Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, thanks to the generous donation of an anonymous donor, is building in Northern Kentucky for the first time in six years. Their chosen sites are located in the Botany Hills neighborhood of Covington. The construction of these nine new homes, is rooted in faith with the campaign donning the name, “The Pope Leo Village Campaign.”

“An anonymous donor came forward who was very inspired by Pope Leo’s commitment to serving others and decided to give a generous gift to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati,” said Sarah Reynolds, marketing and communication officer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati.

Ron Washington, mayor of Covington, said, “The Pope Leo Village Campaign in Botany Hills will not only provide nine families with safe and affordable homes, but will also strengthen the fabric of our neighborhoods.”

With homelessness on the rise in Kenton County, increasing steadily over the past three years — from 167 persons in 2023 to 234 persons in 2025 according to the Kentucky Housing Corporation’s annual K-Count. Rates of homelessness are also significantly higher than those of neighboring Northern Kentucky counties — 67 and 39 persons in 2025 for Boone and Campbell Counties, respectively. These nine Habitat for Humanity homes will mean new beginnings for the families who purchase them.

Ms. Reynolds spoke to one of the intended residents, “for her, this home means stability,” she said. “Now that she is building and buying a home with Habitat, she feels like this will give her and her three children the stability that they’ll need to have a better life.”

The nine homes being built will stand on infill plots of land, where once historic homes stood. Each house will be slightly different to accommodate the land; however, each will have at least three bedrooms. Two of the homes will be joined together to form a duplex, while the other seven will be stand-alone homes with either one or two stories depending on the plot of land.

“We decided to build homes in Covington, even though we didn’t have funding for them, because we know that there’s such a need for affordable housing in the community,” said Ms. Reynolds, “We took a leap of faith and started building and then this anonymous donor came forward to help cover some of those costs .. .it was answered prayers.”

Despite not being a Catholic organization, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati is rooted in Christian faith. Beginning as a grassroots effort, they relied on churches for support. Thirty years later, many of those churches still contribute to their mission.

“We have a huge faith involvement to begin with, and so, when we share about the Pope Leo Village with those groups, they’re just really excited,” Ms. Reynolds said.

It is the community involvement, Ms. Reynolds said, that sets this initiative apart from the rest. “We’ve seen a lot of excitement, we have seen lots of people wanting to come and volunteer, wanting to learn more, and calling, reaching out to us in that way … the outpouring of support from the community … is really inspiring,” she said.

Mr. Washington shared the sentiment of inspiring community support.

“After seeing Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati’s impact during last year’s Rock the Block event, it’s inspiring to now see the first new Habitat homes built in Northern Kentucky in six years — and right here in Covington. This project reflects the power of collaboration and community, and we are proud to support it,” he said.

Construction on the nine homes will be completed in 2026 with two already being near completion. Once the homes have been constructed, they will stand tall as a reminder of God’s providential love and Pope Leo’s commitment to serving others; giving nine families newfound stability.

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Youth ministry in the Diocese of Covington is launching into its “next phase,” according to Angie Poat, the diocesan youth minister who has been building up the structure of youth ministry since joining the Curia in 2023.

Building up from the With One Heart pastoral plan, and skill sets obtained from the “Tending the Talents” programs via Catholic Leadership Institute, the Youth Ministry office has chartered four official “teams” led by existing youth ministry leaders, which will tackle different youth ministry needs in the diocese.

The first team, called the Youth Commission Evangelization Team (YCET), is the most familiar team in the diocese already and was active in ministry previously. Under the official charter, YCET will be led by Hannah Ubelhor, a parishioner of St. Timothy Parish, Union. An active youth minister — Ms. Ubelhor has previous experience as a retreat director and worship leader. YCET will also be led in conjunction with Mark Johnson, from St. Thomas, Ft. Thomas, where he is the current youth minister and catechetical leader.

Bradley Barnes, campus minister of Newport Central Catholic, will be spearheading two of the other youth ministry teams — middle school ministry, and the intern team which assists youth ministry faculties in the youth ministry summer internship.

As for the fourth team, Service and Mission, Carrie O’Connor — a member of the Regnum Christi movement — will be leading.

Each team leader, along with their teams, average 20 hours a month in service to the diocese — leading meetings and events throughout.

The primary goal of devising these teams for youth ministry lies in the importance of sustainability, Mrs. Poat said, to earn the ability to maintain youth ministry function long term — but also to “empower volunteers and lay people in the diocese to use their leadership skills.”

This year, the youth ministry leaders are being “put into action,” but Mrs. Poat hopes that their example will be “models for youth ministry teams,” which she hopes will form throughout diocesan parishes and communities.

“Whether you have a full-time youth minister or a part-time youth minister or no youth minister,” Mrs. Poat said, “you can have a successful youth ministry in every parish.” This is accomplished through teamwork and collaborative ministry, she explained, saying that “not one isolated person can run a ministry on their own.”

Mrs. Poat encourages all lay people to involve themselves in youth ministry, starting with “getting the word out to the young people in their parish” and getting them to attend diocesan events. “They can sponsor their way to attend these events, or they could simply show up and be present,” she said. Additionally, Mrs. Poat says they can “let diocesan events and teams be a springboard to chartering their own youth ministry involvement in their own parish, whether it’s big or small.”

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.”