A Legacy Moment
Officer sonny kim
By Dianne Brown, Outreach Archivist
On June 19, 2015, Cincinnati lost a police officer, a mentor, a husband and a father. Officer Sonny Kim was tragically killed in the line of duty following an exchange of gunfire with a suspect. His death sent a wave of grief through the community he had spent nearly three decades serving.
But to understand Sonny Kim’s legacy, it is important to look beyond the badge.
Born in South Korea, Sonny immigrated to the United States with his family in 1973. After spending his early years in Chicago, he returned to Cincinnati in 1986 to attend the University of Cincinnati. In 1987, he joined the Cincinnati Police Division, beginning a career that would span 27½ years. After initially serving in District 4, he transferred to District 2 in 1989, where he would remain for the rest of his career.
By the time of his death, Officer Kim had received 21 letters of appreciation and commendation for his service. He was recognized for helping apprehend dangerous suspects, resolving difficult situations and even rescuing a man who had jumped from the I- 275 bridge into the Ohio River. He also helped close 15 residential burglary cases and, in 2013, received the department’s Award for Exemplary Conduct.
Yet there was another side to Sonny Kim. He was also Sensei Kim. A sixth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate, Sonny had practiced karate since 1977 and eventually founded Japanese Karate-Do in Symmes Township, where he taught for approximately two decades. His students knew him not simply as an instructor, but as a mentor who taught lessons about discipline, perseverance, respect and, above all, character. At the end of their training, his students recited his guiding principles: “Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behavior.”
At home, Sonny was a devoted husband to Jessica and father to their three sons, Tim, Joshua and Jacob. He was the father who made time for his family, took pride in his sons and reminded them that he loved them. Years later, his son Joshua would enter public service himself, becoming a Cincinnati Firefighter.
On the day Cincinnati said goodbye, the magnitude of Sonny’s impact became unmistakable. Approximately 7,000 people attended his funeral at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. Following the service, a remarkable 14-mile procession made its way to Gate of Heaven Cemetery, with people lining the streets to honor a man who had devoted his life to protecting and serving their city.
His legacy lives in the neighborhoods he served, in the young people he mentored, in the family he cherished and in the public servants who continue the work he began. His name has been preserved through memorials including Sonny Kim Park and the Officer Sonny L. Kim Memorial Highway. His name has also been added to the Ohio Police Memorial, the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Memorial. On June 11, 2016, the City of Cincinnati proclaimed “Sonny Kim Day” in his honor.
In the years that followed, Sonny’s legacy continued through the Sonny Kim Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride. Beginning in 2016, the ride was held each year through 2023, with eight rides raising more than $100,000 to support fallen officers and their families. The final ride was held in 2023.
Today, Sonny Kim rests at Gate of Heaven, among the people whose lives and service have helped shape Cincinnati. His life reminds us that a legacy is not measured only by how someone is remembered after death, but by the lives they quietly touched while they were here.
Sonny Kim spent his life serving others, in uniform, in the dojo and at home. That is the legacy Cincinnati remembers.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
A Finding Comfort in the Communion of Saints
By Dianne Brown, Outreach Archivist
When we lose someone we love, we often look for visible signs of comfort, connection, and hope. We find that reassurance not just in scripture, but in the peaceful, manicured grounds of Gate of Heaven. On July 13, 2024, our parish community celebrated a beautiful new chapter of comfort with the formal consecration of Section 34: the stunning St. Padre Pio and St. Gertrude Mausoleum complex.
Blessed by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, this architectural expansion provides a serene place for quiet prayer. It also bridges our daily lives with two of the most relatable, compassionate mystics in Church history.
Two Saints, One Mission: Walking with Us Through Grief
Though they lived more than six centuries apart, St. Gertrude the Great and St. Padre Pio shared a profoundly human mission: they spent their lifetimes praying for the souls of the faithfully departed, ensuring that no one would ever be forgotten.
St. Gertrude the Great (1256–1302)
was a 13th-century German nun who understood the weight of spiritual longing. Known for her deep devotion to the Sacred Heart, Jesus gave her a powerful prayer, promising to release souls from Purgatory each time it was spoken. Her spirit of fierce, loving intercession remains a bedrock of our local community.
St. Padre Pio (1887–1968)
brought that same fierce compassion into the modern era. For fifty years, the beloved Italian friar bore the stigmata—the physical wounds of Christ. He spent grueling 15-hour days listening to confessions, reading hearts, and offering comfort to thousands. To anyone carrying the heavy burden of grief or anxiety, his timeless advice still rings true today: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
Both saints serve as beautiful reminders that the bond between the living and the dead is never truly broken. Through prayer, we remain intimately connected.
A Beautiful Place to Remember and Heal
Designed to feel like a natural extension of your own prayer life, the mausoleum features dedicated wings for both saints. Elegant stonework, natural light, and sacred art work together to elevate the mind and bring peace to the heart.
The next time you visit Gate of Heaven, take a quiet stroll through the St. Padre Pio and St. Gertrude Mausoleum. In its peaceful hall, may you find a powerful reminder that our loved ones are safely resting in the arms of Christ, surrounded by the perpetual prayers of the saints who walked before us.
Purgatory: A Journey of Hope and Prayer
By Dianne Brown, Outreach Archivist
Why Do We Pray for the Dead?
As Catholics, we believe that death does not end our relationship with those we love. Through the Communion of Saints, we remain spiritually connected to those who have gone before us.
When we pray for the dead, we ask God’s mercy upon them and entrust them to His loving care. Our prayers are an expression of love that continues beyond death.
At Gate of Heaven, memory becomes prayer, grief finds hope, and every visit offers an opportunity to entrust our loved ones to God’s mercy. It is a sacred space where generations gather to remember, pray, and place their hope in eternal life.
A Prayer for the Dead
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls, and all the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In the quiet of a Catholic cemetery, we are reminded: we remember because we love, we pray because we hope, and we hope because Christ promises resurrection and eternal life.
The Heart of Cemetery Ministry
By the Catholic Cemetery Conference
“What you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” – (Matthew 25:40)
Vol. 65, No. 8, August 2026, Pg. 12
