Seminary Ball returns for 2024 event with new location and video focusing on new ‘Propaedeutic Year’ of seminarian formation

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

The Seminary Ball — an annual soiree raising money for the Seminarian Education Fund — is preparing to return for its 2024 event the evening of Oct. 18.

This year, the event will be held at a new location, the Receptions event center in Erlanger, and will feature a full open bar for the entirety of the evening, and a tent-covered outdoors to enjoy during cocktail hour before and after the program. John Garvey, the emcee for last year’s event, will be returning to emcee at the 2024 Seminary Ball — and the seminarian “Q&A” with Bishop John Iffert, which allowed attendees to submit questions for the seminarians, will return as well.

Deacon Joshua Heskamp, who entered the transitional diaconate early this year and will be ordained in the upcoming spring, will be the seminarian speaker at the event.

In addition to these changes, the yearly video that releases for the Seminary Ball as promotion for the Seminarian Education Fund, will be focusing on a new aspect of seminarian formation in the United States — the Propaedeutic Year — with perspectives from seminarians William Fuller and Andrew Pugh, who entered seminary last year and were among the first to experience this additional year of “prayer, study and community.”

“We’ll be talking about the Propaedeutic Year and those new stages of formation, called the PPF, or Program of Priestly Formation,” said Jim Hess, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Mission, which hosts the ball. “That’ll be a knowledge piece — we’re trying to make people more aware of where they are.”

With intention on teaching and sharing more about the process that seminarians go through, changes to both seminarian posters and pages on the diocesan website are being put into place as well. The new PPF is divided into four stages: the Propaedeutic Stage (Build the Basics), the Discipleship Stage (Deepen Faith), the Configuration Stage (Shepherd Like Christ) and the Transitional Diaconate (Unite and Ordain).

“It’s still very much worth looking into the Propaedeutic Year and applying for the seminary,” William Fuller says in the new video, “because here you’ll have more opportunity to pray than anywhere else — and prayer is really where discernment lives.”

Currently, there are five seminarians in the Diocese of Covington — and all the money raised the night of the Seminary Ball goes into funding their education, as well as the money raised in the collection the following weekend, said Mr. Hess. “The ball benefits the collection directly.”

For more information on the Seminary Ball, or to register for the event, visit https://covdio.org/seminaryball/.

‘Please, thank you and I’m sorry’ are the keys to a long marriage, Bishop Iffert quotes Pope Francis at wedding anniversary vespers

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Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

The Office of Catechesis and Evangelization hosted the annual wedding anniversary vespers, Sept. 15, Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, where couples celebrating significant anniversaries are invited to meet and be blessed by Bishop Iffert. The couples join Bishop Iffert in celebrating solemn vespers and a vow renewal ceremony before being greeted and blessed individually.

“Congratulations to everyone that is here today,” said Bishop Iffert, “because this year you are celebrating a milestone anniversary. We have folks who are here, 70-plus years of married life together. We have folks that are still finishing their first year together and will be marking their first anniversary.”

In his homily, Bishop Iffert recalled some advice given to young couples by Pope Francis early in his papacy. “What Pope Francis told these young couples, who are newly married, he asked them to remember three words … really the first words that your parents taught you to share with others.” The words, Bishop Iffert said, are please, thank you and I’m sorry.

During his time as a parish priest, Bishop Iffert was often asked to work with couples who seemed to be having a hard time adjusting to married life. Though he had little experience with marital counseling, Bishop Iffert asked the couples to develop three habits.

“The first habit I would like you to develop is, I would like you to remember to talk to one another every day. Not to talk about who’s going to take out the trash, who’s going to pick up the kids … 10 minutes a day or more where you talk to one another the way you talked to one another when you were courting. Speak to one another about your dreams, speak to one another about your ideals, about your hopes, about what you long for, about the person you still want to be and want to become … share what we find beautiful, to find in one another still that you are discovering one another, that you are still a land of surprises to one another, that you can still surprise each other even after years and years and years of marriage,” said Bishop Iffert.

The habit of speaking to one another so deeply, reinforces the same message as saying please does, not taking one another for granted. “Saying please is an indication that we will not take one another for granted … say please, don’t take one another for granted, talk to one another about your ideas and dreams every day,” said Bishop Iffert.

The second habit Bishop Iffert asked the couples to develop is gratefulness for one another, reinforced by saying thank you. “Second Pope Francis says … remember every day to say thank you. Remembering to say thank you reminds us that we are grateful for one another, that we are gifts to one another,” said Bishop Iffert. “There is a second practice that I used to encourage couples to take part in every day, and that is every day to come up with … another reason to be grateful to your spouse. As I would walk through this exercise with people, I was amazed at the beautiful things people would say, sometimes extraordinarily ordinary but nonetheless fruitful, beautiful … Think of another reason to be grateful for one another, and as often as you can, to share a compliment, to compliment the other. So, that they know that you are grateful, that you are not taking them for granted.”

“The third is very simple … he [Pope Francis] said when you hurt one another, and you will hurt one another … be quick to say, ‘I’m sorry,’” Bishop Iffert said. “Those words remind us of the responsibility we have of one another. To draw one another towards Christ, to draw one another towards salvation, we all get harmed from time to time, we forget we all do some of the harming from time to time. Let us remember that we are reliant on the grace of God and that your marriage is one of the graces that God intends for you.”

As part of drawing each other towards salvation in the action of saying I’m sorry, Bishop Iffert said, is the third habit that he invites couples to develop. “The third practice that I always encourage people in their marriage is to pray with one another. I believe it is the most intimate thing we can do, to really be a child of God in front of one another. To be the person God calls us to be, and together to come before the Lord as his children.”

“The Pope asks those of you who are newly married, and he asks those of you who have been married for seven decades, don’t take one another for granted, say please, be grateful for one another, say thank you, and when you harm one another, be quick to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ To ask for forgiveness from the bottom of your heart and ask much as you can to give that forgiveness willingly and easily, knowing it is a reflection of the way we ask God for forgiveness each day. Let me propose alongside, please, thank you, and I’m sorry, let me propose these three little practices, no matter what stage of marriage you are in. Speak to one another about the things that are most important to your heart, and to yourself … Be grateful for one another, everyday think of something new about why you are so grateful for the gift of one another…Third, pray with one another. Every day, if you’re not already, invite the Lord into your marriage,” said Bishop Iffert to conclude his homily.

With over 4,700 cumulative years of marriage sitting in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, both the Pope’s and Bishop Iffert’s advice did not fall on deaf ears. Husbands and wives shared glances at each other throughout the homily

A matter of dignity: Jail ministry isa pro-life issue, says Benedictine

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

For the last few years, Benedictine Sister Dorothy Schuette corresponds regularly through letters with incarcerated inmates — nowadays, this is the primary way that Sister Dorothy serves the imprisoned, but her ministry began early on, in 1991.

Working at Mother of God Church, Covington, at the time, the Kenton County jail was on her route. She started visiting the jail, and there learned of the Exodus ministry.

“That was, at that time,” Sister Dorothy explained, “started through the Interfaith Commission of Northern Kentucky. That was a good training program for people who were interested in this ministry, and it was people from different denominations — another important feature I thought was good, because it meant that the churches cooperated with each other … it was a real ministry of Christ.”

At the time, Sister Dorothy said she had a “sense of reflection” on how we, as Christians, were called as ministers, “how God was working in us.”

This ministry in the early 90s was just the beginning of Sister Dorothy and the diocese’s involvement in jail ministry, when visitation was the “focus.”

It was when Bishop Emeritus Roger Foys became bishop of Covington that he asked Sister Dorothy to take part in developing a diocesan jail and prison ministry — as none existed through the diocese at the time.

“We were able to learn from other dioceses,” like the Archdiocese of Louisville, Sister Dorothy explained, “I believe the ministry expanded at that time, too, to come to understand that it was important to help people who are incarcerated to continue to come back and forth into jail — the revolving door kind of scenario — that was very obvious in many places, in our poorer areas, especially.”

So, that became part of diocese’s jail ministry, Sister Dorothy said, helping individuals who got out of jail reacclimate into society.

Nowadays, with her letters to a couple of inmates with whom she has a continued relationship, Sister Dorothy has found it important to support them “and the fact that they are valuable human beings. Although they may not ever have a change of residence besides the prison, they are loved and valued — and that counts for something,” Sister Dorothy said.

One woman whom Sister Dorothy corresponds with has become a lay minister, “because she does a lot of giving witness of her own life and encouraging other women there in their pursuit of a decent life … she was telling me in her last letter that there seems to be a decrease in the violence in that jail over the past several years,” said Sister Dorothy, proudly.

In 2009, the diocesan jail and prison ministry switched hands to Catholic Charities, whom Sister Dorothy encourages those interested in getting involved to contact, as they have “formalized” the ministry.

“They’ve brought people in who feel called to this ministry,” said Sister Dorothy, “and have discerned what they can do and what they see as needed or helpful. They’ve done many good things this way.”

However, Sister Dorothy also explains, that is only the “tip of the iceberg”— as with any ministry in the Catholic Church.

While some people are the “visible hands and feet of Christ,” all people need to have a heart that allows for recognizing the dignity of other people, she said — including the incarcerated and inmates on death row — a part of the institution Sister Dorothy believes firmly should be abolished.

“There is no pro-life unless we recognize the dignity of every life,” said Sister Dorothy, “and that is so essential as far as our underpinning.”

Amendment 2 is a ‘need’ not a ‘want,’ said diocesan superintendent

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Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

This coming November, next to presidential candidates and local races, will be ballot Issue 2, and the Diocese is urging for a “Yes” vote. Issue 2 proposes an amendment to the Kentucky constitution wherein the Kentucky “General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools,” reads the proposed amendment.

Should the amendment be passed, it will “allow people in Kentucky to work with legislators so that we can look at improving educational options for students in Kentucky,” said Kendra McGuire, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Covington.

For Mrs. McGuire, the passage of this amendment is not a want, it is a need. “What we see is countless families who struggle to make the tuition payments. Families who are below the poverty threshold established by the government, or very close to it, that it is a great burden on them,” she said.

Currently, every state surrounding Kentucky and 48 out of 50 states, have some form of school choice for grades K12.

“We are kind of pigeonholing the students in K-12. Right now, school choice exists, and state funds can go and support students in preschool programs, it goes to private institutions at the college level in Kentucky. The only group that is not supported are students in the K-12 realm,” Mrs. McGuire continued saying, “We want to be able to help children from the time they are of school age, whether that be preschool all the way through college because it is a vested interest for everybody in Kentucky that every student is successful, that they come out of school well prepared to be contributing citizens of Kentucky.”

Part of what makes the proposed amendment necessary, Mrs. McGuire said, is because no two students are the same. Some students need a fastpaced learning environment, while others need a school more focused on support resources. Without the proposed amendment there is a lack of education opportunities for students and their families.

“As a mom of six children, I can look at each of my children and see the differences in every single child … We know from research that in order for children to be successful and be able to learn, that they have to be able to come into school and feel like they’re welcome, they’re part of the environment. They have to feel like they’re safe, they have to feel like they’re happy and ready for learning. Sometimes students need a different place,” Mrs. McGuire said.

It is important to remember that the amendment itself would not immediately cause change, but rather it would allow for Kentucky lawmakers to discuss potential school choice options. Mrs. McGuire hopes that with the passing of Issue 2, lawmakers will be able to put aside partisans and focus on what is best for the children of Kentucky.

“Hopefully we can set aside this difference between public and nonpublic, and instead we can focus on how we best serve the children in Kentucky,” said Mrs. McGuire. “The children in Kentucky, they all need to be successful, and I think, no matter which side of the issue we are on, we all have the same goal. But at the end of the day if we don’t pass Amendment 2 in November we’re not going to be able to have that conversation of what can be better and what can be improved.”

How can you do that?

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Most Rev. John Iffert

Bishop of Covington

Catholics Embracing All God’s Children (CEAGC) is a support group for parents and family members of gay, lesbian and transgender people. A local group, they are nurtured by and affiliated with a Lexington based group called Fortunate Families. After meeting with members of CEAGC on two prior occasions, I accepted an invitation to celebrate Mass with members of the group and their neighbors at St. Joseph Parish in Cold Spring on the Memorial of St. Augustine. That decision caused some to ask of me, “How can you do that?”

People ask the question naturally enough because the Catholic Church embraces the Scriptural foundations of sexuality and marriage. To be moral, every sexual act is to be both unitive (contributing to a permanent communion of life and love between spouses) and procreative (open to the creation of new human life). God created men and women in a way that complement one another, and their union leads to the continuation of the human family.

In this moral framework, homosexual acts — like every sexual act outside of marriage, and any sexual act between spouses that separates the unitive and procreative dimensions of sexuality — are grave matter for sin. If freely chosen and embraced, such acts can be an obstacle to our salvation. The Church, therefore, calls all her children to be chaste. Those who are married are to be monogamous within marriage, as a sign of God’s own faithfulness to God’s people. The rest of us are called to abstain from sex all together. In recognizing that adults can have a meaningful and fully human life without being sexually active, the Church is an almost unique and clarion voice in our society.

So then, how? First, the Church firmly asserts that all individuals, without regard to orientation, must be accepted with “respect, compassion and sensitivity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2358). Pope Francis teaches, “The Church makes her own the attitude of the Lord Jesus, who offers his boundless love to each person without exception” (Amoris Laetitia, 250). This is to be the attitude of the Church’s ministers and all faithful Catholics. The principle is rooted in the belief that every person is made in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity.

The Church especially recognizes the complexities faced by families whose members identify as gay, lesbian or transgender. “Such families should be given respectful pastoral guidance, so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives” (AL, 250). This is precisely what I hoped to accomplish by offering this Mass with and for these CEAGC families and their neighbors.

Finally, the Church distinguishes between homosexual orientation and homosexual acts. As mentioned above, our attractions and urges do not define us. Before all else, we are children of God. We should look to our relationship with Christ in the Holy Spirit for our purpose and fulfillment.

Nevertheless, some of our brothers and sisters have an exclusive attraction to people of the same sex, and they experience this as an important aspect of who they are. “In so far as the homosexual orientation can lead to sexual activity which excludes openness to the generation of new human life and the essential sexual complementarity of man and woman, it is, in this particular and precise sense only, objectively disordered. However, it must be quite clear that a homosexual orientation must never be considered sinful or evil in itself” (Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Cherishing Life, 111).

The presumption that our gay or lesbian brothers and sisters are guilty of unconfessed sin that would preclude them from receiving the Eucharist is discriminatory and never just.

I received letters and e-mails from about two dozen people urging me not to celebrate Mass with CEAGC. I took each one seriously and investigated each complaint about the group or Fortunate Families. In each case, I judged that the complainant failed to make this distinction between orientation and action, presumed sin that was not in evidence, or failed to make the distinction between supporting persons and endorsing an advocacy agenda. I am happy to report that the liturgy on the Memorial of St. Augustine was a solemn, joyous and prayerful moment. The Church was full. The ministries of hospitality, acolyte, word and music were beautifully and respectfully carried out. I recognized most of those in attendance. They are people who regularly attend our parishes and receive Holy Communion faithfully. I was especially impressed by the number of parents who were grateful that they and their children were welcomed by the Church with respect and warmth.

I called all present to remain prayerfully and studiously open to the teaching of the Church about sexuality and marriage. I also encouraged the congregation with a story of a gay man who once witnessed to me his great love for Christ and the Church. That witness had a lasting effect on my life. I invited all to be living witnesses to others. The full text of my homily is available at www.covdio.org.

Although I was glad to pray with this community and appreciated their invitation to walk with them, I was disturbed that such a simple and natural pastoral response resulted in conflict in this local Church. I asked all present to pray in love for one another, that God bring out of this moment a greater understanding of what the Church teaches and the divine gift of peace and unity. It remains my prayer.

Peace to you and to all who seek the truth with sincerity of heart.

Oil painting of St. Augustine continues a legacy of sacred art, beauty

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In 1909, Cincinnati painter and devout Catholic Frank Duveneck put his finishing touches on murals to decorate the walls of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. Restored by William Blank in 1920, these paintings still boldly decorate the Cathedral’s interior walls — just one example of sacred art that can be found in any number of the Diocese of Covington’s Catholic churches.

“In true beauty, we begin to experience the desire for God,” Pope Francis observed in an address to artists for the 50th anniversary of the Inauguration of the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Art, 2023 — reminiscing on the long-standing friendship between artists and the Church.

St. Augustine also spoke often of beauty, famously lamenting “I have learnt to love you late, Beauty at once so ancient and so new!” in his work Confessions.

How fitting, then, that an oil painting done by an artist native to the diocese features the saint and philosopher — blessed on the feast of St. Augustine, Aug. 28, for St. Augustine Parish, Covington.

The four-and-a-half foot tall painting was commissioned for the church by pastor Father Daniel Schomaker, completed by painter Daniel Zalla during his residency year at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy this past year.

Mr. Zalla grew up in Villa Hills, as a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in Crescent Springs, and of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption during his high school studies at Covington Latin School. While a friend of the family, Mr. Zalla came to know Father Schomaker during his time at Covington Latin as a pontifical server — during which time Father Schomaker was serving as master of ceremonies for Bishop Emeritus (then Bishop) Roger Foys. After graduating from Covington Latin in 2016, Mr. Zalla received his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from Xavier University, before continuing his studies and eventually graduating from the Florence Academy of Art. He learned about the school following a week-long trip to Venice with a former professor.

After receiving the commission in February 2023, Mr. Zalla’s painting of St. Augustine is now proudly displayed in its parish home.

“The most symbolic representation of St. Augustine is identifiable because he’s holding the restless heart,” depicted commonly as a heart ablaze, Mr. Zalla said about the artwork. “That was something that Father Daniel specifically wanted in the painting, and that comes from St. Augustine’s line, ‘our hearts are restless until they rest in you.’”

The painting itself depicts St. Augustine with deliberate detail — dressed in bishop’s vestments and a miter and carrying a crozier. Emotionally, Daniel Zalla hoped to convey a sense of being “illuminated by the light of God” in the work, which he deemed suited due to St. Augustine’s role as a prolific Doctor of the Church, and his “connection with the Divine and inspiration.”

Symbolically, Mr. Zalla depicts this notion through light. The face, the robes, and most of the figure stand illuminated against the dark, gloomy background of the piece — like the light of God bringing him out of darkness, as Mr. Zalla described. This also helps to contrast the illumination from the fire emitting from the restless heart held in St. Augustine’s hand, which points upward and connects additionally to the highlights in the figure’s eyes.

Daniel Zalla composed the painting so that all lines would point upward to the heavens — carrying through the drapery in St. Augustine’s clothing, to the gesture of his hands and the shape of the clouds. “It keeps the energy in the painting pointing upward,” he said, “and that was very important to me.”

To Mr. Zalla, there is an importance in beauty — this culture of beauty is the primary reason he chose a career in classical painting.

“All these little decorative elements in a city, like if you see a light post with a decoration instead of a stark, minimalistic light post; I think it shows that humans are built for more than just doing something as efficiently as possible to get that job done. Having that element of decoration that’s completely unnecessary … we all recognize it as beautiful,” he said.

“It shows that we’re built for more than just this utilitarian purpose, but that we have a higher calling, and we’re connected to something greater than ourselves,” Mr. Zalla said. “When I look at classical painting, it’s the same kind of thing. Maybe painting isn’t necessary for life, but having this beauty around us connects us to a higher level. Maybe that’s an ambitious goal to shoot for, but to use paintings to help people connect with that ideal — that’s why painting is important.”

Covington Catholic students are called to ‘live the spirit of God’s love’ , said Bishop Iffert at centennial Mass

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In the 1920s, the Marianists opened a small school for a class of 32 boys across the street from Mother of God parish, Covington, at the request of Bishop Francis William Howard. Now, exactly 100 years later, 521 boys across 4 grades enrolled at Covington Catholic High School returned to Mother of God to celebrate their centennial year alongside faculty and staff, Aug. 23.

Bishop John Iffert celebrated Mass with the Covington Catholic community, alongside Father Eric Boelscher, Covington Catholic’s pastoral administrator, Father Michael Hennigen, chaplain, Father Matthew Cushing, pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Deacon Joseph Wiedeman and Deacon Hudson Henry. Also concelebrating were Covington Catholic graduates Father Daniel Schomaker, ’98, pastor of St. Augustine Parish, Covington, Father Eric Andriot, ’93, pastor of All Saints Parish, Walton and Father Thomas Robbins, ’66, a retired priest celebrating his 50-year jubilee this year.

Bishop Iffert’s homily focused on love, recalling the question asked to Jesus by the pharisees in that morning’s Gospel reading: “What is the greatest law of all the laws?”

To which Jesus replied, “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You want to know the center of all the Scriptures, the key for interpretation for everything the word of God reveals to us and every religious practice we’re involved in … here it is,” said Bishop Iffert.

As his homily continued, Bishop Iffert mentioned the sacrifices made by the parents of the students gathered, “they longed for you,” he said, “they wanted someone just like you to share their love with.” Full nights of sleep, vacations, dates to dinner and movies and personal space were just some of the sacrifices made, Bishop Iffert described.

That same sacrifice, Bishop Iffert said, is being made so that the students of Covington Catholic can experience the brotherhood that the school is famous for, being the only all-boys high school in the Diocese of Covington.

“The purpose of the brotherhood that is created at CovCath (a nickname for the high school) is to teach you how to see every human being you will ever meet in your life as brother and sister,” said Bishop Iffert, “So that you can practice love.”

“For 100 years,” he continued, “you have been announcing the motto, ‘With a spirit that never dies.’” Bishop Iffert elaborated that the “spirit” described is not a certain selfconfidence, or any other selfish sort of spirit, but it is the spirit of God’s Love.

“You’re the first class to define for the next 100 years what Covington Catholic will be about, whether you will live up to that great motto, and live always the spirit of God’s Love.”

DPAA awards 42 community ministry’s a combined $240,000 at annual event

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Bella Young

Multimedia Correspondent

Forty-two community ministries were recognized at this year’s DPAA Celebration and Recognition Reception, receiving a cumulative $270,000 in grants. Of the 42 community ministries, nine were new, a testament to the success of the overhaul of the grant application process that was conducted by the Office of Stewardship and Mission Services.

“My goal for this years’ service grant process was to make it as easy as possible for you guys to apply and for us to get to this point, the fun point … This year the application was totally online, and we tried to make it is as easy as possible,” said Jim Hess, director of Stewardship and Mission Services.

This new application process made it easier for those in rural areas to apply for grants. Mr. Hess recognizes the difficulty that rural parishes can face when trying to get funding for their community partners, saying that he is especially proud of the nine new parishes who are able to receive grants.

“I especially want to thank the new ministries. I am especially proud of this fact. The Diocese of Covington is the 14 northern most counties of Kentucky, and while the vast share of our parishes and people are in the northern most counties, we serve the entire 14 counties. We reached out to some of the more rural parishes and asked them, ‘If someone comes to you for help where do you send them?’” said Mr. Hess.

Jeff Jehn, DPAA leadership gifts chair, shared some of the success of the 2024 DPAA with those in attendance at the reception.

“We had almost 6,000 contributors to the DPAA, and they donated $3.5 million. The largest gift we received was $25,000 from two different donors. As of August, 1,162 donors gave over $1,000. That in and of itself if impressive.” Mr. Jehn continued, “35 donors giving $10,000 or more which is ten more than we had last year. On behalf of the DPAA program, we are grateful to all of the donors who contributed … So many good organizations are benefiting from the good work that we do in the DPAA.”

Bishop Iffert expressed his gratitude for the work of the honored community ministries, explaining that he has always had a soft spot for local ministry.

“I have always had a preference for work that’s done at the most local level. It’s so often the big splashy national campaigns and things that get the most attention. Really, you don’t have to spend much time around this Diocese, or around this area, or around our state, or country to see that really, there are just a lot of people working, very quietly working, to make the places they live better, more livable places,” said Bishop Iffert. “We’re very proud and a lot of the people doing that work are in our parishes, and schools, and the agencies and organizations that have a connection with the Catholic Church and there also others that do not have a formal connection with us but share that spirit of wanting to have a happy, holy, healthy community for all of our neighbors and that is a wonderful thing.”

Bishop Iffert said that the DPAA Grant Committee that recommends how the DPAA grants be distributed, prefer awarding grants that directly serve people.

“I think many of us share that preference for the local agencies, share that preference for support of the work that neighbors are doing to help neighbors,” said Bishop Iffert. “I thank you all for being part of that and for your good sense and your embodiment of the call to work for the common good, our community. Thank you so much for that.”

Yes on Amendment2 is great for Kentucky education and Catholic schools

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David Cooley

Contributor

There’s nothing quite like the excitement that surrounds the back-to-school season. This time of year, I can’t help but praise God for Catholic schools. Catholic education is such a vital ministry of the Church. It is a ministry that began because the Church was the first to recognize that all people are beloved children of God, have inherent dignity and deserve to have access to the fullness of the truth.

In a Catholic school students encounter Jesus every day. They pray, receive sacraments, learn the faith and participate in ancient traditions. Children grow together, guided by loving adults and learn what it means to be in a Christian community. They are taught to love their neighbors, serve one another, strive for justice and peace and to show mercy and forgiveness.

While it is true that Catholic schools are known for academic excellence and do a fantastic job of preparing young people for college and careers, we recognize that these are just happy byproducts of a school centered on Christ that teaches students about eternity.

Worldly success has its place, but it is nothing compared to our universal call to holiness. Catholic students learn that God created every single person for a unique purpose in life, but ultimately to be happy with Him forever in heaven. It’s a beautiful message, but it’s also the truth, and it creates an environment where all people can flourish and be joyful.

There is an added level of excitement and anticipation this year in Kentucky with the prospect of Amendment 2 on the ballot in November. This amendment to the state’s constitution will enable legislators to implement school choice programs.

The passing of this amendment would be a win for everyone, but it will especially be a win for parents who want to send their child to a Catholic school but otherwise might not have the means to do so. This amendment should lead to allowing all parents to make decisions that reflect their family’s faith and values, ensuring that their children receive an education that aligns with their moral and spiritual worldview.

My hope is that in Kentucky’s near future parents will be able to send their children to whatever school they think is best for them. This could be a public school or a nonpublic school, but all the obstacles that hindered them in the past, such as a financial burden, will be removed. We all want what is best for children and for our society. School choice ensures that children, regardless of their background or neighborhood, receive an education that prepares them for a bright and hopeful future.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there. I encourage everyone to read the amendment and see that it is designed to support all students and families no matter where they are or what their needs might be. If you believe that parents should be able to find the type of education that works best for their child for them to be successful, you can confidently vote YES on Amendment 2. It doesn’t implement a school choice program, but it is a big step in the right direction.

A school where students are taught that they are beloved children of God, that they are called to love and serve their neighbors, strive for justice and peace, and to show mercy and forgiveness to one another is a blessing for all. Catholic schools benefit society in so many ways. We should do everything we can to preserve them for the future.

David Cooley is co-director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Diocese of Covington.

School volunteers say being a part of devoted community is its own reward

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Laura Keener

Editor

The month of August is Back to School month and the perfect opportunity for the Campaign of Mercy to focus on the corporal work of mercy “to instruct the ignorant.” No one likes to think of themselves or others as ignorant. But the truth is, everyone needs someone to show them the right way to accomplish tasks, to help them develop skills, to think critically, to develop their faith life and at times be corrected. It is an act of love to help others to learn the truths they need to know to save souls — their own and others.

Using a broad definition of “instructing the ignorant” to include any opportunity to support Catholic schools in its mission to teach and form students, Catholic schools offer a cornucopia of volunteer opportunities. Tutors, room assistants, cafeteria servers, fundraisers, school promoters, social media coordinators, coaches — the list accommodates just about any interest. And volunteers are always welcome.

Marci Schroder is a parent volunteer at St. Thomas School, Ft. Thomas, where two of her three children attend. She got involved at St. Thomas School two years ago when her daughter started school.

“I was just looking for an opportunity to meet other parents and get involved,” said Mrs. Schroder.

At the time St. Thomas School was planning for its first Green and Gold Gala, its largest fundraising event. Organizers asked Mrs. Schroder if she would co-chair the event. She agreed.

“And it’s kind of just took off from there,” Mrs. Schroder said, “and the next thing you know, I’m getting plugged into everything else.”

In addition to co-chairing the Gala, Mrs. Schroder coaches cheerleading and is a room parent.

“I just help out wherever they need me to,” she said. If you follow Northern Kentucky high school sports, it’s likely that you have met, heard or held a program in your hand produced by Dave Schabell. Mr. Schabell is the voice of Bishop Brossart High School’s boys’ basketball and football as anchor of the Meridix Broadcast team. The 1965 Brossart alumni also operates the BMustangs.com website, serves as business manager and traveling secretary for the BBHS basketball program, edits the basketball program’s Media Guide and organizes fundraisers for the athletic program.

His lifetime of coaching, and now volunteering, has earned him a spot in six Hall of Fames and for one year, in 2022, the road to the BBHS Mustang Athletic Complex bore his name. And while he appreciates being appreciated, he is more humored than boastful by all the accolades, saying that “it’s just what I do.”

“I may swing by, watch the soccer game that night, get a Subway sandwich, sit in the press box, eat dinner, write a little story, go home, put it on the website … one day leads to another, days to weeks, weeks to months, months to years,” Mr. Schabell said.

The 77-year-old bachelor with no children of his own finds his unique position with the BBHS athletic program, which is void of any disciplinary responsibilities, a unique opportunity to help students. His relationship with students spans the generation gap, with the students accepting him as a trusted mentor.

“I got a good rapport with the kids,” Mr. Schabell said. “I try to keep them out of trouble if I see problems occurring. They trust me. I can sit down and talk to a kid and say, ‘Hey, let’s chat. I need to know what’s happening here.’ That’s amazing how you can keep your finger on the pulse of the program, whereas if I were the head coach or the hammer or the disciplinarian, I wouldn’t have that same relationship that I have with the kids.”

For both Mrs. Schroder and Mr. Schabell being a part of a devoted and supportive community is a blessing.

“It’s been very fulfilling for me just to be involved in my children’s school, and really it’s helped me,” said Mrs. Schroder. “I was brand new to the St. Thomas community, so it really helped me to get to know other parents and other families, and just to get to know the community in general. There are so many people here that volunteer. It’s unbelievable the commitment from not only the parents, but the parishioners too, and that’s very inspiring.”

Last December, Mr. Schabell stepped off the curb in front of the Alexandria Post Office and suffered a severe knee injury. He said he is now in his 36th week of what he was told would be a 13-week rehab. After surgery, a oneweek hospital and a two-week stay at a rehab facility, Mr. Schabell returned home to find generations of folks eager to help him.

“Our people set up a meal train and for three weeks, every night at six o’clock I’d hear a knock on my door and in they come with dinner, which usually I ordered,” he said. “People will rally behind you if they believe in you, or they trust in you,” adding that he was never at a loss for a needed ride or groceries. “It’s nice to be appreciated. Volunteering is not a monetary reward, but just the fact that you are appreciated and realizing that you’re making some sort of an impact in a positive way is rewarding.”

For information on volunteer opportunities at your parish school or any of the nine Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Covington, contact the school’s office. They will be happy to get you started.