Born
in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Fr. Ben was the
youngest of four boys, the sons of Joseph and Anna Klucinec. His father
worked in the steel mills and his mother was a midwife (who once delivered
four boys in the same family and all became priests). She prayed for 75
years that one of her four sons would have a vocation to the
priesthood. “At the age of 62, I entered
Holy Apostles Seminary….”
Thus, Fr. Ben answered his mother’s prayer. After graduating from the
Holy Apostles Seminary and College,
he was ordained on August 29, 1987 at the
Cathedral of St. Joseph
in Hartford, Connecticut, beginning a second career for Fr. Ben Klucinec.
Fr. Ben spent the next six years (from September 1987 to
August 1992) here at St. Dominic’s helping Msgr. Crowe with various church
building projects and in general pastoral ministry. He was recalled to
his order in Cromwell, Connecticut where he worked in Formation at the
Seminary for three years. He was elected as “Provincial” of the
Missionaries of Holy Apostles Seminary for the next three years. In the
following years he served different parishes on the weekends and helped
facilitate time off for other priests. Fr. Ben rejoined the St. Dominic’s
staff in June 2003. Not only does Fr. Ben love us, but he very much
enjoys our Florida weather. We are very blessed to have Fr. Ben as a
member of the St. Dominic’s family and hope to have him here permanently.
