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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 prayers@holyapostles.edu.  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

The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell

The Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference (CCMC) is a yearly event that brings Catholic men from all over the state together to grow in faith and brotherhood and experience spiritual renewal. It also helps men learn about their vocations, giving Religious Orders and Seminaries a chance to promote vocations.

This year (2024), the Conference takes place on September 21 and has approximately 500 attendees. At the conference, men can reflect on their spiritual lives, hear inspiring talks from well-known Catholic speakers (Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM, Steve Ray, Peter Herbeck, and Kevin Wells), participate in the Sacraments, and spend time with others. The talks often focus on living a true Catholic life, improving prayer, and dealing with modern challenges. This day includes honoring the relics of Saints, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession and ends with a Solemn Mass.

In his homily today, Archbishop Coney emphasized that true greatness in the Kingdom of God comes from serving others, not seeking personal gain. He noted that in Mark’s gospel, only demons initially recognize Jesus as the Son of God, with the centurion’s confession at the cross being the first human acknowledgment. The Most Rev. Coney concludes his homily by calling all Christians to live a life of faith through actions, not just words, and to spread the good news of Jesus.

The event is supported by the three dioceses in Connecticut: the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Diocese of Bridgeport, and the Diocese of Norwich. These dioceses work together to make the conference successful, helping Catholic men from all parts of the state unite in faith and unity.

At this event, Holy Apostles College & Seminary also had a booth showcasing the college and seminary, where attendees could learn more about the academic programs and training opportunities available. In addition, MSA’s community had a booth promoting vocations and the religious community, providing a chance for participants to explore paths of service within the Church. Father Martin Roney MSA, Chancellor of Holy Apostles, attended the event along with Father Lich MSA and several seminarians, all eager to share their vocation journeys and encourage others to be open to God’s call.

Article by: Joseph Huan Tran, Seminarian of Holy Apostles College and SeminaryThe Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell

Eucharistic Procession

On Sunday, September 22, 2024, Holy Apostles College & Seminary held its annual Eucharistic Procession, a beautiful expression of faith and devotion.

Very Rev. Peter S. Kucer, MSA, our President-Rector, presided over the ceremony. The procession began in the Queen of Apostles Chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament was placed in a monstrance. We walked around the campus with reverence, pausing at various stations to bless our buildings, creating a tangible sense of God’s presence among us. The procession culminated back at the Chapel with a solemn Blessing, following the celebration of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

This sacred event was a powerful reminder of the Eucharistic Jesus, who nourishes and strengthens us. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35 RSVCE). May His presence continually bless each Holy Apostles College & Seminary member as we embark on this new academic year!

Sean Forrest – Journey to Christ’s Mission

Several months ago, my daughter and I attended a retreat at our parish with her 9th grade religious education class. I had seen the speaker, Sean Forrest, previously with my son, and was impressed by his excellent manner of engaging parents and teens as he spoke about his journey of faith progressing from openly demonstrating contempt for religion to identifying Catholicism as the one true faith.

Sean is an alumnus of Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and the Catholic teaching he intertwines with stories about his life are clearly traditional Catholic lessons that anyone at Holy Apostles would recognize. His ability to speak accurately and persuasively about the Catholic faith and evangelize to students and parents, who many times don’t want to be there, is remarkable. He has been the invited speaker for this retreat at our parish for roughly 24 years for that reason.

Sean speaks openly about his progression to Catholicism. He enjoyed a successful career in music– writing songs and playing in large nightclubs, and ski and beach resorts. He played to audiences that included Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Alec Baldwin, and Jennifer Garner and played on stage with artists like Vince Gill and The Marshall Tucker Band. He had no use for religion and described his past self as an angry atheist. Although he seemingly had everything anyone could want, he felt something was missing. Over time, using faith and reasoning, he encountered Christ and began on a new path.

His new journey led to the role of youth minister at St. James Church in Stratford, Connecticut, and a few speaking engagements at different parishes. He began sending letters to other parishes, offering to speak about his conversion, and by year three he was booked two years in advance. In his speaking engagements, Sean explains the evidence of God’s existence to others using the same reasoning that helped him come to believe. Sean has been praised by the Most Rev. Peter A. Rosazza, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Hartford as “an outstanding witness to Jesus and to the church and her heritage,” and by the Most Rev. William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore, who stated, “With song, humor, stories, and serious teaching, Sean exemplifies the New Evangelization to which the Church calls each of us.”

During this time, Sean continued with his music– producing, writing, and recording nine CDs. There was still more to the journey, though. Sean realized he was not helping the poor. With God’s grace, he chose to travel to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti, to minister to those who had nothing. The trip left him profoundly moved, and he prayed that if it were God’s will, he would be able to build an orphanage. God responded, and the orphanage was built, and the organization Haiti180 was founded. Sean serves as co-founder, president, and mission leader.When the orphanage was completed, Sean and Haiti180 built a chapel as a reminder for everyone to keep Christ at the heart of everything. After that came a school with 350 students who will speak three languages upon graduation.

Sean next wanted to help the lonely elderly, who many times die alone in their huts. With God’s help, Haiti180 built a home for them, and they and the children began developing grandparent-style relationships. In 2020, Haiti180 completed a state-of-the-art medical facility that will help thousands with urgent care, maternity, dental and eye, cardiology, radiology, and lab work. Women are able to give birth in a safe place instead of their huts and people do not have to walk for hours to receive treatment.

In addition to the speaking engagements, music writing and production, and mission work, Sean enrolled at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in 2006. “I truly just wanted to keep knowing more about this amazing faith. Holy Apostles was a great choice because it was solidly Catholic, and the instructors were so engaging.” In May 2011, he earned a BA in Theology. Sean’s journey is one of a man who had everything the secular world says is important: money, a condo on the beach, boats, and cars. And yet he recognized he was missing something. Once he embraced God and trusted His plan, he was able to do so much for so many. As he said, “Through God’s grace all this work has happened”. Sean’s family works on the Haiti180 mission with him, and his son plans to eventually take Sean’s place as president.

The message Sean Forrest effectively brings to teenagers – and adults – is that, without Christ, the secular world may make you rich but will not satisfy you inside. Being Catholic is hard, but it is the one true Church that God gave us, and the payoff is great.

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.

Holy Apostles Scholarship Dinner

The honor of your presence is requested at the
Holy Apostles Scholarship Dinner
To benefit the Seminarian Scholarship Fund

Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 5:30 pm

Reception and Dinner at the
TPC River Highlands
1 Golf Club Road, Cromwell, CT

The Holy Apostles Leadership Award will be presented to Fr. Ray Introvigne ’60.

Faith of the Apostles Speaker Series

Please join us for a special series of talks on the Creed this Fall! Holy Apostles College & Seminary is hosting a FREE lecture series entitled “Faith of the Apostles” which is suited for the layperson. The next talk will be on Tuesday, September 10 at 6:00 pm and will continue weekly until the end of November at our Cromwell, CT campus.

Each talk is dedicated to a separate line of the Apostles Creed. The fantastic Theology faculty at Holy Apostles will be alternating presentations with a focus on the intellectual to deepen your spiritual life and understanding of the Holy Catholic faith. Registration is not required. You are welcome to come to each talk or just a few. These serve as an excellent opportunity for adult faith formation and to connect with others. Please share with your family, friends, and parish!

Special thanks to the Order of Malta North East Area and Queen of Apostles Preparatory Academy for sponsoring this event. Location: Queen of Apostles Chapel Basement, 33 Prospect Hill Road, Cromwell, CT 06416

For more information and specific dates and topics, please download the Speaker Series Flyer.

From Religious Questions to Catholic Answers: Trent Horn’s Conversion Story

The recent National Eucharistic Congress, held in Indianapolis in July, drew more than 50,000 attendees and featured alumni speakers from Holy Apostles College & Seminary, including well-known Catholic apologist Trent Horn.

Trent serves as a staff apologist for the popular media ministry Catholic Answers. He specializes in “teaching Catholics to graciously and persuasively engage those who disagree with them.” He also hosts his podcast, The Counsel of Trent.

At the National Eucharistic Congress, Trent spoke on one of his favorite subjects—the Eucharist—and provided arguments against attacks on the Eucharist, disproving claims that it is merely symbolic.

In his presentation, Trent also demonstrated that only the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist can explain why the sacrifice of the Mass is a fitting offering for God, as it truly is God the Son being presented to the Father as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Trent earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Holy Apostles in 2018 and served as an adjunct professor at the college. He has authored or co-authored over a dozen books, including The Case for Catholicism, Persuasive Pro-life, and Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love.

“My time at Holy Apostles gave me access to abundant resources that I still use in my podcasts and books to defend the Catholic faith. It also helped me understand new and exciting areas of thought in various fields of Catholic philosophy. Both philosophy and critical thinking are crucial to my defense of the faith, so I wanted to grow in that field and become a better apologist. I chose Holy Apostles because of its fidelity to Church teaching and the college’s flexible format, which served someone like me who is married and works full-time,” said Trent.

According to Catholic speaker, author, and alumnus Matt Fradd ’15, MA ’18, “Trent Horn is a gifted Catholic apologist as well as a compelling speaker. He presents Catholicism in an intelligent, careful, and winsome manner, providing his listeners with a model of how an ambassador of the Church ought to offer an account of our faith in public.”

Trent is a convert to Catholicism. His father was Jewish, and his mother a Protestant (formerly Catholic). He was not religious in his youth but was also not an atheist having more questions than answers at the time.

During his sophomore year of high school, he attended an outing hosted by a Catholic youth group and was later invited to the Holy Mass. This began a deeper dive into the Christian faith and his study of religion. Trent eventually realized that the Catholic faith “really is biblical,” and entered the Church at age 17.

Later, he served in the high school youth group, evangelized on various college campuses, gave talks at pro-life events and parishes, and worked for the Diocese of Phoenix. All of this prepared him for his 2012 position at Catholic Answers.

“Holy Apostles’ commitment to affordability, faithfulness, and flexibility has allowed us to form effective evangelists like Trent Horn in all walks of life. I highly recommend reading his books, especially Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love,” said President-Rector Fr. Peter Kucer.


Holy Apostles College and Seminary 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.

O Alum, come to my assistance!

Article by Fr. Jeffrey “Skip” Thompson, MSA

Brothers who’ve responded to the call of the priesthood are a special lot. And seminary classmates have a special bond of friendship that comes from studying together in the same place and time and “burning the midnight oil” on the weightiest subject a mind can focus on: God So, it’s good for Alumni to stay in touch.

Earlier in May, I signed up to chaplain a Holland America cruise ship bound for Alaska from Vancouver, B.C. On board, I delivered daily mass, Sunday Masses for passengers and crew and a Sunday fellowship for our “separated protestant brothers and sisters”.

It turns out my old classmate of the Class of 2015, Fr. Larry Lynn, is now Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Coquitlam, near Vancouver. I flew up from Los Angeles to spend a week with him before my cruise ministry.

I was present to cover for Fr. Larry one day due to illness. And he invited me to deliver Sunday homilies on John 6 — the Bread of Life discourse — my favorite retreat conference topic! Okay, I’m helping, good stuff.

But before coming I sent Fr. Larry a short treatise by Bishop Michael Burbidge from the Diocese of Arlington, entitled “A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Theory.” It is solid information and overdue. Unfortunately, too much “self-censorship” seems to be going on.

Left: Fr. Larry Lynn, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada. Right: Fr. Skip Thompson, MSA. Director of the Santa Clara Retreat House in Oxnard, CA. Thinking, walking and talking one day on the Pitt River just north of Coquitlam, and east of Vancouver, B.C.,. You never know what might be dreamed up!

Our countries are drowning in a cesspool of ideology to pervert and ruin our future generations. Parents and parishes need critical help, yesterday, to understand the truth of the human person from the perspective of Christian anthropology — to be able to push back against the culture and save their kids. Priests and bishops need to do their jobs — or else! He who has ears to hear, listen to Ezekiel 3 for details!

So, a fine idea emanated from our little “Alumni mini-reunion.” Why not deliver a conference on this hot, controversial topic? Our kids’ survival is at stake. The Chancery approved it. It’s been promoted to the whole Deanery. And even passengers from the cruise ship are coming! The date is September 5, 2024. Look for a future blub on this event.

But, here’s the takeaway: imagine, what would happen if a larger HACS Alumni reunion gathered together. And imagine the benefits of networking solid, orthodox priests together, all having been formed in the same solid, orthodox seminary together, dealing with issues like this? Just asking.

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 jmurphy@holyapostles.edu