Fr. Ben Lokidiriyo
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Parochial Vicarfrbensaseas.orgFather Ben was born and raised in a remote area of Turkana, Kenya. He is the eldest of three and his father died when he was young. Father Ben is the only member of his family to attend any school level, and despite his family’s poverty, he was blessed to receive a Catholic education and earn a Master’s Degree in International Relations from an American university in Nairobi, thanks to the generosity of Catholic missionaries and well-wishers. Fr Ben worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kenya for a time, and also worked as an HIV/ AIDS testing and counseling officer in Kenya. He came to the U.S. in 2015 with the assistance of a Cincinnati aid worker he met in Nairobi. After multiple trips to the U.S. and staying in Milford, he began studying at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. His first parish contact was St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Milford. He served as a transitional deacon at St. Leo the Great Parish in North Fairmont, and was ordained in May of 2020. He then became the Parochial Vicar at St. Andrew and Elizabeth Seton parishes. Father first began to discern his calling to the priesthood when he was 21-years-old. He was attracted to the Catholic faith and the priesthood by the lives of Catholic missionaries who evangelized and served his Kenyan community. Their ministries, the witness of their simple living, and their prayer life called me to investigate the priesthood. I also look forward to meeting and serving the people entrusted to my care – to celebrate, learn from and walk with them, supported by the Sacraments and ministries.
