John Iffert, Lisa Knochelmann, DPAA general chair and Dr. Greg Salzman, DPAA leadership gifts chair, at Blue Licks State Park for the event.

Before the dinner, guests perused a mini-ministry fair with eight diocesan offices and 3 community ministries benefiting from the DPAA sharing their good works.

With her involvement leading the DPAA this year and last year, Mrs. Knochelmann said, “I’ve learned more about many of the organizations that the campaign helps support. It’s a blessing to hear their stories and see the good works they do.”

The theme for this year’s DPAA is “Live as Children of Light,” from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (5:8–9): “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

“When I read that Scripture, I can’t help thinking of that great proclamation also from the Gospels, ‘you are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Let your light shine,’” Bishop Iffert told attendees.

This year, in addition to monetary goals each parish has been assigned a participation goal. According to Jennifer Cox, DPAA secretary, the DPAA team has been noticing a trend. Each year, while the DPAA monetary goal is greatly exceeded, fewer parishioners have been making pledges.

“By giving a participation goal, we thought it would encourage those that just want to get started,” she said, encouraging everyone to give a little.

The participation goal is calculated using last year’s number of parishioner participants and adding five percent. It’s important to note that an increase in participation and any increase in DPAA monetary donations does not affect a parish’s future DPAA goal. Instead, DPAA goals are calculated using a three-year average of a parish’s weekly collections. Also, like in year’s past, all monies collected over and above a parish’s goal is rebated back to the parish for parish projects.

At the dinner, Dr. Salzman announced that the DPAA’s first phase, the leadership gifts phase, has raised $690,065 in pledges from 146 donors towards the DPAA’s $2.754 million goal.  During the leadership gifts phase, 50 solicitors reached out to the top 250 donors of last year’s DPAA asking them to match or increase their gift to the DPAA.

“To those who have already donated and committed, we say ‘Thank You,’” said Dr. Salzman.

The second DPAA kick-off dinner is planned for March 5 at Receptions, Erlanger. Other important dates are announcement weekend, March 14–15 and commitment weekend, March 21–22, both in parishes.