Coronavirus/covid-19 Updates
Prayer Requests
During this time the Family of Holy Apostles is praying for you and your loved ones. We want to offer you the opportunity to send us your specific prayer intentions. If you have any specific prayer requests please send them to us using this email address [email protected]. All prayer requests will be prayed for by the Holy Apostles Family during our daily Masses and Eucharistic Adoration. God bless you and Mary, Queen of Apostles, watch over and protect us.
HACS Community Updates
Holy Apostles Gala 2025
Please join us during the Jubilee Year of Hope for an unforgettable evening to support Holy Apostles College & Seminary and celebrate our community. On Friday, April 25, 2025, the eve of our Sixty-Seventh Commencement Exercises, we invite you to gather at the stunning St. Clements Castle & Marina in Portland, CT, for a night of elegance, connection, and inspiration.
James Wahlberg to receive Honorary Doctorate at Holy Apostles College and Seminary 2025 Commencement
Cromwell, Connecticut — Holy Apostles College and Seminary is proud to announce that Mr. James Wahlberg, writer, speaker, and filmmaker, will deliver the commencement address at the Holy Apostles 67th Commencement Ceremony. Holy Apostles will bestow an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (L.H.D.), honoris causa, upon Mr. Wahlberg in recognition of his notable contributions to society.
The commencement exercises will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Chapel on the Holy Apostles campus. Festivities will begin on Friday evening with the Holy Apostles Gala held at St. Clements Castle & Marina featuring special guest The Most Reverend Christoper J. Coyne, 6th Archbishop of Hartford, and a keynote address from Mr. Wahlberg.
Jim Wahlberg is the Executive Director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, which partners with other youth organizations to improve the lives of inner-city youth. He is also the founder and CEO of Wahl St. Productions, a full-service production company that independently produces films, television, and web content. He has worked in the field of addiction recovery for more than 25 years and Wahl St. Productions is credited with the films Circle of Addiction: A Different Kind of Tears (2018), If Only (2015), and What About the Kids (2020) designed to show the harsh realities and remove the stigma of addiction.
Jim Wahlberg is also the Executive Producer of Fathom Event’s #1 documentary of the year Mother Teresa: No Greater Love which was released in the U.S. in 2022 and internationally in 2023. Most recently he produced Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, a documentary that takes viewers on a global journey to uncover the transformative power of the Eucharist. Jesus Thirsts won #1 Documentary of 2024.
Currently, he is producing Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality, exploring the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a film that is scheduled for a limited release between April 27-29, 2025, coinciding with his April 27 canonization date.
Mr. Wahlberg is also an author, having written the autobiography titled The Big Hustle, the story of his personal journey of recovery, with Jim Caviezel writing the forward. He is a gifted speaker and truthful storyteller who impactfully recounts the challenges and triumphs in his life to bring hope to others facing difficult situations.
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.
Media Contact:
Ms. Beverly Tryon
Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Holy Apostles College & Seminary
[email protected]
Alumnus Establishes Faith Communities for Young Adults
Alex Soucy, a 2023 graduate, is an example of someone living the missionary charism of evangelization that is the vision of Holy Apostles College & Seminary. Alex is the co-founder of Crossroads 4 Christ (C4C), an organization that brings young adults together to form communities of missionary disciples. Crossroads 4 Christ enables young adults to gather and discuss Christ in an environment that seeks to better their relationship with the Lord.
Alex was born into the Catholic faith but considered it simply one of the many facets of his life. Then, in his senior year of high school, he attended an impactful retreat that changed him. For one thing, prayer became part of his daily routine.
In college, Alex became part of a faith community. Upon graduating, however, he experienced the lack of a solid community of young adults at the parish level. After traveling to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia during the Holy Father’s 2015 U.S. visit, Alex and his friend, Travis Moran, formed Crossroads 4 Christ, taking to heart the pontiff’s call to be missionary disciples and servant leaders.
On October 1, 2015, they held the first C4C meeting at the Willimantic Brewing Company with two other people. After some time for discussion of faith, everyone traveled to St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel in Storrs for a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration, which served as the focal point of the evening. The group only grew from there.
Before they knew it, they had 25-30 young adults attending at the first chapter in Columbia, Connecticut. Then came a chapter in New Haven in January 2017. There are now seven chapters throughout Connecticut and all three dioceses are interested in increasing that number. There has also been extraordinary interest regionally. Launching each new chapter, however, takes training, work, and time.
The mission of C4C is to develop communities of young adult missionary disciples, and the payoff is that young adults are encountering the Lord. As Rev. Anthony Federico, the Vocations Director of the Archdiocese of Hartford, wrote in a letter about Crossroads 4 Christ, “It is not a stretch to say that C4C is the brightest and most promising initiative in the Archdiocese of Hartford today.” He went on to say that “a disproportionate number of young men from C4C are coming forward to discern a vocation to the priesthood.” That news is exciting.
After years of self-study about the Catholic faith, Alex felt the desire to further this spiritual formation in a formal setting. He was somewhat familiar with Holy Apostles through its hosting of Catholic Underground in years past. When examining further, Alex explained, “I started to hear about some of the fantastic alumni of Holy Apostles, like Matt Fradd, Trent Horn, and Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, and thought, ‘This college is 10 minutes away from me, and people who are really well-respected, well-known leaders in the Catholic world in the U.S. have received amazing formation from Holy Apostles.’” He also learned that it was very affordable, truly faithful to the Magisterium, and on the Newman Guide, which added to the selling points for him.
Finally, he felt that the online asynchronous format with its flexible schedule was a good fit, and he enrolled.
In 2023, Alex received his Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies with a concentration in Youth and Young Adult Ministry, which he feels strengthened him personally in his faith and equipped him to be the leader that the Lord is calling him to be at C4C.
Regarding Holy Apostles, Alex explained, “The Lord gave C4C an effective model of young adult ministry that so many parishes and dioceses are searching for. But at Holy Apostles I learned more at a macro scale that there was need throughout the nation for more of this, so that was helpful.”
When asked to reflect on his 10-year journey with C4C, Alex paused. “There is a mystery behind who the Lord calls for specific roles. Sometimes I think, ‘Wow, Lord, you called me to be one of the co-founders and executive director of now what is the largest parish-based Catholic, young adult ministry in New England…’ It’s humbling. But I think the saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called’ is spot on.” Alex went on to say, “Calling myself, calling Travis, calling over 100 servant leaders, at this point, over the past 10 years to step up and be a part of this revival in the state of Connecticut. That’s been a great honor and blessing.”
In Memoriam – September 2025
We commemorate our deceased members of the Holy Apostles family and request that you keep them in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Rev. Thomas F. Egan
Reverend Thomas F. Egan, 82, of Worcester, Massachusetts, died on Friday, July 18, 2025, after a brief illness. Fr. Egan was born and raised in Woonsocket, RI, where he graduated from Woonsocket High School. In 1967 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Apostles.
Fr. Egan knew from a young age that he wanted to be a priest. He was ordained in 1975 at Christ the King Church in Worcester, Rhode Island, by Bishop Timothy J. Harrington and celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination this past May.
Those who knew him explained that he had a warm, generous spirit and formed lasting friendships throughout his life. He is survived by his siblings Joanne Egan Shea, Kensington, Maryland, Jay A. Egan, Honolulu, Hawaii, and brother-in-law Albert J. Didden, Jr., Kensington, Maryland. He was also an uncle and great uncle to many
whom he cherished.
Rev. Joseph J. Cretella
Reverend Joseph J. Cretella, Jr., 87, of Madison, Alabama, formerly of Wallingford, Connecticut, died peacefully at home on August 9, 2025.
Ordained as a Deacon in June 1978, he served faithfully for many years. After the death of his wife Rose Ann in 2007, he began studies for the priesthood at Holy Apostles Seminary and was ordained on May 15, 2010, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph by the Archbishop of Hartford, the Most Reverend Henry Mansell. Fr. Cretella retired from active ministry in 2015 at the age of 77.
He is survived by his children, Joseph J. Cretella III and his wife, Melissa Cretella, of Milford, Connecticut; Natalie Hoha and her husband, David Hoha, of Madison, Alabama; his siblings, Thomas Cretella of Clinton, Connecticut, and Joan Marotto of Wallingford, Connecticut; as well as his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Monsignor Charles P. Coen
Monsignor Charles P. Coen, 91, died on December 26, 2024, at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y. Born on April 10, 1933, in Drimnamuckla, Woodford, Co. Galway, Ireland, he was the sixth child in a family of nine children.
He arrived in the U.S. in 1955 at the age of 21 and worked for 4 years in Upstate New York before entering Holy Apostles Seminary and becoming part of the Class of 1962. He completed seminary in Yonkers, New York, was ordained in 1968, and enjoyed many assignments in the New York Archdiocese, where he was assigned pastor and eventually monsignor.
Monsignor Coen retired in 2008 at the age of 75. After retirement, he resided in the Catskill Mountains region (Greenville, NY) and continued to celebrate Mass at churches as far as 50 miles away. In 2017 he moved to the Cardinal Egan residence for retired priests in the Bronx, New York, where he remained until his most recent illness.
He is survived by siblings Sr. Concepta (May), Sr. Patrice (Betty), and Anthony and his wife, Mary; his sister-in-law, Julia; and his brother-in-law, Martin O’Malley.
Holy Apostles gratefully acknowledges the generous gift from Monsignor Coen. We also extend our thanks to Mary Collins for facilitating the disposition of these funds. Their generosity is deeply appreciated and the funds will be used to continue the vision of Holy Apostles to cultivate Catholic leaders for the purpose of evangelization.
Gary Louis Morella
Gary Louis Morella, 78, of Lemont, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025. He was born on Sept 13, 1946, in Pittsburg, Kansas.
During the Vietnam War period between 1968 and 1972 he was a member of the Naval Security Group Command, doing fleet support for the Navy and Marines.
Gary received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Physics from Pittsburg State University in Kansas and earned a Master of Engineering in Acoustics from Penn State. He worked various engineering positions with companies such as Texas Instruments, Gulf Oil, HRB Singer (Raytheon), and the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University, where he retired after 25 years.
His Catholic faith was of great importance to him, and he earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Holy Apostles in May 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years Margaret, three sons, Craig, Kevin, and Colin, and his grandchildren.
A Hidden Gem with a Global Impact
We’re honored to share that Four County Catholic, produced by the Archdiocese of Hartford, recently spotlighted Holy Apostles College & Seminary as a “hidden gem in Cromwell,” celebrating our unique mission and ever-growing impact.
The article praises Holy Apostles for pioneering faithful, affordable, and fully online Catholic education, offering formation in theology, philosophy, sacred art, and more. With over 1,000 students and our largest enrollment in history last fall, we continue to be a beacon of truth, flexibility, and fidelity to the Church.
Read the Four County Catholic article by visiting A Hidden Gem with a Global Impact
Visit Four County Catholic to read the full August edition of the magazine.
The Shroud of Turin – Fake or Real?
What is it, where did it come from, can it really be the burial cloth of Christ – wasn’t it proven a fake?
On March 25, Holy Apostles was blessed to have alumnus Deacon Benedict LoCasto ’16 present a comprehensive and compelling talk on the Shroud of Turin.
Deacon Ben gave an historical account of the Shroud of Turin that was brought from the Mideast to Europe by the Knights Templar. It is purportedly the most studied artifact in history. But the greatest claim made for this cloth is that it is the actual burial cloth of Christ.
To learn more, please see highlights of Deacon LoCasto’s fascinating talk here.
Deacon LoCasto is a Permanent Deacon of the Diocese of Norwich, CT, and serves at the parish of the Good Shepherd in CT. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified Spiritual Director, as well as the Northeast Commander of the Templars Today. He also serves as the Marketing and Production Manager for the Four County Catholic, a publication of the Diocese of Norwich.
Deacon Ben completed his diaconate formation in 2016 at Holy Apostles College & Seminary.
(Videography by Judah Parkyn)
St. Mary Magdalene -August Library Display
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE BACKGROUND
Mary Magdalene was a historical figure; she was born circa AD 8, possibly in Magdala, Roman Judea. She was a prominent follower of Jesus who was believed to have been healed by him, supported his ministry financially, and was present at his crucifixion and burial. She played a key role among his female disciples. Overall, there is limited information about her life.
Apocryphal early Christian writings often portray Mary Magdalene as a prominent, spiritually insightful figure favored by Jesus, challenging traditional patriarchal norms. These texts have inspired modern reinterpretations of her role. During the Patristic era, Mary Magdalene was mentioned only briefly by early Church Fathers, with her image evolving from a minor gospel figure to being conflated with other women in the Bible. Eventually, she became viewed in Western Christianity, largely due to Pope Gregory I’s influential 591 sermon, as a repentant prostitute, despite there being no biblical basis for this portrayal.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has always viewed Mary Magdalene as a virtuous Myrrhbearer and “Equal to the Apostles”, distinct from other biblical women. The Roman Catholic Church historically conflated her with the repentant sinner in Luke 7 but later emphasized her role as the first witness to the resurrection and honored her as the “Apostle to the Apostles”. Many alleged relics of Mary Magdalene, including her skull, a piece of forehead flesh, a tibia, and her left hand, are preserved in Catholic sites in France and Mount Athos, with notable displays and annual processions honoring them. Her feast day is July 22nd.
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE – BIBLIOGRAPHY
Butcher, John Beverley. Sacred Partnership: Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Hannacroix, NY: Apocryphile Press. 2011
Davidson, Fr. Sean. Saint Mary Magdalene Prophetess of Eucharistic Love. San Francisco, CA: 2017.
Ehrman, Bart D. Peter, Paul, & Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2006.
Emmerich, Anne Catherine. Mary Magdalene: In the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich. Rockford, IL: Tan Books 2005
Filliette, Edith. Saint Mary Magdalene: Her Life and Times. Newton Lower Fall, MA: Society. 1983. of Mary Magdalene
Ho, Sr. Loan Hong. Mary Magdalene as a Model of the Lovers of the Holy Cross. Cromwell, CT: Holy Apostles College & Seminary. Master’s Thesis 2016.
COPY OF PAINTING DISPLAYED: The Conversion of Mary Magdalene, painted by Paolo Veronese, 1548.
COPY OF PICTURE DISPLAYED: Saint Mary Magdalene, painted by Antonio Veneziano circa 1369-1419
ARCHIVAL BOOK SELECTED
Author: Bellarmino, Saint Roberto Francesco Romolo (1542-1621)
Title: Explanatio in Psalmos
Language: Latin
Publisher: Georgium Iosse
Date Published: 1664
St. Padre Pio – July Library
SAINT PADRE PIO BACKGROUND
Pio of Pietrelcina (May 25 1887 – September 231968), widely known as Padre Pio. He was an Italian Capuchin friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, celebrated on September 23rd.
Pio joined the Capuchins when he was fifteen and spent most of his religious life in the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo. In September 1918, Pio began to display permanent wounds on his hands and feet, known as stigmata in reference to Christ’s wounds. This led to several investigations by the Holy See. In the next months, his reputation of sainthood grew rapidly in the region of San Giovanni Rotondo, attracting hundreds of believers to the monastery, coming each day to see him. Those close to him attest that he began to manifest several spiritual gifts, including the gifts of healing, bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, and extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment.
He was beatified on May 2, 1999 and canonized on June 16, 2002, by Pope John Paul II. His relics are exposed in the sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, next to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, now a major pilgrimage site.
SAINT PADRE PIO – BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allegri, Reno. Padre Pio Man Of Hope. Ann Arbor, MI: Charis Servant Publications. 2000.
Fide, Michael. Padre Pio and His Stigmata. Wheaton, IL: Holy Voices Media. 2024.
Mandato, Graziella DeNuncia. Encounters with a Spiritual Daughter from Pietrelcina. Sea Bright, NJ: Angelus Media Distribution. 2002.
Parente, Fr. Alessio. Send Me Your Guardian Angel. Italy, San Giovanni Rotondo: 2015.
Parente, Pascal P. Padre Pio: A City on a Mountain. Washington, NJ: Ave Maria Institute. 1968.
Pasquale, Gianluigi. Secrets of a Soul: Padre Pio’s Letters to His Spiritual Directors, Boston, MA: Pauline Books. 2003.
Regan, Frank M. Padre Pio and America. Rockford, IL: Tan Books. 2004.
Ruffin, C. Bernard. Padre Pio The Wonder Worker. New Bedford, MA: Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. 1999.
Tangari, Madame Katharina. Stories of Padre Pio. Rockford, IL: Tan Books. 1996.
In Memoriam – July 2025
We commemorate our deceased members of the Holy Apostles family and request that you keep them in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Dr. James “Jim” Bechler Sendelbach, Ed.D., LPC85, of Conyers, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 2, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dr. Susan Sendelbach and numerous family members.
James proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era as a Morse code specialist, even playing a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. He earned a B.A., cum laude, from Holy Apostles College, and went on to receive an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University and become a mental health counselor. His wife, Susan, explained that “Jim” had wonderful memories of his time at Holy Apostles.
James was a devoted member of St. Pius Catholic Church in Conyers since 1991, and his faith was central to his life.
Fr. Jose Maria Salgado, FSSP, 92, died on March 8, 2025. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Fr. Salgado joined the Army after graduating from high school. He then attended a minor seminary but, after graduating, began a career as an electrical technician.
Years later, Fr. Salgado pursued his vocation again and received a Master of Divinity from Holy Apostles Seminary before being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Stockton, California in 1993. He loved the Traditional Latin Mass and applied to join the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in 1994, with incardination taking place in 2001.
Sister Colleen Ann Nagle, 76, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist and Executive Director of the Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell, Michigan, entered eternal life on June 14, after a long and faith-filled battle with cancer and its complications.
While in college working toward a degree in education, Sister Colleen Ann became familiar with the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist and entered the Community in 1973. In 1981, she professed perpetual vows. Sister Colleen Ann spearheaded the construction of the Franciscan Life Process Center north of Lowell, Wisconsin, which provides the space for the many outreaches of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist in West Michigan.
Sister Colleen Ann earned a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Holy Apostles which was awarded in 2007. She is survived by her Franciscan Community of Sisters, family, and many friends.
COVID19 Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Campus Open to the Public?
Campus Access – The Campus is ONLY open to resident students. This includes but is not limited to the Dining Hall, Chapel, and Library.
Is the Commencement Ceremony/Graduation Postponed?
Updated Tuesday, March 31st
Dear Family of Holy Apostles College and Seminary:
After careful consideration and after hearing from you, our students, we have decided to postpone graduation to a later date not canceling it altogether or live-streaming it. We understand how important this time is for you, our graduates.
Unfortunately, we are not sure when this will be, as things are ever-changing due to the Coronavirus. As things become more clear we will communicate with our graduates the information we have. We thank those of you who wrote to us with your concerns about graduation. Your comments and concerns allowed us to better discern about graduation.
Please be assured of our prayers for you and your families.
United in the Lord Jesus,
Fr Peter S. Kucer, M.S.A. S.T.D.
President-Rector
Is the Gratitude Gala Postponed?
The Gratitude Gala – The HACS Gratitude Gala scheduled for April 24th has been postponed. Please watch for information on a future date.
Are Online Students' Schedules Affected?
Online Students – Your courses will take place as scheduled.
If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact Jennie Murphy at [email protected]