Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. Since 2002, the bishop is Roger Joseph Foys. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.

History

The diocese was founded on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX. The president of Xavier University in Cincinnati, George Aloysius Carrell, S.J., was installed as its first bishop. The diocese originally consisted of the eastern half of Kentucky, with the Diocese of Louisville containing the western half.
Historically, the Catholic population of the diocese was composed primarily of descendants of German immigrants to the towns of Covington and Newport in the mid-19th century, who came after the revolutions of 1848. The Catholic communities of Cincinnati and Louisville had a similar demographic. Much of the parish architecture in the diocese reflects this German cultural heritage.
In 1988, the southern portion of the diocese was incorporated into the new Diocese of Lexington.

Clergy sexual abuse settlement

In 2009, it was reported that 243 victims of clergy sexual abuse had received an average of $254,000 each, totaling approximately $79 million. Perpetrators included 35 priests.
In the early 21st century, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States was revealed to have covered up widespread sexual abuse of minors by priests that occurred in numerous dioceses; the scandal was first investigated in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2005 the Diocese of Covington announced that it had settled with more than 100 victims of sexual abuse by paying approximately $120 million.
The diocese agreed that any person who claimed to have been sexually abused by a member of the clergy or a lay employee could seek compensation no matter how long ago alleged abuse occurred. Under terms of the settlement, victims would be placed into one of four categories, depending upon the severity of their abuse. Payments would range from $5,000 to $450,000 for each victim, minus attorneys' fees.
This was the largest settlement for any Roman Catholic diocese in the United States at the time. The diocese acquired $40 million by liquidating real estate assets, including the Marydale Retreat Center in Erlanger, and other investments. The remaining $80 million was paid by its insurance carriers.
Bishop Foys vowed to meet with every victim of abuse who was willing to meet saying, "Those harmed by these shameful, despicable deeds now need the institutional Church and, more importantly, the pastoral Church to provide as much comfort and peace as possible. Our hearts must remain open, like Christ's."

Sex abuse arrest

In August 2019, Rev. David Glockner was arrested after being accused of inappropriately touching two high school girls who were volunteering in a construction project at a farm project in Vanceburg. Shortly after his arrest, the Diocese removed Glockner from ministry at his parish. After being bailed out of jail, Glockner left the state of Kentucky and is required to live in Cincinnati, Ohio's Glenmary headquarters.

Bishops

Bishops of Covington

The list of ordinaries of the diocese and their years of service:
  1. George Aloysius Carrell, S.J.
  2. Augustus Toebbe
  3. Camillus Paul Maes
  4. Ferdinand Brossart
  5. Francis William Howard
  6. William Theodore Mulloy
  7. Richard Henry Ackerman, C.S.Sp.
  8. William Anthony Hughes
  9. Robert William Muench, appointed Bishop of Baton Rouge
  10. Roger Joseph Foys

    Auxiliary Bishop

As of 2013, the diocese held 92,456 Catholics out of a population of 513,971, about 18% of the population of its territory. The diocese contains 47 parishes and 6 missions in 14 counties, the majority of which are concentrated in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties. As of 2006, there were 83 diocesan priests, 9 religious priests, 28 permanent deacons, 346 religious sisters, and 16 religious brothers. The diocese also supports a private collegial institution, Thomas More University in Crestview Hills. In addition, the diocese also administers six area medical centers under the St. Elizabeth Healthcare system. The diocese also administers 28 cemeteries.

Parishes

The Diocese of Covington contains thirty-nine educational institutions. They are administered either independently, by the diocesan school board, by the parish with which they are affiliated, or by a religious order. In total, in 2013 there were 14,284 students under Catholic instruction.
In January 2019, a viral video emerged that initially appeared to show students, including students allegedly from Covington Catholic High School, a private, all-male high school in Park Hills, Kentucky, taunting Native American demonstrators at the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C. Laura Keener of the Diocese stated it "regrets the incident and is investigating."

Colleges