About Diocese of Covington
The Diocese of Covington is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving Northern Kentucky in the United States, erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX from the eastern portion of the Diocese of Louisville. Its mother church is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, an 1895-vintage French Gothic structure modeled on Notre-Dame de Paris that was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1953. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville and is currently led by Bishop John C. Iffert, the eleventh bishop of Covington, who was installed on September 30, 2021. Across its 3,358 square miles the diocese ministers to roughly 93,900 Catholics in 48 parishes and supports 38 Catholic schools, Thomas More University, and Catholic Charities of Covington.
- Bishop
- John C. Iffert
- Established
- 1853
- Cathedral
- Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
- Territory
- Northern Kentucky — the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Bracken, Mason, Harrison, Pendleton, Grant, Gallatin, Owen, and Robertson, covering approximately 3,358 square miles.
- Parishes
- 48
- Province
- Archdiocese of Louisville
About the Diocese of Covington
The Diocese of Covington (Latin: Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving Northern Kentucky. Erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX, it was carved from the eastern portion of the Diocese of Louisville. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville and belongs to USCCB Region V (AL, KY, LA, MS, TN). It spans roughly 3,358 square miles across the northernmost counties of Kentucky and is pastored by Bishop John C. Iffert, the eleventh ordinary. The patron of the diocese is St. Paul the Apostle.
- Erected: July 29, 1853
- Cathedral: Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington
- Patron: St. Paul the Apostle
- Suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville
- USCCB Region V
- Bishop: John C. Iffert (since 2021)
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption at 1130 Madison Avenue in Covington. Its predecessor, St. Mary's Church, was built in 1834, replaced in 1851, and became St. Mary's Cathedral when the diocese was erected in 1853. By the late 1880s the original cathedral had fallen into disrepair; Bishop Camillus Paul Maes commissioned Detroit architect Leon Coquard, whose design drew on Notre-Dame de Paris. The cornerstone was laid in 1895 and the church was dedicated in 1901. Stained glass and the Madison Avenue façade by David Davis were added in 1908–1910. Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica on December 8, 1953, the centennial of the diocese. The cathedral is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (added July 20, 1973, NRHP #73000812) and sits on a 10-acre campus.
- 1130 Madison Avenue, Covington, Kentucky
- Designed by Leon Coquard (architect), David Davis (façade)
- Cornerstone 1895, dedicated 1901, minor basilica 1953
- NRHP #73000812, listed July 20, 1973
- French Gothic Revival style modeled on Notre-Dame de Paris
Current Bishop
Pope Francis appointed Monsignor John C. Iffert, then vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Diocese of Belleville in Illinois, as the eleventh Bishop of Covington on July 13, 2021. A native of Du Quoin, Illinois, Iffert earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Illinois State University in 1988 and worked as an analyst in the Illinois Bureau of the Budget before entering Mundelein Seminary in 1992. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Belleville on June 7, 1997. He served briefly in the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) from 2003 to 2008. He was consecrated and installed as Bishop of Covington on September 30, 2021, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. Bishop emeritus Roger Joseph Foys, the tenth bishop, retired on the same day.
- John C. Iffert, born November 23, 1967, Du Quoin, Illinois
- Ordained priest June 7, 1997 (Diocese of Belleville)
- Appointed Bishop of Covington July 13, 2021
- Installed September 30, 2021
- Bishop Emeritus Roger Joseph Foys (served 2002–2021)
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Covington operates 38 Catholic schools across Northern Kentucky, from preschool through 12th grade. The Catholic Schools Office promotes faith formation, academic excellence, and individual growth rooted in the Gospel message. Schools are clustered in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties, with additional elementary schools in Harrison (Cynthiana) and Mason (Maysville) counties.
- Elementary (K-8) schools include Blessed Sacrament (Ft. Mitchell), St. Agnes (Ft. Wright), Holy Cross (Latonia), St. Augustine (Covington), St. Cecilia (Independence), St. Henry (Elsmere), St. Joseph (Crescent Springs), St. Patrick (Taylor Mill), Mary Queen of Heaven, Immaculate Heart of Mary (Burlington), St. Paul (Florence), St. Timothy (Union), Holy Trinity (Bellevue), St. Catherine of Siena (Ft. Thomas), St. Joseph (Cold Spring), St. Mary (Alexandria), Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Philip (Melbourne), St. Therese (Southgate), St. Thomas (Ft. Thomas), St. Edward (Cynthiana), St. Patrick (Maysville), and Villa Madonna Academy (Villa Hills).
- High schools: Bishop Brossart High School, Covington Catholic High School, Covington Latin School, Holy Cross District High School, Newport Central Catholic High School, Notre Dame Academy, St. Henry District High School, St. Patrick High School, and Villa Madonna Academy.
Thomas More University — Catholic University of the Diocese
Thomas More University is the diocesan Catholic university. Founded as Villa Madonna College by the Benedictine Sisters of Covington in 1921 to train Catholic schoolteachers, it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1923 and graduated its first class in 1929. Sponsorship passed to the Diocese of Covington in 1929. The school was officially designated co-educational in 1945. In 1968 the college moved to its current Crestview Hills campus and was renamed Thomas More College, with President Lyndon B. Johnson attending the dedication. It became Thomas More University in 2018. Today about 2,000 full- and part-time students attend, drawn primarily from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
- Founded 1921 by the Benedictine Sisters of Covington
- Chartered 1923; first graduating class 1929
- Co-educational since 1945
- Renamed Thomas More College 1968; Thomas More University 2018
- Centennial celebrated 2022
- Named for St. Thomas More, English scholar and statesman
Catholic Charities of Covington
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington is the principal outreach arm of the diocese, serving the Northern Kentucky community with a 'hand-up, not hand-out' case-management model. Services include community outreach, housing support, child and family services, and counseling. The agency coordinates closely with diocesan parishes and collaborates with other regional social-service organizations.
- Parish Kitchen — community meal program
- Pickett's Corner Bike Ministry
- Mobile Food Pantries in Bracken, Owen, Gallatin, and Grant counties
- Jail Ministry and support group for families of the incarcerated
- St. Joseph Supportive Housing — 16 housing units in Elsmere for homeless families
- Financial counseling: foreclosure prevention, mortgage delinquency, homebuyer education, budget counseling
- Pregnancy Counseling & Adoption Services
- Parenting Education
- School-based Counseling
- Individual, child, family, and marriage counseling
Faith Formation & Pastoral Plan
The diocese partners with the Franciscan University Catechetical Institute to provide quality faith formation for clergy, catechists, and laity across Northern Kentucky. In 2024 Bishop Iffert released a summary of the 2023–2026 Diocesan Pastoral Plan, including parish-level pastoral plans for nearly every parish in the diocese. The diocese also invites laity to help shape its future by joining commissions on Catholic Schools, Foundation, Charities, and Diocesan Governance.
- 2023–2026 Diocesan Pastoral Plan
- Partnership with Franciscan University Catechetical Institute
- Commissions on Catholic Schools, Foundation, Charities, Diocesan Governance
- Parish Pastoral Plans for nearly every parish
Territory & Parishes
After the 1988 creation of the Diocese of Lexington, the Diocese of Covington was reduced to its present Northern Kentucky footprint: the urban core counties of Boone, Kenton, and Campbell along the Ohio River across from Cincinnati, plus the more rural Bracken, Mason, Harrison, Pendleton, Grant, Gallatin, Owen, and Robertson counties. The diocese is home to 48 parishes and approximately 93,900 Catholics (2023).
- Boone County parishes include Mary, Queen of Heaven; Immaculate Heart of Mary (Burlington); St. Paul (Florence); St. Timothy (Union); St. Joseph Academy (Walton).
- Campbell County parishes include St. Mary (Alexandria); St. Joseph (Cold Spring); Holy Trinity (Bellevue); Sts. Peter and Paul; St. Catherine of Siena (Ft. Thomas); St. Thomas (Ft. Thomas); St. Therese (Southgate); St. Philip (Melbourne).
- Kenton County parishes include the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption; St. Augustine; Holy Cross; St. Patrick (Taylor Mill); St. Agnes (Ft. Wright); St. Anthony (Taylor Mill); Blessed Sacrament (Ft. Mitchell); St. Henry (Elsmere); St. Joseph (Crescent Springs); St. Cecilia (Independence); Villa Madonna Academy (Villa Hills); Prince of Peace Montessori.
History & Bishops in Succession
Eleven bishops have led the Diocese of Covington since 1853. The first four — Carrell, Toebbe, Maes, and Brossart — established the diocese's physical and institutional infrastructure (churches, schools, orphanages, the seminary, and Villa Madonna College). The middle bishops — Howard, Mulloy, Ackerman, and Hughes — guided the diocese through World War II, the post-war boom, and the painful 1988 division. The most recent bishops — Muench, Foys, and Iffert — have led a stable, mission-focused diocese of roughly 50 parishes serving the northernmost counties of Kentucky.
- 1. George Aloysius Carrell, S.J. (1853–1868)
- 2. Augustus Maria Toebbe (1869–1884)
- 3. Camillus Paul Maes (1884–1915)
- 4. Ferdinand Brossart (1915–1923)
- 5. Francis William Howard (1923–1944)
- 6. William Theodore Mulloy (1944–1959)
- 7. Richard Henry Ackerman, C.S.Sp. (1960–1978)
- 8. William Anthony Hughes (1979–1995)
- 9. Robert William Muench (1996–2001)
- 10. Roger Joseph Foys (2002–2021)
- 11. John C. Iffert (2021–present)
