Jim Hess, director of stewardship and mission services for the Diocese of Covington, and Patrick McNamara, photographer and filmmaker, visited Saint Vincent in mid-September to film diocesan seminarians and Diocesan Bishop John Iffert for a video shoot. Seminarians featured were Joshua Heskamp, third theology; Henry Bischoff, second theology; Justin Schwarz, third theology, and Michael Schulte, an undergraduate.

The fall 2023 issue of Leaven, featured photos by Seth Harbaugh of the video shoot that the Diocese of Covington created with its four seminarians who are studying at Saint Vincent Seminary, and with Bishop Iffert. Jim Hess, director of stewardship and mission services for the diocese, and Patrick McNamara, a photographer and filmmaker, visited the Seminary in mid-September to film Bishop Iffert and seminarians Joshua Heskamp, third theology; Hank Bischoff, second theology; Justin Schwarz, third theology and Michael Schulte, an undergraduate. The video was completed and premiered at the diocesan Seminary Ball last fall. It is now available for viewing on the diocesan website at this link: https://covdio.org/seminarian-video/.

Speaker at the Seminary Ball was Schwarz, who told his vocation story. Maura Baker, staff writer, wrote that Schwarz began his discernment when his parents and pastor encouraged him to attend a vocation summer camp in his home diocese, the Archdiocese of Seattle. While he did not want to go, he did, and found himself “profoundly inspired by the faith and devotion.” He told Baker that it was the first time in his life that he experienced people his age who loved their faith and had no fears about expressing it. “Not only did this awaken a profound love for my Catholic faith, but it created an openness in my heart for God, who was calling me to discern a vocation,” he said.