A story of forgiveness in the face of tragedy inspires students during Catholic Schools Week

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

A story of tragedy, loss, grief and despair turned into a story of love, hope, forgiveness and mercy when Matthew and Rebecca Seifried turned to their faith after the death of their eight-month-old daughter, Lucia Iris. The Seifrieds traveled from their home in Michigan to St. Henry District High School Erlanger, alma mater of Mr. Seifried, to tell students their story.

On April 26, 2025, just days after celebrating the risen Christ at Easter, the young family of four was enjoying a peaceful evening by the lake when, “We see this massive white Toyota Tundra coming straight for us,” said Mr. Seifried. “It ended up continuing to come and hit Lucia. We knew instantly that she had died.”

Mr. Seifried sustained injuries to his knee and leg after the truck pinned him against a tree before tumbling into the shallow lake. The driver, relatively uninjured, was later arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence and was charged with seconddegree murder. The driver pleaded no contest to the felony charge in a January court appearance.

Mrs. Seifried and the couple’s eldest son were uninjured and accompanied the ambulances to the hospital where Lucia was pronounced dead. “We don’t even really have the words to explain the feeling other than just a complete and empty hollowness,” said Mr. Seifried. “It felt like a darkness that was shredding us apart from the inside.”

When the Seifried family was able to see Lucia in the hospital, they made a conscious decision that, “No matter what emotions we feel in the coming days, we will not let this take us from our God, from faith, from Christ. This is the cross that God wants us to carry, and we will bear it,” said Mr. Seifried.

In the days and weeks following Lucia’s passing, the Seifrieds felt God’s presence and knew that he was accompanying them through this journey of loss.

“We say nobody should have to go through what we’ve been through. But we do wish everybody could experience what it was like to have the presence of God in those two-week periods. If you did, you would never question if God is real; you would never question your faith,” said Mr. Seifried.

Together, the Seifried family began to choose forgiveness and eventually offered the driver a plea deal of 13.5 years in prison.

“Through much prayer, we decided that in order to show mercy as Christ has asked, we decided to offer a plea deal,” said Mr. Seifried.

“Us forgiving him doesn’t mean that it just erases what he’s done to us,” said Mrs. Seifried. “It allows us to be able to have peace in our hearts and to then allow him to start reviving his own soul.”

“We could make the choice of anger, bitterness, hate, or we can choose what Christ wants us to choose. We can choose love, forgiveness, mercy,” said Mr. Seifried. “And, while some days it’s much easier than others, that’s the path that we really want to choose. We want to choose love; we want to choose mercy.”

Kentucky March for Life to bring faithful together in Frankfort (copy)

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Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Participation in post-secondary education has been on the rise since the 1950s, creating a national cultural shift — high school graduates don’t go to work, they go to school. College admissions have been growing steadily over the last half a century and to accommodate this shift, many high schools have turned into centers of college preparation. This leaves little room for the students who wish to pursue what would now be considered a non-traditional career path, such as the trades.

At Holy Cross District High School, Covington, they are bridging the divide, providing opportunities for students to explore a profession in the trades, even before graduation.

James Resing, instructor of the newly revised “Intro to the Trades” class, has three goals for the students in his class: to grow in confidence using power tools, to pick up a new hobby and “the introduction of career paths to students who might not be seeking college,” he said.

Mr. Resing’s class explores the basics of HVAC, plumbing, electric and carpentry. The students build walls, run wiring to plugs and switches, solder copper pipes and build toilets. At the end of each semester, the students participate in an “open workshop,” said Mr. Resing.

The success of the program is evident, with more classes being added due to the demand of students who wish to register. In addition, six students who have gone through Mr. Resing’s class have secured an apprenticeship in the trades.

The apprentice program is for students who have expressed an interest in a career through the trades. Structured as a cooperative education opportunity, the students are gainfully employed in a trade. They attend school for half a day, completing all their core class requirements, before heading to work.

“One of them is in facilities maintenance, one is actually working for a car dealership in mechanics, one is in HVAC and I have a couple that are with builders,” said Mr. Resing.

Hannah Knox, graduation and career counselor, said, “I’ve seen a different confidence. They have found something that excites them so they’re different at school. They want to be here; they want to be involved. Because they know that when they go to their job site, they’re going to also get to do what they love.”

Facilities maintenance apprentice, Grant, said, “I feel like it is giving me a clear path on which trades I want to get into and how to go about getting into this trade. It has given me experience while I’m still in school.” “This is all about exploration,” said Mr. Resing.

“This is all about giving them a place to try and realize it’s not for them, and then I’ll help them find something else.”

Career readiness at Holy Cross District High School means “building successful individuals who are going to be positive members in a community,” said Mrs. Knox.

Kentucky March for Life to bring faithful together in Frankfort

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Laura Keener

Editor

The Diocese of Covington will once again join Catholics from across the Commonwealth for the third annual Kentucky March for Life in Frankfort March 11, beginning with Mass at 9:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Parish, Frankfort. Bishop John Iffert is scheduled to celebrate Mass and spend the day with participants.

“We will have Mass the morning of the March, and that is where the Catholic community from all the dioceses come together,” said Faye Roch, diocesan director, Pro-Life Office who is coordinating Covington’s participation. “Good Shepherd in Frankfort has hosted us, and Bishop Iffert will be presiding over Mass.”

Following Mass, travelers will have a short break before heading to the rally point — a location still to be determined due to construction at the Capitol. There, participants will gather for a series of speakers before continuing on to the Cemetery of the Unborn in the Frankfort Cemetery for a concluding prayer service. The day typically wraps up around 3:30 p.m., after which buses return to Covington.

This year, the Diocese of Covington expects to take three buses, including two filled primarily with students. The buses will leave Covington for Frankfort at about 7:30 a.m. “Every year it seems like we’ve increased our attendance,” Mrs. Roch said. She added that moving the event back to March should help avoid last year’s weather issues and make travel easier for more families and parish groups.

Mrs. Roch emphasized that even with abortion clinics no longer operating in Kentucky, the March remains vitally important. “We have to love them both,” she said. “A woman many times is in crisis, and we have to love and support our women and show them that the pro life community is not only thinking about the baby, but we’re thinking about you.”

She noted the need for legislators to hear this message clearly. “It’s important that our legislators know that we want to support women and offer them solutions to their crises,” she said, pointing to issues such as health care, child care, and other supports for women and families. With various groups pushing for proposals such as criminalizing women, Mrs. Roch stressed that the pro life position must remain compassionate and comprehensive.

Last year, a notable number of legislators attended both the Mass and the rally — something Mrs. Roch hopes will continue. Their presence, she said, helps make visible “the community that has traveled there, and the importance of this.”

How one prayer group uses Franciscan at Home to grow in their faith— consider a new Lenten practice

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Laura Keener

Editor

As part of the Diocese of Covington’s With One Heart pastoral plan, a collaboration with Franciscan University’s Catechetical Institute allows every individual in the Diocese of Covington free access to the Franciscan at Home library of Catechetical materials.

These materials, accessed via https://franciscanathome.com/ diocese-covington, offer learning tracks for any members of the diocesan community with courses covering many aspects of Catholic teaching, as well as offering “tracks” that cater to the needs of an individual or group no matter their role in their parish and diocesan community.

These courses go hand-in-glove with many parish pastoral plans as adult faith formation and education was identified as a priority for many parishes.

Currently, one friend group who gathers weekly for prayer is utilizing these free resources to follow a mentor track titled “A Vision for Caring for Others Personally.”

Jenni VonLehman, one of the group’s friends, reports a positive experience with the programming. “When my team first started viewing the Franciscan at Home videos, I expected to fill my brain with good information,” she said. “What I wasn’t expecting was to experience a real sense of calm while having a retreat-like encounter with God. I started looking forward to the videos, especially the ones presented by Dr. Willey. Not only were they helpful — they were actually fun to watch.”

She continued, saying, “In the catechetical formation classes, we were given the unexpected opportunity to work on our own catechesis and our own personal relationship with Christ. We learned that we can’t give what we don’t have ourselves, so we were immersed in it first. It was exhilarating,” she said. “I’ve actually watched a couple of the videos again on my own, and I learned even more the second time … the fact that the Covington diocese generously provides this free program to every member of the diocese is pretty awesome. I’m sure most people aren’t even aware of this treasure.”

This Lent, parish groups are asked to consider how Franciscan At Home might benefit members by hosting a similar prayer/study session. There are over 200 tracks to choose from, or you can start with the same track that Ms. VonLehman has found inspiring.

“It’s an excellent tool for your own personal growth,” said Ms. VonLehman, “or to use to help others growth in their faith.”

For details regarding registration and usage of Franciscan at Home learning materials, visit https://covdio.org/catechetical-institute/.

As the second survey approaches, parish point of contact reflects on how first DMI helped two parishes to grow in faith and community

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Maura Baker

Staff Writer

With the Lenten season rapidly approaching, the return of the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey is also on the way — with online portals opening this month, Feb. 18.

Online survey portals and paper materials for the second DMI will be distributed by parishes this month, with the survey running seven weeks. Results of the survey are projected to be published in June 2026.

Three years ago, the DMI was integral in developing Parish Pastoral Plans. With the feedback from parishioners, pastors and parish leaders — as well as the diocese at large — were able to curate and act on plans that promoted important aspects of parish life such as catechesis, evangelization and improved ministries to youth and Hispanic individuals.

Toni Zilliox, the parish point of contact for Divine Mercy Parish, Bellevue, and St. Bernard Parish, Dayton, particularly credits the DMI and the “excellent response” from their parishioners for the growth seen in both parishes over the past few years.

Following the survey, Ms. Zilliox reported on some positive changes in the parishes, including a “young adult group that has been busy forming that has really flourished.”

Parishioners who responded to Divine Mercy and St. Bernard’s DMI’s also expressed a desire for “more community,” said Ms. Zilliox, “They wanted to come together more. They wanted more activities and social events, and they wanted more outreach in the community, as well … we now have so many things to offer in the parishes that I’m sure there’s nothing you can’t find at our parishes!”

Looking back at the first DMI, and the pastoral planning process as a whole, Ms. Zilliox said that the parish wanted to hear everything, including complaints. “Hearing all of that is the opportunity to help us grow,” she said.

“It helps us increase our faith, increase our discipleship, increase our spirituality and increase the Sunday Mass experience. That’s what we wanted. We wanted to hear all the responses so that we could take that as an opportunity to help us improve and grow,” she said.

And now, three years later, the DMI’s second round will help to take a pulse on the success of the efforts of parishes like Divine Mercy and St. Bernard. “I hope that we have met the expectations, and maybe even exceeded the expectations, of our parishioners,” said Ms. Zilliox, “so that they are inspired to come to Church, to come to events, to participate as active parishioners and ask others to join them.”

Religion Teacher – Newport Central Catholic High School

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Newport Central Catholic High School is seeking a full-time Religion teacher to join a strong and dedicated staff for the 2026-27 School Year.  The position must be filled by a practicing Catholic and preferably by a candidate with proper religious certification or working toward basic proper certification.  All interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to kcollopy@ncchs.com. Visit www.ncchs.com for further details on our family oriented school on The Hill.

 

Principal – St. Leo Catholic School, Versailles, Kentucky

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St. Leo Catholic School is seeking a dynamic, faith-driven Principal to lead its school. St. Leo is a vibrant learning community located in the rolling hills of central Kentucky. Having a core focus on a Christ-Centered Education, St. Leo Catholic School currently enrolls approximately 150 students in grades PreK-3 through 8th grade of which approximately 40% are in the preschool classes. For further details about the school, visit the website at www.saintleoky.org

Primary Responsibilities

The principal is a spiritual, academic, and operational leader of the school, responsible for fostering a Catholic school culture, promoting academic excellence, and effectively managing resources.

The principal will oversee academic and religious education for students in Preschool through 8th grade, ensuring the integration of Catholic values with a rigorous curriculum that includes core subjects and special humanities programs.

The principal will directly report to the Pastor to advance the vision and policies of the school and parish, ensuring alignment with Diocese of Lexington standards and promoting a strong Catholic Identity.

The ideal candidate will embody the school’s Catholic mission, fostering a strong school-parish partnership and modeling Catholic teachings in all aspects of leadership. This role requires a commitment to excellence in both spiritual and educational guidance, supporting faculty, staff, students, and families, while maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment.

 Spiritual Leadership

  • Build faith-based connections with students and become a spiritual role model.
  • Cultivate and maintain a school culture rooted in Catholic values, fostering faith and moral development among students, staff, and the broader community.
  • Supervise the implementation of the curriculum and ensure staff development to support the academic and religious mission of the school.

 Academic Leadership

  • Set and communicate the school’s educational vision and goals, promoting a positive learning environment and collaborative culture.
  • Support teacher development through professional growth opportunities, observations, and data-driven evaluations.
  • Oversee curriculum development, technology integration, and student achievement, ensuring academic excellence and ethical use of technology.
  • Manage faculty hiring, and professional development, ensuring high instructional standards.
  • Create and maintain a productive culture that promotes a positive learning environment, effective communication, and shared responsibility.

Operational Leadership:

  • Work with Pastor, School Council, and Parish committees to increase enrollment in the school.
  • Lead long-term planning and manage school resources effectively, ensuring alignment with school goals and Catholic values while representing the faculty.
  • Maintain positive communication with the Pastor and stakeholders (faculty, staff, parents, parish) and facilitate regular updates on school initiatives.
  • Work with the Pastor and parish staff to oversee compliance with federal, state, and diocesan policies, including financial management, budgeting, and accreditation.
  • Supervise daily operations, including teacher evaluations, policy reviews, and student performance data analysis, ensuring a safe and efficient learning environment.
  • Promote positive staff morale and a sense of community and collaboration among teachers and the broader school community.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

This role requires a visionary leader dedicated to fostering student, faculty, and community growth, with a focus on Catholic identity, academic excellence, and operational efficiency.

 Key Qualifications:

  • Active, practicing Roman Catholic in good standing required
  • Proven track record of increasing student achievement and school enrollment
  • Expertise in PS-8 education with a strong ability to coach and develop teachers
  • Education experience with preschool and elementary age children
  • Success in leading both adults and students
  • Strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills

Education and Experience

  • Master’s Degree in Educational Administration
  • Possess or working towards valid Administration Certificate
  • 3 – 5 years of previous administrator experience required
  • 3 – 5 years classroom teaching experience required Cover letter detailing interest and fit for the position

The Application Process

  • Interested candidates are to submit, electronically, the following materials by January 31, 2026:
  • Cover letter detailing interest and fit for the position
  • Current resume
  • Statement (one page) of educational leadership philosophy and Catholic Identity
  • List of three professional references – references will only be contacted with permission of the applicant (to preserve confidentiality on the applicant’s part)

Send all application materials to this email address: hiringcommittee@saintleoky.org

Start Date: July 1, 2026

School Lunch Heroes – Diocese of Covington School Lunch Program

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Are you interested in a fast-paced, exciting, and rewarding career in school food services?
We offer flexible full-time and part-time work schedules with competitive pay and summers off. Benefits packages are available for eligible employees.

We have open positions:

St. Joseph Cold Spring – Full-time Cook Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m.

St. Joseph Crescent Springs-Part-time Dishwasher-Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.

Those interested in contributing to the successful operation of the school lunch program and ensuring the provision of nutritious meals to our students, please go to: www.covdio.org/employment, School Related Openings, Employment Application Non-Teacher, and send completed application to Diocese of Covington, ATTN: Laura Hatfield SLP Director, 1125 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011.

Institutional Advancement Associate – Notre Dame Academy

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Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills, KY) is seeking a full-time Institutional Advancement Associate to continue the important work of supporting our Alumnae, Development, and Enrollment efforts.

This integral role helps advance NDA’s mission through accurate database management (Raiser’s Edge), organized office operations, and meaningful coordination of alumnae and donor events. The ideal candidate is collaborative, detail-oriented, and passionate about Catholic education and empowering young women.

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required; Raiser’s Edge experience is preferred. Strong communication and organizational skills are essential, along with a commitment to NDA’s values of faith, excellence, and community.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to ndahr@ndapandas.org. (Attn: Myanna Webster).

 

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Father Daniel Schomaker

Guest

On the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Church begins our journey through the Sermon on the Mount with the proclamation of the Beatitudes. The Latin word beatitudo, translated in the Lectionary as “blessed,” can also be rendered as “happy.” The Beatitudes therefore describe not abstract ideals, but concrete attitudes and practices that lead to the longing of every human heart — true, authentic, lasting happiness.

Question number six of the Baltimore Catechism asks: “Why did God make me?” The answer: “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this life, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”

The world in which we live urges us to seek beatitudo now — immediate happiness, comfort and self-satisfaction. The Lord, however, desires beatitudo for eternity. Because of this, what the world promises as happiness often stands in sharp contrast to what the Church teaches. Indeed, the way of Jesus frequently runs counter to what seems natural or instinctive. For this reason, the Beatitudes often conflict with commonly accepted ideas of success or fulfillment.

Jesus begins by saying, “Happy are the poor in spirit!” This is a call to let go of ego and self-importance, making room for God and for others. True happiness begins when the self is no longer at the center.

“Happy are the sorrowful!” This is not an endorsement of sadness, but an invitation to honest sorrow — especially sorrow for sin and other bad choices which isolate us from God and each other. Such sorrow opens the heart to receiving and more importantly, accepting forgiveness.

“Happy are the meek (the lowly)!” Meekness is rooted in humility. The humble person is not consumed by the ego or pride, and is therefore free to attend to what is truly important.

“Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!” sometimes translated as holiness. For what do we truly long? St. Teresa of Calcutta once said: “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” Holiness — friendship with God — is the ONE priority that satisfies every other desire. Only God will satiate the hunger of the human heart; other “goods” may be important, but they will ultimately fade away.

“Happy are the merciful!” Mercy reveals the very heart of God. The word compassio — compassion – means “to suffer with.” If we want to be happy forever in the next life with God, we have to be willing to identify in love with those who suffer now — think of Jesus on the Cross.

“Happy are the clean of heart or Happy are the single-hearted!” A divided heart cannot find happiness. When Jesus becomes THE priority — in work, in family, in community — everything else finds its proper place.

“Happy are the peacemakers!” A true disciple is one who makes peace. We were created through an act of nonviolence. After the Resurrection, Jesus returns not with judgment or vengeance, but with the words, “Peace be with you.” Violence, hatred, and division breed fear, and fear is the enemy of love.

Finally, “Happy are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness!” Gospel values will inevitably clash with the values of the world. At some point, living faithfully to the Lord and to His Church will invite opposition and criticism. If that never occurs, it is worth asking: “Am I truly living the will of God?”

Heaven is a gift freely offered by the Lord. God never coerces; He invites. Each of us will one day face death, but eternal bliss is promised to those who, in this life, choose the ways of Jesus … the ways that lead not to momentary happiness, but to everlasting beatitudo.

Father Daniel Schomaker is pastor, St. Augustine Parish, Covington and director, Office of Worship and Liturgy for the Diocese of Covington, Ky.