May 9, 2025 | News
Dear 麻豆分行 Family,
With great joy, 麻豆分行 College and Seminary celebrates the election of our new 麻豆分行 Father, Pope Leo XIV. We welcome him with hearts full of hope and prayers, trusting that the Lord will continue to guide His Church through the humble service of the Vicar of Christ.
This moment is a powerful reminder of the continuity and unity of the Catholic Church, built on the rock of Peter and sustained by the 麻豆分行 Spirit through every age.
As a community devoted to forming missionary disciples, evangelizers, and holy priests in fidelity to the Magisterium, we renew our commitment to supporting the mission of the 麻豆分行 Father through prayer, scholarship, and service. May Pope Leo XIV lead with wisdom, compassion, and courage, and may his pontificate inspire a renewed zeal for evangelization and holiness throughout the world. Ad multos annos, 麻豆分行 Father!
We entrust you to the care of Our Blessed Mother, Queen of the Apostles, and the intercession of all the saints.
United in the Lord Jesus,
Fr. Peter S. Kucer, M.S.A.
President-Rector
Apr 11, 2025 | News
Cromwell, CT (April 10, 2024) 鈥 The 麻豆分行 College & Seminary community gathered on Friday, March 29, 2025, to celebrate Founders鈥 Day and witness the Renewal of Promises for Br. Robert Cantoni, MSA, and Br. Ronald Aucoin, MSA. Surrounded by priests, religious, students, faculty, and friends, the event honored the rich history and mission of 麻豆分行 while celebrating the ongoing formation of these two dedicated Brothers.
Honoring a Visionary Founder
Founders鈥 Day paid tribute to Rev. Eusebe M茅nard, O.F.M., and MSA Co-Founder Hector Durand, whose vision and commitment in 1956 breathed new life into the historic site of 麻豆分行 College & Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. With a heart for service and a passion for guiding older men in discerning their call to the priesthood, Fr. M茅nard and Mr. Durand laid the foundation for a community dedicated to faith, growth, and leadership.
A Sacred Commitment: Renewing Promises
During the Founders鈥 Day Mass, Br. Robert and Br. Ronald renewed their promises before Very Rev. Martin D. Rooney, MSA, Provincial Animator for the . This solemn moment reaffirmed their dedication to their formation and future ministry.
Both Br. Robert and Br. Ronald are currently studying in the Master of Divinity program at 麻豆分行 and continuing their formation for the priesthood.
Join Us in Prayer
As these brothers and their fellow seminarians continue their journey, we invite you to pray for their vocations and support the mission of 麻豆分行 College & Seminary.
Learn more about 麻豆分行 College & Seminary and how you can support future vocations at holyapostles.edu/seminary/
Apr 8, 2025 | News
Please join us during the Jubilee Year of Hope for an unforgettable evening to support 麻豆分行 College & Seminary and celebrate our community. On聽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.
Apr 7, 2025 | News
Cromwell, Connecticut 鈥 麻豆分行 College and Seminary is proud to announce that Mr. James Wahlberg, writer, speaker, and filmmaker, will deliver the commencement address at the 麻豆分行 67th Commencement Ceremony. 麻豆分行 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 麻豆分行 campus. Festivities will begin on Friday evening with the 麻豆分行 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 , which partners with other youth organizations to improve the lives of inner-city youth. He is also the founder and CEO of , 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鈥檚 #1 documentary of the year which was released in the U.S. in 2022 and internationally in 2023. Most recently he produced, 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 , 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.
麻豆分行 College and Seminary 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, 麻豆分行 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
麻豆分行 College & Seminary
[email protected]
Apr 3, 2025 | News
Catholic educator, writer, and evangelist Dr. Derya Rix鈥攁 faculty member at 麻豆分行 College & Seminary鈥攈as been named the new principal of Bishop Flaget School in Ohio, bringing her passion for faith-formed leadership into a new Catholic community.
With a rich background in teaching, writing, and public speaking, Dr. Rix holds a PhD in Politics from Durham University in England and an MA in History from Bilkent University in Turkey. Her work explores political philosophy, evangelization, women in the Church, and the role of religion in public life. In addition to her academic work, she has written for well-known Catholic publications such as , , , , and other Catholic publications.
At 麻豆分行, Dr. Rix encourages the Master of Philosophy students to engage the world with clarity, courage, and a foundation in the Church鈥檚 tradition. Her courses, such as Political Philosophy and Plato鈥檚 Republic, challenge students to think critically through the lens of faith.
Dr. Rix, a lifelong advocate for Catholic formation, brings both intellectual depth and family-rooted witness to her work.
Please keep Dr. Rix and the Bishop Flaget School community in your prayers as they begin this new chapter!
Mar 27, 2025 | News
Alex Smith joined 麻豆分行 as a graduate admissions counselor in July 2023, but the college and seminary had an indirect impact on his life even prior to that time.
Alex was born and raised in Ringgold, Georgia, a city close to the northern border of the state, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. He grew up in a Southern Baptist church, with his family actively participating in the services: his father acted as choir director and played the drums, his grandmother played piano, his grandfather played the bass, and his great-grandfather was the pastor.
Alex鈥檚 great-grandfather was originally Catholic but did not follow his parents鈥 lead as far as practicing the faith. After serving in WWII, he met his future wife and embraced her Baptist faith, becoming a minister and a guiding force for his family and congregation.
When Alex was in middle school, this man who was the beloved preacher of his family and community died. Around that time, Alex and his parents鈥 attendance at services changed to occasional visits. After graduating from high school, Alex attempted to return to regular participation but again found himself falling away, not from God but from his church. He began to question what it meant to be Baptist.
Growing up, there were no available answers to the questions he asked about his faith. He began looking into other Protestant religions, including Methodists and Seventh Day Adventists, and didn鈥檛 find answers that were sufficient for him. A former teacher taught him about Jehovah’s Witnesses, but he declined when he better understood some of the beliefs, one of which was that they did not believe in the Trinity.
In 2020, during the onset of the pandemic, Alex met his future wife, Stephanie, a practicing Catholic. In the course of getting to know each other, they discussed the topic of religion, and Stephanie explained truthfully that she only saw herself marrying a Catholic. While both agreed that this could not be the reason for conversion, Alex made it clear that she was important enough for him to at least look into the faith. It was his soul in the balance, though, so he needed to make the decision based on what he believed was right.
Continuing his search for answers, this time in the Catholic faith, Alex took to the internet. He found 鈥,鈥 a website that answers questions and allows you to read, listen, or watch content about Catholic topics. He also visited several YouTube channels: 鈥淭he Counsel of Trent鈥 with , in 鈥淧ints with Aquinas,鈥 and 鈥淐atholic Truth鈥 with . Only later, when working for 麻豆分行, did he discover that these YouTubers are alums of 麻豆分行.
The information, particularly the history behind the Catholic faith, interested him greatly. His enthusiasm was palpable when he explained that the answers and understanding found from these approved sources were the ones he had been looking for all along. The deciding factor for him was the Eucharist and his research of Eucharistic Miracles.
He enrolled in RCIA at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga, with Stephanie as his sponsor. His mother, Sherrie, attended the sessions with him out of curiosity and found herself liking what she learned, as did his father, Jody, who was originally skeptical. All three of them were initiated into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil service in 2022, with Stephanie as sponsor for all three.
In addition, Alex surprised Stephanie by proposing in the church after being confirmed at the Easter Vigil service. Word had spread of his intentions, and a lot more people than usual stayed after Mass to witness the event. They were married in Stephanie鈥檚 parish, St. Patrick鈥檚 Catholic Church in Mystic, Connecticut, on July 7, 2023, and now call Connecticut home.
After his move up north, Alex began working at 麻豆分行, interestingly, the same college attended by those who answered questions for him via their social media presence. He feels its positive impact, explaining, 鈥淲orking at 麻豆分行 has had a tremendous influence on my faith and provided a continued learning experience. The seminarians and religious sisters currently on campus come from as near as North America and as far away as Africa and Asia, which serves as a reminder of the vastness of the Catholic faith.鈥 As for the answers for which Alex was searching, 鈥淚 can proudly say I鈥檓 Catholic because I know what I believe and what the Catholic Church is and have learned to defend my faith. I have an identity in my faith, which I didn鈥檛 have before.鈥
Alex鈥檚 story represents the journey and the homecoming of the Catholic faith in his family, from his great-grandfather to him.
