Covington Catholic students are called to ‘live the spirit of God’s love’ , said Bishop Iffert at centennial Mass

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In the 1920s, the Marianists opened a small school for a class of 32 boys across the street from Mother of God parish, Covington, at the request of Bishop Francis William Howard. Now, exactly 100 years later, 521 boys across 4 grades enrolled at Covington Catholic High School returned to Mother of God to celebrate their centennial year alongside faculty and staff, Aug. 23.

Bishop John Iffert celebrated Mass with the Covington Catholic community, alongside Father Eric Boelscher, Covington Catholic’s pastoral administrator, Father Michael Hennigen, chaplain, Father Matthew Cushing, pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Deacon Joseph Wiedeman and Deacon Hudson Henry. Also concelebrating were Covington Catholic graduates Father Daniel Schomaker, ’98, pastor of St. Augustine Parish, Covington, Father Eric Andriot, ’93, pastor of All Saints Parish, Walton and Father Thomas Robbins, ’66, a retired priest celebrating his 50-year jubilee this year.

Bishop Iffert’s homily focused on love, recalling the question asked to Jesus by the pharisees in that morning’s Gospel reading: “What is the greatest law of all the laws?”

To which Jesus replied, “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You want to know the center of all the Scriptures, the key for interpretation for everything the word of God reveals to us and every religious practice we’re involved in … here it is,” said Bishop Iffert.

As his homily continued, Bishop Iffert mentioned the sacrifices made by the parents of the students gathered, “they longed for you,” he said, “they wanted someone just like you to share their love with.” Full nights of sleep, vacations, dates to dinner and movies and personal space were just some of the sacrifices made, Bishop Iffert described.

That same sacrifice, Bishop Iffert said, is being made so that the students of Covington Catholic can experience the brotherhood that the school is famous for, being the only all-boys high school in the Diocese of Covington.

“The purpose of the brotherhood that is created at CovCath (a nickname for the high school) is to teach you how to see every human being you will ever meet in your life as brother and sister,” said Bishop Iffert, “So that you can practice love.”

“For 100 years,” he continued, “you have been announcing the motto, ‘With a spirit that never dies.’” Bishop Iffert elaborated that the “spirit” described is not a certain selfconfidence, or any other selfish sort of spirit, but it is the spirit of God’s Love.

“You’re the first class to define for the next 100 years what Covington Catholic will be about, whether you will live up to that great motto, and live always the spirit of God’s Love.”