First step to being a witness of Christ and loving others is to love yourself, says Bishop Iffert at Pro-Life Essay contest

Laura Keener 

Editor

The top 20 finalists of the 2025 Pro-Life Essay Contest gathered, March 13, with Bishop John Iffert and Faye Roch, director, Pro-Life Office, for an evening of celebration and to award the top three finishers. The essay contest is organized and hosted each year by the diocesan Pro-Life Office and is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. This year, Rick and Celesta Arnold, Culture of Life Couple, from the Knights of Columbus Kentucky State Council and Jan Buchner, K of C, Northern Kentucky Council, were in attendance.

Nearly 250 eighth graders from Catholic schools in the Diocese of Covington submitted an essay for this year’s contest. The theme, taken from the Jubilee Year of Hope, asked students to “describe how you, a young person, can be a witness to others and convert hearts showing that all life is good and worthy of our care and protection.”

“Your being here tonight, you stand above the crowd,” said Mrs. Roch to the 20 finalists. “Your essays were chosen in the top eight percent of the essays received. That’s pretty incredible. We congratulate you on your achievement. You give us inspiration and hope that the tide is turning and that it will be your generation that can make a difference in promoting the culture of life.”

This year’s top finishers are: Kyndall Ruebusch, St. Anthony School, Taylor Mill, first place; Piper Hagley, Holy Cross Elementary School, Latonia, second place; and Ryan Bennett, Villa Madonna Academy, Villa Hills, third place. Each of the top finishers receives a scholarship from the Knights of Columbus to attend a local Catholic high school. Ms. Ruebusch’s winning essay is published on page 5.

Drawing from the theme, Bishop Iffert emphasized the importance of being a witness for Christ.

“We need the witness of committed disciples of Jesus. We need to live that faith out, and that witness is what is so important,” said Bishop Iffert. “So that theme that you had today, ‘how do I witness to the value of life in my life?’ that’s an extraordinary theme, and I hope it’s a question you ask yourself every day. I hope that you’re growing in that understanding every day of your life, because that means you’re growing towards Christ.”

He also encouraged the students to not only see others as a gift from God, but themselves too.

“How do we witness to the value of life? We accept ourselves as God gives us — our bodies, our minds, our spirit, our limits — and we love ourselves. Having loved ourselves, we can truly love others,” he said. “We’re all the same, going through life having received ourselves as gift and trying our best to be truly grateful for the gift we received. Give that witness. Love yourself. Value yourself the way you are. And when you make friends with that process, then you will be able to love everyone else. Thank you for your witness tonight. And please, please, please, know how good, powerfully wonderful you are, how much are loved in this room and beyond. Love yourself truly, not like ‘I’m so great,’ but ‘I am sheer gift from God to the world.’”