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.
Roger Duncan
Professor Roger Duncan, PhD, passed from this life on May 18, 2024, after a brief illness. His death came just days prior to his 82nd birthday. Born in Yonkers, New York, he left there to attend Wheaton College, and then Yale, where he attained his PhD in Philosophy. Dr. Duncan was a professor of philosophy at the West Hartford branch of the University of Connecticut until his retirement. He was also a respected and beloved professor at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, where he was bestowed the Degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa in 2013.
During his early teaching life, he was an active member of the Core of Oblates at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. As time went on, he shifted focus to developing the lay Benedictine community of Promisek, in Bridgewater, CT, which focuses on helping people find meaning in their life.
As then-rector, Rev. Douglas Mosey, C.S.B., said at the occasion of awarding professor Duncan with his honorary doctorate, “[we] invite you to consider with us the gift of Dr. Roger Duncan, professor of philosophy and purveyor of wisdom to generations who have studied on this ground.”
Fr. Mosey went on to explain the reasons for bestowing the degree: “For his decades of instructing the people in goodness, for his labor in this institution’s ongoing mission of forming priests, religious, and laity, one holy Catholic apostle at a time, to the service of Christ and His Church; for his unique grace and mission to bring the eternal wisdom of the saints and scholars to vibrant and radiant life; for his love of truth and his joy and spontaneity and flexibility in encounter with all honest thought; for every unforgettable anecdote and every brilliant insight.” Dr. Duncan leaves behind a daughter, Laura.
Mary and Joseph Hogan
Mary DeRosier Hogan, 87, passed away on December 18, 2023, and her husband, Joseph “Joe” Hogan, 88, passed shortly after, on February 29, 2024. Mary received a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in 2004, with a concentration in Dogmatic Theology.
The couple met while both were studying at Boston College for their Master of Education degrees. They were married for 63 years, during which they raised three children and became grandparents to eight grandchildren.
Besides her family and faith, Mary loved learning, reading, writing, teaching, gardening, traveling and bringing out the best in others. Joe spent his entire career as an educator – first as a teacher and then as an assistant principal and principal in the New Britain public schools. He finished his career as District Coordinator of Adult Education and Summer School in New Britain.
Both Joseph and Mary were active members of the Church of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, in Unionville, CT, and volunteers and supporters of Holy Apostles for many years. Their son, Bill Hogan, received a Master of Arts in Theology in 1996 from Holy Apostles College and Seminary and remains a longtime friend.
Mary Regan
Mary E. Regan, 87, passed away peacefully at her home on February 25, 2024. After receiving a Master of Arts in Theology with a concentration in Dogmatic Theology, she continued studying, received a post-master’s certificate in Theology in 1999, and gave the salutatorian address at commencement.
Mary was a lector in two parishes, a Catholic school teacher in New Jersey and Connecticut, and a tutor of English as a Foreign Language both privately and at Holy Apostles. She was an accomplished pianist, loved giving piano and voice lessons, and was a member of the Ellington Singers for many years.
In her kindness, Mary made a bequest to Holy Apostles to continue her legacy and continue to support the important work of forming Catholic leaders. She also requested Masses for the repose of her soul.
Bishop Emeritus Daniel Patrick Reilly
Bishop Daniel Patrick Reilly, 96, the fourth bishop of Worcester, passed away peacefully on June 18, 2024. Bishop Reilly was born in Providence, Rhode Island on May 12, 1928, the son of Francis E. and Mary A. (Burns) Reilly. He was ordained a priest on May 30, 1953, in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Providence and appointed associate pastor there in June 1953.
Pope Paul VI named him Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut, on June 17, 1975. He was ordained and installed as bishop on Aug. 6, 1975, in the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich. In 1985 he was installed as chancellor of Holy Apostles. He was named Bishop of Worcester in 1994 by Pope John Paul II. On his 75th birthday, he submitted his resignation, which Pope John Paul II accepted for reason of retirement on March 9, 2004. He became Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Worcester. Bishop Reilly received an honorary doctoral degree from several colleges, including Holy Apostles. He was predeceased by his parents and eight siblings.
Fr. Ron Stone
Fr. Ron Stone, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge, TN, died on December 8, 2023, after a brief illness of cancer. The funeral Mass was held on December 12 in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville. Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant, with 25 priests concelebrating. Fr. Stone was a graduate of Holy Apostles College and Seminary class of 2001. A eulogy was given by Fr. Mark Scholz, MDiv ’02, Fr. Stone’s friend of 27 years, going back to their days at Holy Apostles.
Fr. Stone was born in Germany and suffered a tumultuous childhood. He moved to the U.S. and, before becoming a priest, struggled as a young adult. His conversion story had an impact on, and was an inspiration for, many people. At his funeral Mass, Fr. David Mary Engo, OFM, delivering the homily referred to Fr. Stone’s homilies saying, “Father Ron never did anything with half measures. If he was going to preach the truth, he was going to preach the truth.”
During the eulogy, Fr. Scholz remembered their days as friends attending Holy Apostles and described the seminary to those in attendance as a faith-based center for mostly middle-aged men who already had jobs and careers, and later decided they wanted to become priests. Holy Apostles, founded in 1956, was the first seminary in the country to allow late vocations.
Fr. Scholz went on to describe the amazing uniqueness of Holy Apostles, “We had people from all walks of life. One man was a colonel who was a pilot in the Vietnam War who later became an astrophysicist before he became a priest. Another was an airborne Ranger; another was a commercial airline pilot. And we had an FBI psychologist who was a criminal profiler. It was amazing to see that all these men changed their lives and decided to become priests for Jesus Christ.”
You can read more about Fr. Ron’s funeral Mass in the East Tennessee Catholic, including the eulogy by Fr. Scholz.