Pictured from left to right: Father Benson Lokidiriyo, Father Christopher Komoroski, and Father Andrew Reckers.

By Eileen Connelly, OSU

At a time of uncertainty and confusion in the midst of the pandemic, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati was blessed with three new servant leaders on May 16 when Fathers Christopher Komoroski, Benson Lokidiriyo and Andrew Reckers were ordained to the priesthood. The ordination Mass, held at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains, normally filled to capacity for the joyous occasion, was live-streamed so the faithful of the Archdiocese could still celebrate with the men and pray for them.

The newly ordained come from different backgrounds, but each responded to God’s call with unwavering faith and the desire to be of service to the Church and God’s people.

Father Komoroski, who hails from St. Cecilia Parish, acknowledged that he didn’t consider the priesthood until his last couple years of college. During his junior year, he became involved with the group FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).

“It was through them that I had a profound experience with Jesus Christ and came back to practicing the faith fully,” he explained. “It was at that time that I first began asking God what His plan was for my life.” He also credits his parents as being constant and generous mentors throughout his life.

Born and raised in a remote area of Turkana, Kenya, Father Benson Lokidiriyo said that despite his family’s poverty, he was blessed to receive a Catholic education. He went on to earn 

a master’s degree in international relations from an American university in Nairobi thanks to the generosity of Catholic missionaries who also played a significant role in nurturing his vocation.

“Their ministries, the witness of simple living, and their prayer life called me to investigate the priesthood,” Father Lokidiriyo said. After working as an HIV/AIDS testing and counseling officer in Kenya, he came to Cincinnati in 2015 to begin his seminary studies. During Father Lokidiriyo’s time as a transitional deacon, he served at St. Leo’s Parish in North Fairmount, where he was “blessed and inspired by the faith of the entire community.”

“I hope to be a priest who reflects the joy and hope of Christ through my actions and even in daily administrative tasks,” he added. “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.”

Cincinnati native Father Andrew Reckers began discerning his call to the priesthood in the sixth grade as a student at Our Lady of Visitation School. “I was positively influenced by the priests at my parish and their example to me as I assisted at Mass as an altar server,” he said.

His family’s deep faith was also a strong influence. “My parents taught me by word and example how to be a good Catholic and provided a solid foundation for the meaning of Church teachings,” explained Father Reckers, who has called St. Jude Parish in Bridgetown home for the past 13 years.

He graduated from Elder High School and the University of Cincinnati with a degree in biomedical engineering and worked for his father in an embroidery franchise before entering the seminary in 2013. “I thank the countless people who prayed for me during my years of formation,” he said.

“As our Archdiocesan prayer for vocations reminds us, every person was created by God with a vocation – a definite purpose in life,” Archbishop Schnurr wrote in his April “Seek the Lord” column for the Catholic Telegraph. “And we are happiest when we discern and accept that divine plan. I am grateful to our new priests, and to all priests, who have accepted their call.”

(The Catholic Telegraph also contributed to this article.)