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Hispanic ministry grows in the Diocese of Covington, new programs make a difference

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

It has been almost one year since the Diocese of Covington hired Silvia Schmidt, the diocesan Hispanic minister. Since the beginning of her tenure, Mrs. Schmidt has made great strides, acting as a bridge between the Spanish speaking community and the larger diocesan community. As a result of her work, there has been higher attendance of Spanish-speaking individuals at youth ministry events, more Spanish faith formation opportunities and an ever-growing love of Christ’s Church throughout the Diocese.

The role of the hispanic minister in the Diocese is to, “support families in their spiritual journey and facilitate their integration into local parishes,” according to Mrs. Schmidt’s pastoral plan. In working towards this goal, Mrs. Schmidt has brought programs to the Diocese with the goal of helping children and adults grow in a personal relationship with Christ. One such program is Emmaus Retreats, for both men and women. These healing retreats offer a respite from everyday life and help participants “really feel God’s love,” so that they become “on fire for God,” said Mrs. Schmidt.

The men’s Emmaus Retreat concluded at the end of July and was hosted by a group from Miami, with the idea that “once you receive it, you give it,” said Ms. Schmidt. “It’s the beginning of something that will stay in the Diocese,” she explained.

The retreats become self-sustaining, with previous retreatants hosting the next retreat for the next group of people. Through this model, the men who recently completed their retreat will host the women’s retreat.

“It’s a true witness of that they really care, and it’s a true camaraderie between them, but on fire for God. It was just, for me, that was in itself a true witness,” said Mrs. Schmidt who participated in an Emmaus Retreat in Miami.

Cristo Rey Parish, Florence, hosted the men’s and will host the women’s retreat, however parishioners from any parish are welcome to attend. More details will be announced regarding the women’s Emmaus Retreat.

In addition to these retreats, Mrs. Schmidt has also introduced programs offered by the Southeast Pastoral Institute (SEPI). SEPI is U.S. Catholic Bishops regional office for Hispanic Ministry. Their programs will train “the adults, the catechists, the parents, all the adults who deal with children … people train the adults in these parishes who might interact with kids, for those adults to go back and kind of put what they learned into practice,” said Mrs. Schmidt.

The programs will be held for identified staff members at five Diocesan parishes with hispanic populations. Mrs. Schmidt hopes that the program will help “establish that children … have that personal relationship with God. It’s not just a checklist for sacraments, but ‘this God is a real person for me that I can go talk to,’” she said. “To strengthen the child’s sense of belonging in the Church, participating actively in the Mass,” she said.

As hispanic ministry continues to grow in the Diocese of Covington, so too does the body of Christ continue to grow on earth in Covington. Emboldened in the pursuit of relationship with Christ, communion with Christ and community with one another.

Catholic Charities volunteer to be recognized at Great American Ballpark

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Catholic Family Night at Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, will bring together the faithful of the Diocese of Covington and Archdiocese of Cincinnati, along with Bishop John Iffert and Archbishop Robert Casey, to celebrate the theme ‘Love in Action.’ This evening will highlight the mission and ministries of Catholic Charities on both sides of the river, and the people who make them possible, embodying Love in Action. One of the volunteers who will be recognized is Notre Dame Sister Nance Hehman, who lives in residence at the St. Augustine Convent, Augusta, and is an integral member of the Mobile Food Pantry team in Bracken, Mason and Pendelton County.

Sister Nance began her involvement with the Mobile Food Pantry in 2020 at its inception, when John Hehman, director of the Mobile Food Pantry and Sister Nance’s nephew, called her for assistance. “She was a big part of getting it started,” said Mr. Hehman, “she was one of the first people that said she would be there to help.”

Since the beginning, Sister Nance has been responsible for helping members of the community register and sign in to the mobile food pantry, understanding first-hand the food insecurity in Bracken County. “I was on the parish phone line, they would call and ask for help…so I knew the need for food down here was pretty drastic,” she said. “Being able to help to serve and help fill that need, that’s why you keep coming back. The people who come are very, very grateful,” she said.

Sister Nance’s time at the registration table has allowed her to form relationships with the community members who take advantage of the ministry. “It’s very moving. I would get to know them, and they would get to know me,” she said.

“She makes a really positive impact on the guests coming in for food,” said Mr. Hehman, “You watch her do the registration. People come in and, if for whatever reason she isn’t able to make it, they ask for her.”

During her six years of work with the Mobile Food Pantry, Sister Nance has found that the most rewarding is “seeing how happy the little kids were when you brought food, or they shop,” she said. Moments like watching children and families realize they will have food in the coming week, “makes you very appreciative of what you’ve been given and what you are able to share,” she said.

For Sister Nance, her experience over the last six years is more than volunteer work, it is a reflection of the community’s willingness to serve each other. “It’s wonderful what these people do,” she said, “all the ones that I’ve ever gone to, the parish community goes all out to make this work, for the whole community, for the whole county.”

Volunteering her own time and resources to the Mobile Food Pantry ministry is the true embodiment of Love in Action, “Everybody needs help sometimes, and if you’ve got the time, and you got the resources. I think it’s an obligation to share.”

Catholic Charities Commission Subcommittee focuses on the role of Catholic Charities in the community

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Over the summer months, the Diocese of Covington has participated in a new strategic planning process, focusing on key areas of growth for the Diocese in Catholic Charities, a foundation and Diocesan schools, with commissions being formed to focus on each. Each of these commissions consists of subcommittees which help inform the commissions overall recommendations to Bishop Iffert at the conclusion of the information gathering process. For many involved, these subcommittees served as a space for conversation, education and involvement in the overall direction of the Diocese. Mary Paula Schuh, Catholic Charities board member and co-chair of the Catholic Charities Commission’s Parish and Community Partnerships subcommittee, said that her experience on the subcommittee has been an exciting opportunity.

“We had lots of good discussion, we had lots of great ideas as a result of the meeting,” said Mrs. Schuh. Primarily, she said, the discussion revolved around volunteer engagement, brand identity and serving those in rural as well as urban areas. Mrs. Schuh said her co-chair role was an “opportunity to envision more broadly a role for Catholic Charities in our community through partnership with other organizations.”

“We’ve also talked about expanding services in the rural counties. The Diocese consists of 14 counties, and we want to have a Catholic Charities presence in all those counties,” she said. Her hope is that the work of the Catholic Charities Commission and Parish and Community Partnerships Subcommittee builds a “better understanding across the Diocese of what Catholic Charities does, and I hope that as a result of that, that people are more willing to support, both volunteer their time and financially support Catholic Charitie’s efforts to lift up our community.”

Throughout the process, she said, the members of her sub-committee have been engaged and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. “My biggest takeaway, personally, has just been the passion that people bring to the discussion and the commitment that people have to helping others. It’s heartwarming to see,” she said.

The work has been “gratifying,” she said. “I didn’t expect for as many people to be involved as we’ve had. I mean we had a room full of people, many people, come out and be willing to spend their time on multiple occasions to engage and listen and speak up and share ideas, so that’s been gratifying to me.”

As the work of the first three commissions concludes, the work of the fourth is just beginning. To register for the Diocese of Covington’s Governance Commission and for the opportunity to inform the future of the Diocese, go to covdioplanning.org.

‘We all want to make a difference in the world,’ Bishop Iffert tells educators at Mass celebrating the school year’s beginning

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

As the summer season draws to a close and the school year is on the horizon, faculty, staff and administrators of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Covington gathered for a Mass, Aug. 5, celebrating the opening of the 2026–2027 school year.

Team members from every school filled the pews of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, joined by the staff of the Office of Catholic Schools, priests and deacons of the diocese and Bishop John Iffert, who celebrated the Mass.

As the Mass began, Kendra McGuire, Superintendent of Schools, addressed those gathered. “You know that your task is to teach,” she said, “but to do so means you will need to get to know each and every child that enters through your door. You will have to trust that God has placed each of those children in your classroom for a reason … you should strive to be a model of faith.”

Bishop Iffert, in his homily, began with a story regarding a bookmark he received in seminary, one with the message “Remember, all any of them wants to do is make a difference,” printed upon it.

He said that this was the way Sister Judy Connolly, a sister of Notre Dame who had visited his class In seminary, was “encouraging us not to get distracted by the little conflicts … but to remember that all of us are devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and want to make a difference in the world we live in.”

Having returned just a day prior from Africa, Bishop Iffert continued by speaking of an experience there, where he had met with bishops from the churches of East Africa, as well as the young people there. He said that the young people shared the issues they sensed in their world — such as a lack of access of economic opportunity and education, mental health challenges, violence, especially against women and a perceived lack of support from the older generation or care from them of these struggles.

Bishop Iffert then referenced the day’s gospel reading, from the book of Matthew, about a Canaanite woman calling out for Jesus to heal her daughter, who was being tormented by a demon. Although Jesus first ignores, then discourages the woman, her faith in his mercy kept her persistent, saying that “even the pets eat the scraps that fall off the table.”

“Let’s notice the stance of the Canaanite woman,” Bishop Iffert said, “We who want so desperately to make a difference in the life of our community, in the life of our diocese, in the life of the young people we serve.”

The Canaanite woman “comes to Jesus with faith,” he continued, “She never questions if Jesus can free her daughter, but she trusts in his divine authority … This is the first and fundamental criteria for any of us who would teach in the name of the Church. That we approach with faith in the divine providence and mercy of God.”

The woman also showed “faith and humility,” Bishop Iffert said. “She acknowledges that she has no right or claim on the God of Israel or the concern of the Messiah, but she submits herself nonetheless.”

“This is exactly who we are,” he said, “We have no right or claim to the graces God has shown us. We have no right or privilege just because we’re members of the Church.”

The Canaanite woman “wants community with the Lord and with those who serve him. For her life to have meaning, she needs to belong to the people of God.”

Tying into his anecdote regarding the bookmark, Bishop Iffert echoed, “We all want to make a difference in the world, in our schools, in the lives of young people … None of us will be able to make a difference if we go it alone. If we take that attitude that we ourselves — our superior education, our superior position, our degrees, our particular abilities — none of us will make a difference if we come to believe that that’s all our future depends on.”

“What our young people need,” Bishop Iffert said, “is for us to respect the magnificent humanity that is their gift from God and that we share with them as brothers and sisters in the world … All any of us want to do is make a difference. I believe that’s true,” he said. “Let’s make that difference together with the Lord Jesus Christ as king, as shepherd and as head of household … As we begin this school year, let us dedicate ourselves to this holy task together under the leadership of Christ. This is the only way we really make a lasting difference — submitting ourselves to the Lord and for love of him to one another.”

‘Restoration celebration’ to conclude Cathedral restoration project three years in the making

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Since its launch in March of 2023, the Restored in Christ project brought together the efforts of more than 2,000 donors with the mission of preserving Covington’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. Now, more than three years later, the project has reached its conclusion — with repairs made to the Cathedral’s stonework and windows and new chimera and gargoyles proudly perched on the perimeter, ensuring the longevity of the historic Covington landmark and beloved church.

To tie together the project’s closing and celebrate its successes, a “restoration celebration” is planned to follow the Cathedral’s 4:30 Mass, August 15. Invited to the celebration were all 2,000 donors to the project, along with parishioners of the Cathedral.

Coming together, guests to the celebration will enjoy a catered dinner at the adjacent Covington Latin School, tours of the newly planted Marian Garden and restored Cathedral grounds and a showing of a 20-minute short film highlighting the Cathedral titled “The Salvation of Souls.”

“It’s going to be a beautiful video,” commented Jim Hess, director of Stewardship and Mission for the Diocese of Covington, who took on this project as one of his first after becoming director. “It’s a video that the Cathedral can use forever,” he said, as the video divulges the Cathedral’s history and mission. Following the celebration, the film will be available on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption’s website (https://covcathedral.com) as well for public viewing.

In addition to this, donors and parishioners alike are being welcomed to contribute to another celebratory aspect of the project’s conclusion. Inside the new statue of the Cathedral’s Marian courtyard, a time capsule will be placed, with notes from contributors to be stored inside for future generations.

“I love the symbolism of that as well,” said Mr. Hess. “Mary is protecting the watching over and taking care of these people that contributed to this work.”

While Mr. Hess has experience with many capital campaigns, he commented that campaigns that are not directly ‘building something new’ can be hard to raise funds for.

“This project was unique,” he said, with more than $8 million of purely restoration work to be raised.

“This was truly a brick and mortar campaign,” Mr. Hess said, “which sometimes is difficult to raise money for because people like supporting new initiatives, new ideas. But this was more focused on taking care of the Cathedral for future generations, and I was amazed by how generous people were.” Even people who did not belong to the Cathedral parish or had ties to it contributed, seeing as they “realized the importance of this work for generations to come.”

Annual St. Ann Novena ends, a lesson in trusting the faith prevails

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

St. Ann Mission, Covington, celebrated the end of their 139th annual St. Ann Novena with Mass, celebrated by Father Gerald Rienersman, a retired priest of the Diocese of Covington, and veneration of the relics of St. Ann. Many participated with a kiss or touch of the relic, an emotional moment venerating the saint to which they have prayed for the past nine days.

On each of the nine days, a Mass was celebrated following the novena prayer at St. Ann Mission. This year, each Mass was dedicated to an apparition of the Blessed Mother. Some known, such as the Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Guadalupe apparitions, while others were lesser known, including Our Lady of Siluva which was the apparition for the final night of the Novena.

The story of our Lady of Siluva begins many years before Our Lady’s apparition in 1608, rather the seeds were sown for her appearance amidst the rise of the protestant reformation. When the town officials of Siluva, Lithuania, turned to Calvinism they sought to destroy the small Catholic Church of Lithuania and reappropriate the land to protestant worship. The priest of the Siluvan Catholic Church heard of this and took the deeds to the land, liturgical vestments and a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary and placed them in a box which he buried on the Church property. Soon after, the land and the Church were seized, and Catholic worship in Lithuania was replaced with Protestantism.

“The Church was destroyed, and the land was used for farmland, and the faith was buried,” said Father Reinersman in his homily on the apparition. Then, nearly 80 years later, a group of children were playing in a field when the Blessed Virgin appeared to them weeping, holding a small child. Though she did not say anything to the children, word spread throughout the village and the next day a large crowd had formed near the site of the apparition. She appeared again and said to them, “once my beloved son was worshiped here, but now it was given over to the plowman and to the sower,” Father Reinersman said, paraphrasing.

As word of the apparition spread, a blind man in the outskirts of the town remembered the buried box. “He led people to this spot, and when he reached this spot, he regained his sight,” said Father Reinersman, “He was able to see what was precious, and he found this place where the church once stood, and to a spot where an iron box was buried in this field.”

“For eighty years it stayed buried, silent and unused. The treasures in that box were the chalices that had been used at Mass, the missal books, the vestments, an image of the Blessed Mother and the documents that showed the Church owned the land,” said Father Reinersman.

“So, even when faith is buried, it is never gone. When the world forgets, Heaven remembers. And, when the sacred is erased, the Blessed Mother comes to restore it,” he said, “the Blessed Mother leads up back to find what is sacred, to find what is holy, to find what is precious. The gift of faith and an active spiritual life develops an instinct, and an appreciation and a wisdom that helps us to see the hand of God in our world.”

Faith Community Health Network officially opens Faith Community Clinic, opening new opportunity for mission and service

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Formerly Faith Community Pharmacy, now Faith Community Health Network (FCHN), officially cut the ribbon and opened the doors to its new Faith Community Clinic, July 15. Located in Newport, the clinic, which soft opened in June, offers free primary care, preventive services and lab testing — carrying the torch of FCHN’s commitment to provide “quality, compassionate care for all.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony was well attended, with FCHN executive director Aaron Broomall commenting, “I think the abundance of people that made time on their Wednesday morning to be here just shows you that our organization from the start has been built around a community of people that come together and care about people,” he said. “None of our work would be possible without the generous contributions of time and effort and insights from everybody that is here.”

“I think one of the foundations of our organization is that at the end of the day, our work comes down to people,” Mr. Broomall continued later in the ceremony. “One of the things I am most proud of, and I can’t take credit for it, our staff can, is that we always focus on the person. That there is an individual in front of us who is struggling, who is scared, who doesn’t know where to turn and they walk in our doors. And when they do, they’re greeted with a smile. They’re treated with dignity and respect. We learn their name and we learn their story because advancing somebody to health is more than just diagnosis and medication.”

Stacie Wethington, RN, the clinic’s director, looked to the future of the clinic in a later interview with the Messenger. “I’m looking forward to getting more patients from the community and being able to provide medical care for them,” she said. “We’ve talked a lot about how we’re not just physical care — we hope to touch them in lots of ways, whether that be spiritual counseling, if they desire that, but there are a lot of social determinants that we look at.”

Volunteers and staff of Community Health Clinic look beyond just physical health, according to Ms. Wethington, addressing issues such as food and housing insecurity and mental health and grief as well — using patient navigators to help guide patients to resources that they might need.

“The patients that we’ve seen have been amazing and grateful,” she said, “and the care is much, much needed. I think it’s been a blessing not just to the patients, but also to the staff and volunteers.”

To learn more about Faith Community Health Network, as well as to seek help or volunteer opportunities, visit their website online at https://fchealthnetwork.org/.

From garden to green: Parish Kitchen volunteer to be honored at Great American Ball Park

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

When the Diocese of Covington and Archdiocese of Cincinnati head out to Great American Ball Park, Sept. 5, to watch the Reds take on the Milwaukee Brewers for this year’s Catholic Family Night, joining them will be Catholic Charities volunteers from both sides of the river to be honored for their ministry and service on the big screen.

One of these volunteers is Jorja Kremer — a parishioner of St. Pius X Parish, Edgewood, and a retired medical technologist turned science teacher.

After retiring, Ms. Kremer attended a “master gardener” program that required volunteer hours to graduate and fatefully followed an ad seeking gardeners for the Parish Kitchen, Covington, a ministry of Catholic Charities that serves meals and respite to neighbors everyday — the rest is history.

“The lot next to them was just a vacant, hard clay, rock and brick field. It was totally barren, and you could hardly dig in it.” Ms. Kremer recalls of her beginnings of the garden. “It was so hard to dig in, but there were four raised beds — and so I started.”

Ms. Kremer, alongside the hard work of other volunteers, raised the Parish Kitchen garden that first year. They received soil from the Cincinnati Zoo, built three more raised beds and established a berry bed, as well. During this time, Ms. Kremer also began helping to cook Parish Kitchen’s daily meals ever Friday while tending to the budding garden throughout the week.

“My reasoning for that is giving back,” Ms. Kremer simply said. “I just love seeing the look on people’s faces when they come in and they see flowers in the middle of all that concrete. They see these trees and flowers and a place to sit, and the vegetables growing, and they take it all in.”

The vegetables grown in the Parish Kitchen garden are given away to guests, as well. “Whatever we grow, we give to them,” she said. “It became a total work of love.”

Jill Walch, director, Volunteer Engagement for Catholic Charities, said that “Jorja’s faith is at the heart of her commitment to serving others. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she has devoted herself to caring for the Parish Kitchen garden, creating a space that brings both nourishment and comfort to our guests.

“The garden is more than a source of fresh produce. It is a peaceful and welcoming place where our guests can enjoy a moment of beauty and calm. We are grateful for Jorja’s dedication and for the many ways she helps make our community stronger.”

Ms. Kremer shares that same gratitude for the workers at Parish Kitchen.

“I think that Parish Kitchen is a major worthwhile thing to have,” said Ms. Kremer. “It’s the people that work there — everybody is there because they love it, they love the work and they love helping people. That’s really important to me.”

Catholic Charities to host free mental health first aid training in Covington Curia

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

It is estimated that approximately one in five adults in the United States live with mental illness, as reported by the National Institute of Mental Health. With most people struggling themselves or knowing someone struggling with their mental health, many find themselves as “first responders” on the front line of preventing suicide.

A former first responder herself, Autumn Ruehl, CSW, now works as a mental health counselor with Catholic Charities in Northern Kentucky. Ms. Ruehl, with Catholic Charities and in collaboration with Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, is offering a free “mental health first aid” training, Aug. 25, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., at the diocesan Curia, Covington.

With this training and certification normally attached to a cost of more than $100 per person, this free training is ideal for anyone who wants to better support loved ones, friends, coworkers, parishioners or members of their community. Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of someone experiencing a mental health challenge, respond with confidence and compassion and connect individuals to appropriate resources.

“Mental health first aid is best used as a first line of defense,” said Ms. Ruehl. “What it does is empowers us and helps us feel more comfortable to start the conversation with somebody we think is experiencing a mental health challenge.”

Ms. Ruehl mentioned that, statistically, someone struggling with their mental health are more likely to seek out professional support if someone else suggests to them, making us the “first line” that people might come in contact with.

Additionally, “mental health first aid helps people recognize when someone they love or come in contact with frequently might be experiencing a mental health challenge,” Ms. Ruehl said. Recognizing these signs is imperative, even to saving lives, with 130 Americans losing their lives to suicide each day.

“We know that,” just like with physical illnesses and injuries, “with early intervention, there are better outcomes,” Ms. Ruehl said.

With a minimum required class size of 25, more participants are needed for the free training and certification to remain available. Registration is available now online at https://form.jotform.com/MHFACollaborative/catholic-charities-mhfa-8252026.

St. Joseph Parish celebrates Caroline Islands with Chuukese Mass

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

A special Mass was celebrated, July 11, at St. Joseph Church, Crescent Springs. The Mass — celebrated with readings and song in Chuukese, the indigenous language of the Micronesian island of Chuuk — commemorated the anniversary of the Diocese of the Caroline Islands.

North of New Guinea, in Oceania, the Diocese of the Caroline Islands was officially established in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, when the original apostolic prefecture was split into the diocese and the Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands.

The Mass itself was coordinated by the Chuukese Catholic Community, bringing together individuals from the Caroline Islands from Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee together to celebrate this anniversary. The group also calls themselves the “Holy Cross” community — after its home parish on the island of Chuuk. Officers of the community were blessed and commissioned by Father Boelscher as part of the Mass.

The celebration commemorated “welcoming Jesus to our island,” according to parishioner Manisi Kikku, who helped to organize it.

Father Eric Boelscher, pastor, St. Joseph Parish, celebrated the Mass. In his homily, Father Boelscher compared faith to fire.

“It’s supposed to catch other people,” Father Boelscher said. “It’s supposed to spread. It goes heart to heart … We are the bringers of courage and the fire. We’re the ones who can clarify each other’s minds to show what’s truly important, and we can purify our desires to build up a life that’s fully given to God.”

“We all have to catch it,” he said. “We all have to burn with that incredible passion of Christ.”