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.