Archive for category: Featured Stories

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Notre Dame Sister Erin Nagy made her first profession of vows, August 17, at the Sisters of Notre Dame mother house in Chardon, Ohio. This public profession of vows comes after three years of formation, as a postulant and novice, where Sister Nagy practiced the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Now, as a professed member of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Nagy has promised to live these vows for one year — before her profession of perpetual vows.

About her first profession, Sister Nagy said, “Making first profession means I am committing more intentionally to living my life in this way. It is also a reminder to me that God promises to provide for me giving me the strength and support I need to be able to give myself as a gift in this way.”

Born to Marty and Trudy Nagy in Perrysburg, Ohio, Sister Nagy grew up with a brother and sister, all of whom were present for her first profession of vows. Sister Nagy graduated from the University of Toledo with a bachelor’s in communication and a minor in religious studies. Currently, she is attending Loyola Marymount University for a master’s in theology.

“I want to become my most authentic self in God, not for my sake,” said Sister Nagy, “but for the sake of those who I will be ministering to and with, and for the sake of bringing about God’s kingdom on earth.”

Staff Report

Jane Hermes, executive director of the Family Nurturing Center of Northern Kentucky, presented Bishop John Iffert with a thank-you gift, Aug. 26, for the Diocese of Covington’s participation in the Light Up Blue campaign last April. April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and blue is the color for Child Abuse Awareness. Last April, the Family Nurturing Center encouraged businesses, faith communities and individuals to show their dedication to ending child abuse by displaying blue ribbons, blue pinwheels and blue lights. At the Diocesan Curia, St. Mary’s Park was bathed in blue lights. Through education, counseling and training, the Family Nurturing Center is committed to ending the cycle of child abuse by promoting individual well-being and healthy family relationships.

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Breakfasts, shared Masses and games together — these are just some of the ways that schools in the Diocese of Covington celebrate their grandparents. These celebrations coincide with National Grandparents’ Day — celebrated this year on Sept. 7.

While celebrated internationally on various days, such as the July World Day for Grandparents and Elderly established by Pope Francis in 2021, this national holiday celebrated during the school year is a tradition where schools invite students’ grandparents to join them.

The importance of grandparents and elders in a community is not to be understated — and it is Pope Leo XIV who calls the elderly “signs of hope” in his 2025 message for World Day for Grandparents and Elderly. “In the Bible, God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years. This was the case not only with Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, but also with Moses, who was called to set his people free when he was already 80 years old,” Pope Leo said. “God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope.

“The life of the Church and the world can only be understood in light of the passage of generations. Embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships. Instead, life is constantly pointing us toward the future.”

In his last message for World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Pope Francis also referred to elders as “‘the firm foundation’ on which ‘new’ stones can rest, in order to join in erecting a spiritual edifice.” In fact, throughout his time as pope, Pope Francis often spoke on the importance of the elderly, specifically in the context of their relationship to young people — as stewards and teachers to one another.

Laura Keener

Editor

The “Restored in Christ” Cathedral restoration project began in 2018 when Father Ryan Maher, rector, was taking his dog on her morning walk. There, on the sidewalk, lay a piece of masonry — maybe from a gargoyle, maybe from a chimera, maybe a piece of tracery — that had fallen from the Cathedral.

“He (Father Maher) raised the question, ‘What’s going on with our Cathedral building?’” Bishop John Iffert told the nearly 100 donors, May 22, at the “Gargoyles and Gratitude” event.

Jim Hess, director, Office of Stewardship and Mission Services, has been leading the “Restored in Christ” $7 million capital campaign. To thank major donors of the project, Mr. Hess hosted Gargoyles and Gratitude, an evening of small plates and socialization, which included eight special guests — eight of the newly crafted 26 chimeras.

Restoration of the Cathedral began just as the capital campaign began. Due to safety concerns, the deteriorating chimeras, popularly referred to as gargoyles, were removed from the Cathedral roof in March 2023, the same month of the launch of the capital campaign. True to the biblical saying, “The first shall be last,” returning the chimeras to their rooftop home, anticipated for late October or early November, will mark the completion of the restoration project.

The name, details and photo of the Covington Cathedral and its Notre Dame, France, cousin accompanied each of the chimera. Mr. Hess introduced the benefactors to “The Goat,” one of the chimeras on display at the event with an explosive past. In 1985, lightning struck The Goat, and he lost his head. A local craftsman created a replacement head, but in 2015, lightning struck again, rendering The Goat headless until its removal in 2023. To recreate The Goat for the restoration project, artisans at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, New York, modeled it from its French cousin. The other 25 chimera were digitally scanned and recrafted.

“It’s been such a privilege getting to know these chimeras,” said Mr. Hess. “I wanted to, at least, have an evening like this where we could spend some time with these before they’re on top of the Cathedral forever.”

In his comments to the benefactors, Bishop Iffert expressed his gratitude, calling the restoration a very practical project. “It was about safety for people in and around the building, and it was about preserving what had been handed on to us, preserving that built tradition,” he said.

Bishop Iffert pointed out that the Cathedral restoration project also has a very spiritual significance, in preserving “that witness to the faith.”

Visiting Covington’s Cathedral, he said, is usually listed second on many lists of “Things to Do in Greater Cincinnati,” just behind attending a Bengals or Reds game, depending on the season. And in a very real and awesome way, the Cathedral is “proclaiming the message of Jesus and His love for you. That’s why it’s so important that we preserve this building. It’s so important that this witness be preserved,” he said.

“When you walk into our Cathedral Church, two things happen. First, you are inspired and enthused … your very posture begins to turn you toward the eschaton, the last things, the aim and goal of life. And all around you, in stone and in stained glass, are the stories of the Scriptures, the stories of the saints, the stories of the Councils, the stories of our Jewish forebears, the stories of those who’ve gone before us, trusting in God. It is a catechism in light … It’s necessary to preserve this and to hand it on for generations so that they know of the love of Christ, that the faith of the apostles is planted firmly in the Bluegrass state, and what generations have handed on to us, we now have a responsibility to hand on to others.”

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

St. Mary of the Assumption Parish and School, Alexandria, welcomed Bishop John Iffert for the blessing of a new library, STEM and art classrooms, upon the completion of the third and final phase of its Cultivating Legacy Capital Campaign.

With three phases, the capital campaign was able to add a new church elevator, larger church parking lot, four new classrooms and parish center, the expansion of the school cafeteria and the renovation of the old gymnasium into three new classrooms. It was this final piece of the campaign which Bishop Iffert blessed on August 22, surrounded by students, faculty, staff and campaign donors.

“Through these things,” said Father Joseph Gallestein, pastor of St. Mary Parish, “the Gospel would be proclaimed, the faith would be taught, the sacraments would be celebrated and the people of God would grow more like Christ himself in humility and in service.”

The campaign, launched in 2019, raised a total of $6,380,000 from 971 unique donors. Throughout the Cultivating Legacy Capital Campaign, the parish incurred no debt, said Brett Ruschman, campaign co-chair and has no money left to raise. Something that, he says, is a true testament to the dedication of the parishioners and friends of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish and School.

“Whether your contribution was large or small, financial or spiritual, we couldn’t have done it without you. This was a team effort in the truest sense, and we are very humbled by the outpouring of that support,” said Jennifer Geiman, principal, to those gathered in the newly renovated space.

She continued saying, “Our students now have access to a brand-new junior high science lab, inspiring art room and a spacious STEM and media center. These beautiful new spaces are more than just classrooms, but launch pads for imagination, discovery and growth. They are a true legacy built by our parish community that will serve generations to come.”

It is not about the physical spaces built as a result of the Cultivating Legacy Capital Campaign, said Mr. Ruschman, but rather, “it’s about vision, perseverance and faith. It’s about creating something that will serve not just us but generations to come. That’s what cultivating legacy truly means.”

A sentiment echoed by Bishop Iffert, “The fact that you were able to accomplish all this is because so many people looked at the children in this school and saw them as Christ, saw them as one deserving of love, as those who needed to be loved and cared for and honored and respected — images of Christ.”

“Today is so much more than about dedicating this space,” said Father Gallestein, “…it is about community, family, and above all, faith. All of our working together, guided by the Holy Spirit, willing to say yes to the Spirit’s prompting, has made great things happen; in the far distant past, in the more recent past, today and in the days to come.”