Parishioners,Yearof Mercyinspirepastortopush
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July 19, 2019 In This Issue ESSEESSENGERNGER M Serving the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky since 1926 2 Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parishioners,YearofMercy inspire pastortopush 2 St. Ann novena for clarificationincremated remains law Laura Keener uations like this when there is no directive nothing happens” said 3 First St. Mary’s Church Editor Senator Schickel. About the bill’s unanimous, bi-partisan support, The Jubilee Year of Mercy (Dec. 8, 2015 — Nov. 20, 2016) is still Senator Shickel said, “It’s common sense.” 3 Official assignments having an impact in the Diocese of Covington and, now, the state of Rep. Fischer concurred. “People felt like this was an oversight in Kentucky. In the last General Assembly HB 110 passed unanimous- the law that would benefit those who otherwise would be forgotten,” 6 Congregation of Divine ly and rather anonymously. There were no public debates or he said. Additionally, Rep. Fischer said that funeral directors would protests but its impact is not insignificant. Governor Matt Bevin develop an internal tracking system so they will have a record of Providence signed the bill March 29. whom the cremains have been delivered to; that record would be Welcomes new associates Rep. Joseph Fischer was the primary sponsor of the bill, but if kept for at least 10 years. you ask him he might refer to it as “Father Stef’s bill.” Mr. Fogle does not know the exact number of unclaimed cremat- 7 Thomas More University The bill, which is now law, permits funeral directors who are “in ed remains in Kentucky. “I could not guess. I would dare say there Alumnae win national possession of unclaimed cremated remains for two years or more to is not a funeral home in the state that doesn’t have at least one set inter, bury, entomb, or place the cremated remains in a columbari- sitting around,” he said. sports awards um or to deliver the cremated remains to a bona fide religious soci- He also said there isn’t a very clear reason why — despite the ety, veterans organization, or civil group for interment, burial, funeral directors’ attempts to have the cremains claimed — family 8 ‘Be Witnesses’ entombment, or placement in a columbarium.” members refuse to pick them up. Before the bill funeral directors could be held liable if at some “Some might not have known next of kin. Some of it is money, I 9 St. Henry District High School time — even an eternity from now — a family member came to think, or the family doesn’t know what to do. I think a lot of times Mission trip to Jamaica claim the cremains and the cremains were not available. And so the family members think once the cremation occurs that’s it — there unclaimed cremains of people — probably hundreds, maybe even a is nothing left — or they don’t have any more responsibility,” he 12 We Choose Life thousand or more —have lan- said. guished on the basement shelves of Mr. Fogle said that Father Bankemper is not the only the more than 400 funeral homes one interested in making sure that these forgotten peo- 13 Obituary throughout the state of Kentucky. ple receive a proper and dignified burial. Divine Providence Sister Francis Father Stef Bankemper, pastor, “There are veterans groups who search for Anne Durbin St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Ft. unclaimed cremated remains of veterans and they will Thomas, learned of this legal bury those remains or entomb them with full military “flaw” when speaking with a honors,” he said. parishioner who is also a local In Kentucky, Dale LeMond is one of those people. He funeral director. It was during the is the Central U.S. Regional Coordinator for the Missing Moving? Wrong address? Jubilee Year of Mercy and as he in America Project (MIAP). Call the circulation desk, prayed and reflected on Christ’s The Missing in America Project is a federally recog- (859) 392-1570 mercy and what that means to the nized non-profit Veterans organization. Its mission is a Church, the plight of these forgot- nation-wide effort to locate, identify and inter the ten people became more and more unclaimed remains of forgotten veterans. According to Bishop’s Schedule . .3 dear to Father Bankemper. the organizations website (https://www.miap.us/ Commentary . .4 “It occurred to me that this is index.asp), MIAP has visited 2,346 funeral homes across People and Events . .10 not equal to the dignity of a human the United States, have found 19,661 cremains, have Saint Snippet . .11 person to be sitting in a basement identified 4,349 cremains as those of veterans and have Classifieds . .16 unburied for the rest of eternity interred 4,008 veteran cremains. Entertainment . .18 until Jesus comes back,” said Mr. LeMond was also Father Bankemper. “And, the sec- supportive of HB 110. Shopper’s Guide . .18 ond thing that occurred to me was He agrees that some Conversations with parishioners News Briefs . .19 that it’s the Year of Mercy and people have the wrong during the Jubilee Year of Mercy burying the dead is a corporal work idea about cremation. inspire Father Stef Bankemper of mercy.” He remembers speak- and the creation of HB 110 — Father Bankemper approached ing to the daughter of upholding the dignity of the Missed an edition? Current and back Rep. Fischer, a parishioner, about one of the veterans human person by burying issues of the Messenger are available the situation and together they MIAP interred. unclaimed cremated remains online at covdio.org/messenger. worked on writing the bill. “She asked me, ‘How languishing on shelves of funeral “One thing I insisted on in the can you have my homes. bill was for interment, burial or father’s cremains when placement in a columbarium — my mother said he was something appropriate for the Catholic Church,” Father cremated and there was Bankemper said. “You just can’t spread them around and so that’s nothing left?’ People get in the bill.” the wrong idea that It took a year for the bill to make it into committee. The first year with cremation there is they simply ran out of time. Rep. Fischer and State Senator John nothing left,” he said. Schickel, who also helped draft the legislation, wanted to be sure Mr. Fogle expressed that the bill would have the support of Kentucky’s funeral direc- his gratitude to Father tors. The funeral directors not only supported the bill but helped Bankemper and Rep. lobby for it as well. Fischer for drafting the “It does become a problem. Funeral homes all over the state have bill and working for its cremated remains,” said Sidney Fogle, executive director, Funeral ratification. Directors Association of Kentucky. “I commend the Mr. Fogle said that he worked with Rep. Fischer and Father Catholic Church in Bankemper to help pass the legislation. Before the legislation, Mr. Northern Kentucky for getting involved and also Rep. Joe Fischer Fogle said, funeral directors “could do some of these things but it who introduced the bill; we have worked with him over the years. It wasn’t written in statute. Before (the legislation) a funeral director was very good foresight for those organizations and we were happy would be very reluctant to turn over those cremated remains to a to help them get this done,” he said. third party. A family member could show up years later and ask Father Bankemper is now working with diocesan councils on where their family member is.” developing protocols for acquiring and interring unclaimed cre- “There was really no directive on it. As is so often the case in sit- mains. 2 July 19, 2019 Messenger On the feastofOur Ladyof Mount Carmel, Bishop Foys thanks Carmelite Sisters for ministry Laura Keener Blessed Virgin Mary as our mother to care for us Editor on our journey.” On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 12, In closing he thanked the Carmelite Sisters Bishop Roger Foys celebrated Mass at Carmel Manor, Ft. for answering the Lord’s call in their life and for Thomas. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patroness of their ministry to the aged and infirm, especially the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm who sponsor at Carmel Manor; and asked those present to pray and operate Carmel Manor. Carmel Manor is one of 17 for vocations to the Carmelite order. At a private facilities (16 in the United States and one in Ireland) oper- ceremony at St. Teresa’s Motherhouse, New York, ated by the Carmelite Sisters offering independent, assist- July 6, the community welcomed three postu- ed and nursing care to the elderly. lants. Sister Doris, Sister Sharon and Sister In his homily Bishop Foys spoke of the importance of Morgan each received the Carmelite habit and a God choosing Jesus to be born of a woman, and how it ties religious name. with John’s Gospel passage (19:25-27) with Jesus giving “On this day when we celebrate Our Lady of Mary to John as his mother and mother of us all. Mount Carmel we especially give thanks for the “God chose to send his son to be born of woman to Carmelite Sisters who have for so many years allow Jesus to have the love of a mother,” he said. labored here, a labor of love and care for others,” “Everyone knows the love of a mother, the care that a he said. “We thank all the sisters who have given mother has for her children, that is a love unlike any other their life up in service to the Lord and in service in our lives.