October 30, 2020 In This Issue ESSENGER M Serving the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky since 1926 2 NKY urged to take action to reverse COVID trend October 26, 2020 Sisters to host virtual open houses My dear Friends, Thanksgiving card Praised be Jesus Christ! contest winner We will celebrate National Vocation Coronavirus report Awareness Week the first week of 3 Honoring our dearly November 2020. Since 1976 we have set departed ones aside one week of the year to focus on vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated religious life. During All Saints and All Souls Day this time, we are asked to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated religious life 7 ‘Be Witnesses’ as well as to pray for those who are already discerning such 8 Meet Bill Blank a vocation. It is also a time to encourage someone we know Enough music and stories to who we believe might be called to such a vocation. fill 90 years The Lord has certainly blessed our Diocese with vocations to the priesthood and the diaconate. In the last 18 years I have ordained 41 priests and 32 permanent deacons for ministry in the Diocese of Covington. The Lord is still calling, to be sure. He promised that He would always provide us with shepherds (cf. Jer 3:15) but He also directs us to pray for such vocations (cf. Matt 9:38). I believe the response has been the result of your prayers and of the example and Daylight Savings Time witness given to those who are called by priests, deacons ends Nov. 1 and consecrated religious. But we must never become Messenger readers are reminded to set their clocks back one hour complacent. before going to bed this Saturday, unless you want an extra hour to We must continue to pray and to encourage vocations to pray at church before Mass. Your the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated religious life. local fire department also reminds you to change the batteries in I take this opportunity to thank all those currently minister- your smoke detector. ing in our Diocese as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. I want to thank especially those priests from other Bishop’s Schedule . .3 countries and religious orders who are ministering in Commentary . .4 our Diocese. If it were not for their sacrifice, some of our People and Events . .10 parishes would be without full-time resident priests. Did you Know . .10 I also want to thank those currently in formation for the Shopper’s Guide . .13 priesthood, diaconate and consecrated religious life. Classifieds . .14 Thank you for answering the call and for remaining VIRTUS . .17 steadfast in your discernment. And I am grateful to all News Briefs . .19 the faithful for your continued prayers for vocations and for those who have answered the call and are ministering Missed an edition? Current and back to you. issues of the Messenger are available online at covdio.org/messenger. Be assured of my prayers. Please, pray for me and for our beloved Diocese of Covington. Yours devotedly in the Lord, Priests of the Diocese of Covington pray before the Blessed Sacrament during the Most Rev. Roger J. Foys, D.D.. Holy Hour for Victims of Sexual Abuse and Sanctification of Priests, July 16, 2020 in Bishop of Covington this Messenger file photo. Seminarian Education Fund Messenger Staff Report Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. The cost to educate a seminarian The Seminarian Education Fund for the Diocese of Covington is currently approximately $57,000. will be held the weekend of Nov. 7-8 at all Masses across the diocese. “The future of our Church is our priests. It’s critical that people All parishioners will receive a mailing before the weekend with make a conscious decision to support our future,” said Michael brochures, prayer cards and response cards to facilitate donations Murray, director of Stewardship and Mission Services. “We have a either to be mailed or brought to Mass that weekend in the collec- very generous faith community that responds, so we’re looking for- tion basket. ward to them responding again in a positive fashion, especially in This year, the Diocese of Covington has 11 seminarians studying these difficult times.” at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Penn., and the Pontifical College 2 October 30, 2020 Messenger Northern Kentuckians urged to ‘take action Coronavirus Report now’ to reverse local COVID trend (as of Monday, Oct. 26) Messenger staff report increased spread. In addition, Northern Kentucky is seeing a Positive Cases In an e-mailed press release, Oct. 26, The Northern resurgence of hotspots in some long-term care facilities. Active positive cases: 11 Kentucky Health Department reported a concerning rise in The growth in cases is especially troublesome as cold Recovered positive cases: 43 reported COVID-19 cases in the region. The region currently weather and the holidays approach and more and gatherings Total ever positive cases: 54 has a total of 5,506 cases of COVID-19, including 1,484 active move indoors. Although the number of deaths has remained cases, and last week saw the second highest weekly number of steady so far, Dr. Saddler is concerned about where Northern Currently Self-quarantined cases since the start of the pandemic. The number of deaths Kentucky may be heading. Contacts: 145 remains at 96 for the region. “Northern Kentucky is entering a critical phase of the Close Contacts: 164 “We are starting to see concerning trends here in pandemic. We could see our highest case numbers to come Northern Kentucky,” Dr. Lynne Saddler, NKY Health’s dis- and along with that, the possibility of an overwhelmed health Returned to class after quarantine/ trict director of health. “Most of our health district is show- care system and an increase in deaths in our most susceptible self-quarantine: ing accelerated spread of COVID-19 and unless we slow this residents. I don’t want to see that happen here, so I am asking From Oct. 20–Oct. 26: 55 students down, we will see a third surge here.” every Northern Kentuckian to take action now.” Total ever: 665 students Northern Kentucky’s location, bordering Ohio and Northern Kentuckians can turn this trend around by tak- Indiana where rates of COVID-19 are higher, may be con- ing these important steps — wear a face covering, stay at least Schools currently with quarantines and tributing to the growing number of cases. However, other fac- six feet away from others, avoid crowded places, keep gather- self-quarantines: tors such as more people physically returning to work and ings small and ideally limited to immediate family and house- Bishop Brossart High School, Alexandria school, combined with social gatherings and events and wan- hold members, and wash hands frequently. Blessed Sacrament School, Ft. Mitchell ing adherence to protective measures are part of the Covington Latin School, Covington Holy Trinity School, Bellevue Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Burlington Religious sisters offer virtual open houses for Mary, Queen of Heaven School, Erlanger Newport Central Catholic, Newport and about and talk about this life that I love, and an event like Notre Dame Academy, Covington vocation discernment this gives me an opportunity to do that and to interact with St. Henry District High School, Erlanger Allegra Thatcher different people,” she said. “The gift of St. Agnes School, Ft. Wright doing the program this way is that Assistant Editor Virtual open houses St. Catherine of Siena School, Ft. Thomas people don’t have to be local — any- St. Cecilia School, Independence To celebrate National Vocations Awareness Women discerning a vocation to body can be in on it and we get to meet St. Henry School, Elsmere Week Nov. 1-7, local religious orders are hosting religious life, mark your calendar St. Joseph Academy, Walton virtual open houses via Zoom. In place of tradi- to meet and greet the following all the different people.” St. Joseph Pre-K, Camp Springs tional meet and greets, the sisters are inviting religious communities: Sister Ruth Lubbers, assistant vocation director for the Sisters of St. Joseph School, Cold Spring young adults to drop in on calls to learn more Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg St. Mary School, Alexandria about religious life and specific communities. Notre Dame, said their national voca- Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. tion team members will be present for St. Patrick School, Maysville Of the 14 participating orders, three are from Nov. 5, 12 p.m. St. Paul School, Florence Northern Kentucky. The Benedictine Sisters of the events to share about their St. Philip School, Melbourne St. Walburg, the Sisters of Divine Providence Sisters of Divine Providence charism and mission and to address St. Pius X School, Edgewood Nov. 1, 1 p.m. and the Sisters of Notre Dame are all taking part questions that participants may have. St. Therese School, Southgate Nov. 4, 7 p.m. in the opportunity to share their spirituality, “We are looking forward to meet- St. Thomas School, Ft. Thomas their ministries and their daily life with curious Sisters of Notre Dame ing women through these events and St. Timothy Parish School of Religion, Union young adults. Nov. 4, 7 p.m. sharing about the Sisters of Notre St. Timothy School, Union Sts. Peter and Paul School, California Sister Leslie Keener, vocations director for the Nov. 7, 10 a.m. Dame. We are interested in seeing how this type of event works out, and Villa Madonna Elementary, Villa Hills Sisters of Divine Providence said people often ask about the sisters’ prayer life, experience in ministry, if it fills the needs of those discerning religious life,” she said.