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Photos by Phil Farnsworth

�鶹���� held its 67th Commencement Ceremony on April 26, 2025, at Queen of the Apostles Chapel on the campus in Cromwell, CT. Attending either in person or via livestream were 160 students representing 30 states and four countries. At the event, President-Rector Very Rev. Peter Kucer bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (L.H.D.), honoris causa, upon in recognition of his notable contributions to society.

Left to Right: Very Rev. Peter Kucer, Mr. Jim Wahlberg, and Dr. Kristina Olsen

The weekend began with a Friday evening gala that brought together faculty, staff, graduates, guests, and friends. We were honored to have as special guests: , 6th Archbishop of Hartford, and keynote speaker Mr. Wahlberg. In his commencement address on Saturday, Mr. Wahlberg, an author, speaker, and award-winning filmmaker, spoke about receiving the mercy and grace that only God can provide. For him, it came in the form of a priest, Fr. James Freitas, who was there for him at the lowest point in his life and to whom he dedicated his speech. Speaking at the podium, in the �鶹���� Chapel, Jim Wahlberg thanked the seminarians, priests, and all the religious, “for your ‘Yes’ to Our Lord.”

“You see, the things that you learn here at �鶹���� will arm you, so that when the time comes, you will be Fr. Freitas for somebody else… He was a reflection of Jesus Christ… And you will have that opportunity, and you will be armed with the facts,” he said. He also emphasized that “love is the most important thing, but then it has to be followed up with a message of depth and weight.”

Wahlberg ended by reciting the Apostles’ Creed as a testimony of his beliefs. His final words encouraged the graduates with the statement, “Be bold in your faith. The world needs you.” — Both the undergraduate speaker, Carla Martinez, and the graduate speaker, Sr. Hoa Ngoc Thi Nguyen, SJP, spoke of finding solace and strength from God through prayer during the stressful times in their educational journey. Sr. Nguyen went on to explain that at �鶹����, she gained knowledge, but also learned a valuable lesson of love from the patience, thoughtfulness, and kindness of her professors, as well as from the religious and lay students with whom she studied and worked. As for the future, she reminded those in attendance, “No matter what the future holds, we are never alone because God is always with us.”