Mobile food pantry feeds the hungry amidst government shutdown

/in

Laura Keener

Editor

With the government shutdown entering its second month and the news that families depending on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could see their assistance lapse or reduced, the Messenger reached out to local Catholic ministries that help feed hungry men, women, and children.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington operates a mobile food pantry that makes stops once a month at six rural counties in the Diocese of Covington. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky not only operates three regional food pantries. Additionally, 26 parish conferences maintain a pantry at their parish. In the last month, both are seeing an increase in individuals and families seeking food assistance.

“We’ve seen a steady increase in guests visiting our Erlanger pantry in particular. From the first week in October to this week, our visits to our pantry have doubled,” said Karen Zengel, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul NKY.

While Mrs. Zengel cannot say with certainty that the increase is directly related to the shutdown, incidentally in staff conversations with new guests, some of them commented that they haven’t had a paycheck in almost a month. For new guests, who are struggling and reaching out for assistance for the first time, Mrs. Zengel said, “I think the most important message is to let them know that it’s okay, because it’s really hard to ask for help.”

“I think that our Vincentians and our volunteers are really good at saying it’s okay. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to help you,” said Mrs. Zengel. “And then the second thing is to just be a person who is listening and providing that empathetic ear; to hear what they’re going through and do the best we can to try to meet the needs that they’re bringing to us and add some calm in the storm that they might be facing right now.”

There are three ways to support the work of the St. Vincent de Paul food pantries. By donating non-perishable food items at the St. Vincent de Paul pantry or at a parish with a pantry, by donating gift cards to grocery stores, or by donating cash.

“We’re associated with the Freestore Foodbank,” said Mrs. Zengel. “Here at the central Council, we can order food on behalf of those parish pantries from the Freestore, leveraging a significant discounted rate because we’re a nonprofit partner. This helps our parish pantries stock their shelves at much less cost than buying things at a retail store.”

The Catholic Charities’ Mobile Food Pantry is also a nonprofit partner of the Freestore Foodbank, which is a source of fresh produce. Most of the Pantry’s food supply is provided through a Federal TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) grant, which is administered through the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. Without a warehouse to store items, the Mobile Food Pantry depends on financial donations to help support its ministry.

“We’re bringing as much food as we can, and we’re going to hand that out,” said John Hehman, coordinator of the Mobile Food Pantry.

The Mobile Food Pantry stops once a month in six rural counties — Bracken County, Gallatin County, Grant County, Mason County, Owen County and Pendleton County. Mr. Hehman said that the pantry served a record crowd in Bracken and Owen Counties last month. In Bracken County, 302 individuals across 99 households were served, its highest number in 2025, while Owen County set a new all-time record serving 201 individuals across 82 households.

Acknowledging that the food truck can carry only a limited amount of food, when the need is so great, “Our goal is for everybody to get something,” said Mr. Hehman. Typically, a family can expect to receive 40 food items; when turnout peaks, the goal is for everyone to at least get 20 items. He never knows from day to day what food items will be available. Sometimes, the food provided is unfamiliar, or its preparation is unfamiliar to families.

Mr. Hehman gave a recent example where they were provided four types of dried beans — black beans, red beans, Great Northern beans and garbanzo beans. To avoid waste, volunteers provide recipes on how to prepare and serve these types of unusual food items.

Five of the six Pantry stops are at Catholic parishes, with the Mason County stop at the Maysville Lions Club. Volunteers from the parish and neighboring parishes and the community greet the Mobile Food Pantry to help distribute food. “We couldn’t do this without them,” Mr. Hehman said of the volunteers.

For people navigating a financial crisis for the first time, Mr. Hehman advises “look for resources. They are out there. Be patient. Most of the people working at pantries are volunteers, and they’re doing a great job. They want to help you,” he said.

For information on the Mobile Food Pantry, including its schedule, click the “Services” tab at https://www.covingtoncharities.org.

The St. Vincent de Paul of Northern Kentucky website walks you through ways to connect for help and also provides a “Directory of Assistance,” which is a list of community resources. Visit  https://www.svdpnky.org/ and click on the “Get Help” tab.

Annual art exhibition accepting submissions showcases ‘invisible realities,’ exemplifies goodness, truth and beauty

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

The Angelico Project’s annual Juried Art Exhibition comes to St. Francis Xavier Church, Cincinnati, Jan. 24 — and artwork submissions are open now through the new year.

The exhibition, which will run Jan. 24–April 6, is open for entries from local artists around the Greater Cincinnati area — accepting many mediums, including painting, illumination, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography; work in precious metals, enamel, glass, liturgical textiles; forms of digital media, graphic design and digital illustration.

The juror, whose responsibility will be to curate submissions for the gallery, is Emma Cassani, graphic designer for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s magazine, The Catholic Telegraph. Next in a chain of “excellent jurors,” according to Angelico Project founder and trustee Nancy-Carolyn Smith, the juried show “keeps the standard high,” for what the organization shows as a Catholic organization.

“Our mission is to evangelize through beauty,” said Ms. Smith, about both the exhibition and the mission of the Angelico Project as a whole. “Part of the Angelico Project has always been the Angelico Catholic Arts Guild and our outreach is to artists, because you’ve got to engage artists in goodness, truth and beauty in order to have an impact on our culture.”

After the first exhibition in January of 2020 was exceptionally well received, the Angelico Project saw the response as a sign that they were “moving in the right direction,” she said.

The goal of the exhibition is to showcase visual representations of “invisible realities,” according to the official call for entry. Such themes include love, hope, the Creator’s imagination and the created world — artwork that moves the viewer to prayer, whether it is of an explicitly religious nature of not. As such, submissions should demonstrate evidence of the elements of “goodness, truth, beauty; witness to the dignity of the human person; attest to the reality of the spiritual life; and demonstrate mastery of the artist’s medium.”

“That’s our mission,” Ms. Smith concluded. “We’re going to change the world, starting with changing our own hearts … That’s where it starts.”

For more information on the Angelico Project, including how to submit to the 2026 Juried Exhibition, visit https://angelicoproject.org.

Women religious return from Alabama pilgrimage — reflect on hope, civil rights

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In early October, women religious from the Diocese of Covington — representing the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Divine Providence and Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery — set their sights on Selma, Alabama for a pilgrimage commemorating the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.

In 1965, Selma became the gathering place for hundreds of people, including many women religious, to march from Selma to Alabama’s capital of Montgomery in the name of voting rights for African Americans. In their visit to the city, the sisters visited Selma’s historic sights and reflected on the impact of the Civil Rights Movement today.

Reflecting on the pilgrimage, Benedictine Sister Dorothy Schuette noted that “even as we acknowledge injustice and injuries inflicted and received by our ancestors and country-women and men, we are heartened by the care and work of our sisters and brothers to repair and build up the children of God.” An example being the Edmunites — who gave the sisters a place to stay at their mission, and who serve the African American community in Selma.

“Our pilgrim group’s shared prayer and reflections at the close of each day were valuable opportunities for the six of us to express our deep emotions of compassion, sorrow, solidarity and empathy for those who have been so abused in the past,” Sister Dorothy said. “We also became more aware of the traces of racial hatred that continue to exist in the society in which we live. But we are women of hope witnessing to the deepest desire of humankind to live in peace with

Jubilee of the Poor is about love, human dignity

/in

Laura Keener

Editor

The Jubilee of the Poor will be celebrated Nov. 16. Jubilee days invite the faithful to recognize and honor the inherent dignity of each person. During the Jubilee of the Poor, the USCCB encourages, “We are called to observe a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, modeling our actions on the examples seen in Scripture.”

In the Diocese of Covington, there are many ministries devoted to the care of the poor. The Messenger reached out to three individuals working in three ministries to gather their learned wisdom through ministry.

Upon his retirement in 2021, Bishop Emeritus Roger Foys began volunteering regularly at Parish Kitchen, sometimes twice, sometimes three times a month, “When they need me. I fill in,” he said.

Parish Kitchen is a ministry of Catholic Charities. Located at the corner of Madison Ave and 16th Street, Covington, anyone who is hungry can receive a hot meal at Parish Kitchen, 365 days a year. When volunteering, Bishop Foys hands out desserts.

“It’s a whole new experience for me, actually, being with the poor regularly on a one-on-one basis. And sometimes they’ll ask for advice, or they’ll want to talk to the priest,” Bishop Foys said.

Everyone served at the Parish Kitchen “is so grateful and respectful,” said Bishop Foys. “I find that I feel that they are giving me more than I’m giving to them.”

Bishop Foys referred to Pope Leo XIV’s recent exhortation “Dilexi te,” (“I have loved you”), which focuses on love and care for the poor — a recommended must read.

“The Holy Father mentions in his exhortation that the poor aren’t poor because they want to be poor, or because they’re lazy. They just find themselves in this situation,” said Bishop Foys. “The Holy Father is very clear that we cannot call ourselves Christians if we don’t have a heart for the poor and that whole notion of seeing Christ in everybody. When I’m at the Parish Kitchen, that’s the mindset I have, that everybody coming through is Jesus.”

Guests of the Parish Kitchen, said Bishop Foys, come in for food, but they are also in need of affirmation and a break.

“Sometimes they just need a break. It’s not that they don’t want to work, or sometimes they can’t. I would say for someone to give them a break, I think would be important,” Bishop Foys said. “This isn’t just a handout. What we’re telling them is that ‘you’re worthwhile and we’re here for you. We’re here because you’re precious in God’s sight. Everybody is precious in God’s sight.’”

Volunteering at Parish Kitchen, “I find myself more conscious about poverty and the needs of people and wanting to do more for them,” said Bishop Foys.

The Rose Garden Home Mission and its Center for Hope and Healing, both in Covington, is quite possibly the largest and best-known ministry for those in need, especially pregnant women and moms. Operated by the Franciscan Daughters of Mary, the Mission offers a food pantry, diapers, children’s clothes, baby equipment and more. The Center is a free medical and dental clinic, staffed by volunteer professionals. Also located at the mission is a small prayer chapel, a place of respite, where guests can renew their spirit.

“There’s a tendency to think of the poor as being less,” said Franciscan Daughter of Mary Mother Clare Borchard. “But they’re not less. They’re just as human and they have the same dignity as everyone else. They’re people who happen to be having a hard time for one reason or another.

Mother Clare also referred to Pope Leo’s exhortation. “He pointed out that there are different kinds of poverty. There’s certainly material poverty, which is what most people think of, and we definitely have an obligation to address that. But there’s also, spiritual and moral poverty, and sometimes that is the greater need. There are people, too, that have material needs, but have a remarkable faith and trust in God. From my experience, fundamentally there is a need for God, but really, first the need to be loved and cared about; to just know that there’s somebody in the world who thinks that they have dignity. Sometimes that’s really what they’re looking for, even more than food.”

The need to be loved, Mother Clare said, is not unique to the poor. “That’s a common human need that everyone has,” she said. “In that way we are in solidarity. The more we understand that the Lord loves us, and the more we understand the great value that He has for us, the more naturally it comes to recognize that in somebody else, too.”

Cindy Carris is a founder and Board member of the Mary Rose Mission, Florence. Opened in 1995, the Mary Rose Mission serves a hot evening meal to hungry neighbors every day and “To Love as God Loves.”

“The poor I meet are just like me,” said Mrs. Carris. “They have been given more challenges than I could ever have imagined. Many begin their life with struggles that I’ve never had to deal with over my lifetime. Others have had tragedies with little or no support that create monumental challenges for them to overcome.”

Having worked with people in need has expanded Mrs. Carris’ heart for people and a concern for not just their physical needs but for the way they are treated.

“It absolutely breaks my heart to see the lack of compassion, tolerance and simple kindness we show people, especially the poor,” Mrs. Carris said. “We’ve grown so cold towards our neighbors. It makes my heart ache.”

Mrs. Carris quotes St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who said that being poor in the West was much greater than what she experienced in India because, “our poor were starving for love, which is a much greater poverty.”

There are many places for people to show the love of Christ to others, especially the poor. Mrs. Carris encourages everyone, “Do something … anything. It really isn’t hard to show compassion and kindness, and it doesn’t cost a dime!”

Give Catholic on Giving Tuesday — parishes, schools and organizations prepare their campaigns for fundraising

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

This year, the Diocese of Covington is introducing the community to a new way to give in preparation for the upcoming holidays. Give Catholic NKY — a campaign for “Giving Tuesday,” which occurs annually the Tuesday after Thanksgiving  — allows for individual schools, parishes and community ministries to set fundraising goals through Give Catholic NKY’s website. This process off-loads the work of fundraising from these organizations and presents the different options to donors via leaderboards and a “shopping cart” system of giving.

Already, different organizations fundraising through Give Catholic have begun uploading information about their campaigns to the website — public and visible for anyone to start looking for fundraisers to support. These campaigns support many different ministries and needs, from general upkeep to scholarships to much needed improvements and repairs.

One such project comes out of St. Mary School, Alexandria, whose hopes are to raise money for a STEM enrichment program for the school’s students. This program will cultivate the interests of the students in modern technology from robotics to coding, according to Jennifer Geiman, principal.

“This market would be amazing to give those kids who have a passion in pursuing not only careers, but enrichment in the STEM area,” said Mrs. Geiman, who cites the availability of these programs rising in public schools. “We’re very limited with funding in that area, so any contribution would help us be competitive in that way — and hopefully give our kids who want to continue their Catholic education that type of opportunity.”

Another project, belonging to St. Paul Parish, Florence, is aiming to replace the parish’s 20-year-old bell system, whose outdated system and speakers have fallen into disrepair.

“The bells are an important part of the parish,” said Father Jason Bertke, pastor. “It’s easy to forget that the bells are calling us to worship. They call us to Mass, they call us to prayer. They sanctify the time.” With a projected goal of $17,000 — these funds would allow bells to ring from the Parish once more, returning to their important mission of “calling people to worship.”

With less than a month until Giving Tuesday, individuals are encouraged to consider “giving Catholic,” according to Jim Hess, diocesan director of Stewardship and Mission Services. “It presents a beautiful opportunity for the entire diocese to come together and to prioritize giving Catholic on Giving Tuesday.”

Information regarding the Give Catholic NKY campaign, including access to donating on Dec. 2, is available on the Give Catholic NKY webpage, https://www.givecentral.org/leaderboard/Give-Catholic-NKY-Giving-Tuesday-2025.

 

Pilgrims from the Diocese of Covington return from Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome — an experience of a lifetime

/in

To celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, Bishop John Iffert and 70 pilgrims from the Diocese of Covington, made a pilgrimage to Rome, Oct. 22–Nov. 1, to visit historical spiritual sites, pass through the Jubilee Holy Door and to attend the Angelus and General Audience in St. Peter’s Square to listen to Pope Leo XIV. Upon their return, the Messenger caught up with Bishop Iffert and pilgrims, Father Joseph Gallenstein, Michael and Christina Weller and Marybeth Bosko to hear about the experience.

Bishop Iffert enjoys witnessing the joy and connection among pilgrims

Laura Keener

Editor

Bishop Iffert uses a saying to differentiate pilgrims from tourists. “Tourists expect, pilgrims accept.” True to this point, the Rome pilgrimage was not without moments to accept, like the missed visit to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in Venice due to heavy rains and traffic.

“That’s a disappointment. But the folks did a good job of saying, ‘Well, I hate that we missed that, but it was the right decision,’” said Bishop Iffert.

But there were even more moments of acceptance that were welcome surprises, moments of meaningful spiritual experiences and joy. A standout for Bishop Iffert was a visit to the Tre Fontane Abbey, Rome. It is the site where St. Paul was beheaded. It is also a site where a mass grave believed to be of 10,000 Christian martyrs, persecuted in the Third Century under the Roman emperor Diocletian.

“They talk about two groups of people persecuted under Emperor Diocletian. One would be Christian workers who were forced to work on the construction of the Diocletian baths. And the other would be soldiers, where Diocletian was trying to rid the Roman legions of Christians,” said Bishop Iffert. “That was a very spiritual place, a very moving experience. I had never heard of that place and so it just snuck up on me how powerful that was.”

Celebrating Mass at the major basilicas — St. John Lateran, which is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome; the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and in a special way, the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

The Basilica of St. Mary Major is home to an icon of Blessed Mother known to be a favorite of Pope Francis. It is known as “Protectress of the Roman People,” and is one of the oldest in existence, being attributed to St. Luke. Also inside the Basilica is a bas-relief depicting the story of Our Lady of the Snows, a rare summer snowfall which, according to legend, fell on Aug. 5, 352, on the Esquiline Hill, one of the famed “Seven Hills” of Rome. On the anniversary each year, the Basilica reenacts the “miracle of the snows.” In Bishop Iffert’s home diocese of Belleville, there is a shrine to Our Lady of the Snows.

“To have Mass there with the pilgrims in that place, those liturgies, were highlights for me,” he said.

Bishop Iffert said he delighted in watching his fellow pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Leo XIV passed by just feet away. And he was moved by the connectedness the pilgrims created in just a few days.

“I heard so many people on Saturday night as we were saying goodbye, and on Thursday as the group kind of divided into two, who really talked about how sad they were to leave their new friends,” said Bishop Iffert. “People talked about not only to encounter these holy sites and holy places, but to do that with a group of fellow believers and like-minded folks. It just really meant a lot to people. I think I was surprised by that a little bit.

“I am so blessed to be able to live my life in the heart of the Church, and to see that every day — to have those supports and encouragements every day. But for the pilgrims who joined the trip, there was a great testimony to that, to be able to travel and to see these sites and to make new friends. Some of them said that they felt like people they’ve only been traveling with for a couple of weeks, that it felt like they had been friends forever. And that’s a wonderful thing.”

Pastor reflects on unity, youth, upon returning to diocese from Rome

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Accompanying Bishop John Iffert and pilgrims to Rome, Father Joseph Gallenstein, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Alexandria, reflected on the pilgrimage as a “wonderful trip” with “wonderful people.”

Fond memories such as concelebrating Mass with Bishop Iffert in various places, especially the papal basilicas, were just some of the experiences that Father Gallenstein highlighted about his experience across the ocean.

“I really enjoyed going to Assisi,” Father Gallenstein noted, “… what I did not realize until I was there was that Carlo Acutis is entombed in one of the churches there. That was a very moving experience.”

Being a pastor of a parish with a fairly large grade school, visiting the entombed saint stood out to Father Gallenstein. “My thoughts immediately went to young teens … As I was going through and passing his tomb, I was thinking and praying especially for our young folks who are fast approaching the Sacrament of Confirmation.”

Another stand out memory was at the Basilica of St. Sebastian over the Catacombs, where, while concelebrating Mass, other pilgrims and tourists joined in on Communion.

“It was evident that other people, moved by the fact that we were having Mass, wanted to receive the Eucharist,” said Father Gallenstein, recalling how other travelers joined the line for Communion line and were coming up to the alter to share it with them.

“So many other people wanted to receive the Eucharist,” Father Gallenstein said. “That was strangely moving to me. We were there as our own pilgrims, but yet there were millions of pilgrims coming on any given day. And those few had been moved by the Spirit and joined us in that Mass, at the table of the Lord. It really speaks to how big and diverse our Church really is.”

Pastor reflects on unity, youth, upon returning to diocese from Rome

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

After a whirlwind 10 days in Rome on a pilgrimage during the Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope, the 70 Diocesan pilgrims have all made safe arrival back to the Diocese. While on their spiritual journey the pilgrims enjoyed the sights of early Catholicism, including the catacombs and centuries-old basilicas, while also enjoying the newer sights like St. Carlos Acutis’ resting place.

It was these tangible aspects of the Church and those early Christians that made the trip so impactful for pilgrims Michael and Christina Weller and Marybeth Bosko.

“Just connecting with the faith of Christians that came before us a millennia ago, seeing the Holy Doors and knowing that they were built around the fourth century and connecting with the faith of the people before us,” is what made the trip impactful said Mr. Weller, parishioner of St. Augustine Parish, Covington.

“You had a feeling of history in the sense of the permanence of these basilicas,” said pilgrim Marybeth Bosko, parishioner at St. Barbara Parish, Erlanger. “As you’re walking through the Holy Doors you get this feeling like ‘how many people and how many saints actually walked through these doors that I’m walking through right now.’”

For Mr. Weller it was the Abbey of the Three Fountains, or Abbazia dele Tre Fontane, where St. Paul was martyred, that stood out above the rest.

“Just the fact that St. Paul was there, and you could see his jail cell and where he was executed, and the road, the place was very powerful,” he said. “We all have our own St. Paul moment where we know we have to shape up a bit, I feel like that’s pretty tangible.”

For Ms. Weller, also a parishioner of St. Augustine Parish, Covington, it was a similar connection to Catholics before that made an impact, however the saint she felt connected to was not so far removed.

“We went and we saw St. Carlos,” she said, “I really liked that because I feel like seeing a saint who’s so close to our age, this guy worked on computers, it’s something so tangible to our generation.”

“I can definitely see why so many saints came from that region where Assisi is because it’s very peaceful,” said Ms. Weller, remembering her newfound fondness of the Assisi region.

For Ms. Bosko the Santa Scala, or Holy Stairs, was the most impactful. The stairs were brought over from Jerusalem by St. Helena and were originally in front of Pontius Pilate’s house. They have since been encased in wood and in order to further protect them pilgrims must “walk” up the stairs on their knees.

However, this was not a deterrent, “as you head up the stairs and the pain becomes more and more real, you’re focused only on Christ and his pain. When you complete it, you’re standing in front of this painting of Jesus on the cross, you get a sense of that you did something for him as he died for us,” said Ms. Bosko.

These experiences cultivated in the Diocesan pilgrims not just a newfound appreciation for Rome and early Christians, but a renewal of heart.

“It was not just a trip to Italy,” said Ms. Bosko. “It was a spiritual journey.”

DCCH Furnishing Futures campaign raises money for residential treatment program ahead of National Adoption Month

/in

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

This year is the 30th annual celebration of National Adoption Month in the month of November. Dedicated by President Bill Clinton in 1995, National Adoption Month raises awareness for the children currently waiting for their forever families in the foster care system.

“It’s a time to raise awareness for the children that are in the foster care system needing an adoptive family,” said Ron Bertsch, therapeutic foster care and adoption director for the DCCH Center for Children and Families, Ft. Mitchell.

“I love that it’s in November,” he said, “this is the month of Thanksgiving, so we offer thanks for the families that have accepted this calling and took on the challenge of adopting children from foster care.”

Currently, there are 1,234 children in the Northern Kentucky foster care system, 222 of whom have an end goal of adoption. In the whole state, there are 8,678 children in the foster care system, with 347 of those children being listed on the state website as eligible for adoption.

“In Kentucky, about eighty-five percent of the adoptions that take place are foster-to-adopt, so people have to take on that fostering role first, then adopt,” said Mr. Bertsch.

“There’s a year, two years fostering timeline that has to happen if it’s a brand-new case, that’s usually because we give the birth parents at least fifteen months to rehabilitate,” said Mr. Bertsch.

Due to this long process, many of the children available for adoption are older. “There are very few that are under the age of six or seven,” said Mr. Bertsch. However, older children are not as likely to be adopted as younger children are.

“I think people are scared of taking an older child,” said Mr. Bertsch, “they have a lot more history and trauma; they have more things that they’re bringing into the home.”

DCCH Center for Children and Families recognizes the need for older children to “feel at home while they heal for the future that awaits them,” wrote Denise Govan, president, in an August newsletter.

The DCCH Center for Children and Families residential treatment program provides 32 of those children a chance of normalcy. There are four apartments in the residential treatment program, each of which has eight bedrooms, a kitchen and common areas like a living and dining room. Currently, DCCH Center for Children and Families is running a “Furnish Futures” donation campaign to help update the furniture in those common spaces.

“The furniture in our four residential apartments is now over a decade old – worn down, patched and no longer reflecting the warm, inviting space our children need,” wrote Ms. Govan.

Mr. Bertsch said, “what we’re looking for is new, heavy-duty, sturdy and good quality that will last.”

While the “Furnishing Futures” campaign is winding down, donations are always accepted. To learn more about the campaign or to donate, go to dcchcenter.org/ff-donate/.

Welcome back chimera

/in

Twenty-four of the 32 chimeras have been delivered to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. Chimera are the terracotta mystical creatures, popularly called gargoyles, that line the parapet of the Cathedral. Each chimera takes one full day to install with instillations beginning the week of Nov. 10. The instillation of the chimera is one of the final steps in the restoration of the Cathedral as the project is intended to be completed in early 2026. Due to deterioration and safety concerns, the chimeras were removed in March 2023. Using 3D scans, artisans at New York’s Boston Valley Terra Cotta recreated the chimera.

Archive for women religious to preserve Benedictine archives, promote the witness of vocation

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

National conversation sparks among religious congregations: historical collections, stories and legacies hang in the balance as an increasing number of religious communities and congregations are coming to completion, as members age with no new novices to replace the population. As a result, some of these important archives would end up lost, or thrown out, according to Ursuline Sister Susan Durkin, asking the questions: “How do we preserve them properly? How do we make them available in a responsible way for research?”

These questions are sought to be answered by the Women Religious Archive Collective (WRAC) — which, spearheaded by the work of Sister Susan, broke ground on the campus of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Cleveland, in July of this year.

The $24 million project will support the archives of 44 congregations across the United States and Canada, with capacity to host up to 75 — among these congregations is the Diocese of Covington’s own Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery.

The Benedictines came to the Diocese of Covington in 1859 with three German sisters dedicated to teaching the German children of St. Joseph Parish. For more than 160 years, the Benedictine Sisters have been ingrained in the culture of the Northern Kentucky area, with their missions contributing to education, and care for the sick, poor and elderly. They founded Villa Madonna College (which has become Thomas More University), Villa Madonna Academy and Madonna Manor. These contributions and their histories are just part of the important stories that will be held in the collaborative archives.

The property for the project was purchased from Cleveland’s Sisters of Charity, who have served the city of Cleveland since 1865. “We wanted to be in a space where sisters have historically served,” explained Sister Susan, who additionally said that the WRAC also wanted the building to be “close to a freeway and accessible from an airport. We wanted to be within a nexus of institutions.”

This concept is realized due to the location being within a 20-mile radius of seven colleges and institutions, which ties into the space’s secondary mission to be an “investment to the community.”

“It’s really about preserving the history of the Catholic sisters and making it accessible in a variety of ways,” said Sister Susan. “It’s about inspiring people to know that the issues and problems that they may meet in their time are something that Catholic sisters have repeatedly overcome time and time again … Our center is going to be able to inspire and give real time example to the Gospel call of passion.”

Besides housing archives and records for the various congregations the archive is partnering with, the space will also include permanent and temporary exhibits and meeting spaces — with hopes to house students and researchers alike. “There’s going to be all kinds of possibilities for us once the building opens,” Sister Susan said.

The archives are currently projected to be opened in the fall of 2027, and the successful campaign has so far raised over $20 million of the $24 million goal.

The most important aspect of the project is the “witness value that a center like this will bring,” said Sister Susan, “with having this many collections in the various charisms, this really is a promotion of the witness to mission and faith-driven service — the importance of a vocation.”

All Hallowtide triduum honors the Faithful Departed

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

When talking about the turning of fall and end of October, the holiday of Halloween often comes to mind. Carving pumpkins, ghost stories, bright costumes and candy are all associated with “All Hallow’s Eve” — just one of the three celebrations actually part of the Christian triduum known as “All Hallowtide.”

All Hallowtide is a season intended for both celebration and prayer, honoring all the faithful departed — both those in Heaven and in purgatory.

For many who grew up Catholic, having a day off school the day after Halloween was a welcome treat. November 1, the day following, is known as All Saints’ Day, or “All Hallow’s”— a solemnity in the Catholic Church. As All Saints’ Day falls on a Wednesday this year, it is a day of obligation.

The origin of All Saints’ Day comes from the 4th century, where early Christians would sporadically hold festivals and commemorations for all martyrs. Years later, during the 8th century, on Nov. 1, Pope Gregory III would dedicate an oratory in Old St. Peter’s Basilica to the relics of “all saints.” This date would eventually become the celebration of all saints and martyrs that we celebrate today, as well as a day of obligation throughout the Catholic Church. However, in 2025, as the holiday falls on a Saturday — the day is not considered a day of obligation for this year.

Similarly, the third day of the All Hallowtide triduum occurs on Nov. 2, a day of prayer and remembrance known as “All Souls’ Day,” or “Day of the Dead,” in some cultures. Prior to the establishment of this official date, Catholics would celebrate All Souls’ Day on various dates during the Easter season. These celebrations were much similar to how they’re celebrated today, mostly by remembering and praying for the deceased, specifically for souls in purgatory, and visiting cemeteries.

The Nov. 2 date that All Souls’ is celebrated on today was established during the 10th century by St. Abbot Odilo of Cluny, who originally bid members of his community to pray for the relief of souls in purgatory. This date would soon be adopted throughout the Catholic Church and persists to this day.