Feb 28, 2025 | News
Cromwell, CT – Holy Apostles College & Seminary will undergo a comprehensive evaluation in Fall 2025 to renew its institutional accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), one of the oldest regional accrediting commissions in the United States.
As part of this process, an onsite peer review visit is scheduled for November 2-5, 2025, at the Holy Apostles College & Seminary campus in Cromwell, Connecticut. The institution has been accredited by NECHE since 1974, with the reaccreditation process occurring every ten years, along with a mid-term report submission. The college was last reaffirmed for accreditation in 2015.
A team of reviewers, experts in various higher education disciplines and representing institutions across New England and New York, will conduct an assessment based on the NECHE Standards for Accreditation. Members of the public are invited to submit comments or feedback regarding Holy Apostles College & Seminary’s compliance with these standards. For more information on how to submit feedback, please visit NECHE Accreditation Feedback Form.
The NECHE accreditation process allows Holy Apostles College & Seminary to demonstrate its commitment to continuous improvement and academic excellence, ensuring the institution meets the highest standards of educational effectiveness.
NECHE is a non-profit, non-governmental membership organization that fosters institutional self-regulation, voluntary adherence to accreditation standards, and a system of peer review. The Commission accredits a broad range of institutions with distinct missions, evaluating each according to its unique goals while maintaining a focus on institutional quality and effectiveness.
For additional details about the accreditation process or Holy Apostles College & Seminary’s upcoming evaluation, please contact:
Dr. Kristina Olsen
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Holy Apostles College & Seminary
[email protected]
Feb 14, 2025 | News
Bishop Betancourt speaks to Holy Apostles seminarians, priests, and religious sisters
On February 7, Holy Apostles College & Seminary in Cromwell had the honor of welcoming Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, Archdiocese of Hartford, who offered Mass and shared a powerful reflection with the seminarians and sisters studying on campus.
The event was a moment of spiritual enrichment for the Holy Apostles community. Bishop Betancourt’s presence and message resonated deeply, inspiring those in attendance to continue their formation with renewed faith and commitment. His thoughtful reflection emphasized the importance of trusting in God’s providence and dedicating oneself wholeheartedly to the mission of spreading the Gospel.
Holy Apostles is pleased to share a special video featuring Bishop Betancourt’s blessing, extended to both on-campus and online students. In his heartfelt prayer, he sought the Lord’s guidance and protection for the entire Holy Apostles community. You can watch the full blessing here.
The bishop’s blessing reflects the mission of Holy Apostles to form faithful witnesses of Christ who are equipped to serve the Church and the world. As Bishop Betancourt prayed:
Heavenly Father, We come before You with grateful hearts, seeking Your blessing upon these Holy Apostles College and Seminary students. Guide their minds in wisdom, their hearts in faith, and their hands in service. May their studies deepen their understanding of truth and prepare them to be faithful witnesses of Your love. Strengthen them in times of challenge, enlighten them in their learning, and inspire them to use their knowledge for the good of the Church and the world. Fill them with Your Spirit, that they may be lights of Christ wherever they go. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This visit serves as a beautiful reminder of the ongoing support and encouragement from Church leaders who recognize the vital role that Holy Apostles plays in forming future priests, religious, and lay leaders.
The entire community extends its heartfelt thanks to Bishop Betancourt for his time, wisdom, and spiritual care. May God continue to bless his ministry abundantly.
Bishop Betancourt celebrates Mass at Holy Apostles
Photography credit to Aaron Joseph, The Archdiocese of Hartford
Jan 30, 2025 | News
“Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” – Pope Benedict XVI
In a powerful testament to their unwavering commitment to the sanctity of life, seminarians, students, faculty, and priests from Holy Apostles College and Seminary embarked on a 10-hour journey to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2025 March for Life. Their journey to the nation’s capital was made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor and made available to all students and alumni. Annually, the March for Life draws tens of thousands of faithful Catholics and pro-life advocates united in their mission to defend the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death.
Founded in response to the Roe v. Wade decision, the March for Life continues to be a sign of hope and a powerful demonstration of pro-life advocacy. For Holy Apostles, the march is not just a public stand for life but also a spiritual journey, reflecting their deep commitment to the Gospel of Life.
Before joining the rally on the National Mall and walking the streets alongside thousands of pro-life advocates, the Holy Apostles group attended Mass together at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Holy Apostles College and Seminary remains steadfast in its pro-life mission, forming students to be witnesses to the truth of human dignity and faithful leaders in their communities.
May the efforts of all who attended this year’s march bear fruit in building a culture of life rooted in love and respect for the dignity of every person.
Below are some photos from the March for Life. You can find more on our Instagram or Facebook page!
Leaving campus in the very late hours the night before the March for Life.
Attending Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Attending Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Holy Apostles met up with Alumni from across the U.S. during the March for Life!
Group picture on the steps of the National Shrine before attending the Rally and March for Life.
Holy Apostles joins thousands of other Pro-Life Advocates during the March for Life 2025
Group photo at the end of the March!
Dec 9, 2024 | Library
Each of us can model ourselves after the Holy Family – trusting in God, following his will, and proclaiming the Good News. Today is a reminder of our own call to holiness and the mission of family life. The joy of this Christmas season is not meant to be kept to ourselves; rather, we must allow it to grow in our hearts and our families so that we can bring it to a world desperate to know Jesus Christ. (Knights of Columbus)
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” … When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean” (Mt 2:13-15, 19-23).
HOLY FAMILY – BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bauer, Judy (editor). Advent and Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen. Liquori, MS: Liquori Publications. 2001.
Beckett, Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy’s Nativity. Chicago, IL: Loyola Press. 1998.
Deiss, Lucien. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press. 1996
Faber, Frederick W. Bethlehem. Charlotte, NC: Tan Books. 2011.
Farey, Caroline. Nativity: A Visual Meditation. Oxford, England: Family Publications. 2008
McGlinchey, Paul M. A Vatican Christmas: Creches of Pope John Paul II. New Haven, CT: Knights of Columbus Museum Publishing. 2006.
McKenna, Megan. Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press. 2008.
Merton, Thomas. Advent and Christmas with Thomas Merton. Liquori, MS: Liquori Publications. 2002.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (The). The Nativity: The Christmas Creche. Garden City, NY: Doubleday Company. 1969.
Ryan, Father Kenneth. The Catholic Digest Christmas Book. St. Paul, MN: Carillon Books. 1977.
Sri, Edward. Dawn of the Messiah: The Coming of Christ in Scripture. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press. 2005.
ARCHIVAL/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
English College of Douuay. The Holy Bible: Faithfully Translated into English out of Authentical Latin, Diligently Conferred with the Hebrew, Greek, & Other Editions in Diverse Languages, Tome. Printed by John Cousturier, 1635.
Schaff, Philip and Gilman, Arthur. A Library of Religious Poetry: A Collection of the Best Poems of All Ages and Tongues, New York, NY: Dodd, Mead, and Company. 1881.
Nov 26, 2024 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 25, 2024
Holy Apostles Partners with Encounter School of Ministry to Advance Evangelical Mission
Dear Holy Apostles Community,
With great joy, I announce a new partnership between Holy Apostles College & Seminary and the Encounter School of Ministry. Through this collaboration, we will accept graduate and undergraduate transfer credits from Encounter, further advancing our shared mission of forming faithful disciples and leaders for the New Evangelization.
We are especially honored to work alongside Encounter’s Founder and President, Fr. Mathias Thelen, whose vision has guided Encounter’s transformative impact, and Executive Director Patrick Reis (MA Philosophy, ’14), a proud Holy Apostles alumnus. Their leadership has inspired countless students to embrace their faith with zeal while pursuing intellectual and spiritual formation.
This partnership underscores our mutual commitment to academic excellence and spiritual growth. Encounter students will now have accredited degree pathways to deepen their theological and philosophical education, equipping them to boldly proclaim the Gospel in today’s world.
May this collaboration bear abundant fruit for the Church and inspire a new generation of evangelists dedicated to Christ’s mission.
In Christ,
Rev. Peter Kucer, MSA
President Rector
Holy Apostles College & Seminary
Holy Apostles College and Seminary www.holyapostles.edu is a NECHE and ATS accredited college with a mission of preparing and educating seminarians, consecrated and lay students for the New Evangelization through undergraduate and graduate programs. Students have access to faithfully Catholic, truly affordable, and fully online programs as well as residential religious programs in historic Cromwell, Connecticut. As a pioneer in online learning, Holy Apostles is one of the first theological schools to offer 100% online graduate programs. Alumni and faculty of the institution include internationally recognized leaders and experts in apologetics, philosophy, and theology.
