Deceased Friars


Benjamin Kuhn, OFM

Benjamin Kuhn

1905 – 1988

Fr. Benjamin Kuhn, OFM, was born Sept. 30, 1905 in Olean, N.Y. He attended St. Bonaventure College, Allegany, N.Y., with the intention of going to medical school at the University of Michigan. He entered the novitiate at St. Bonaventure Friary, Paterson, N.J., in 1928, professing temporary vows in 1929. He made his solemn profession and was ordained in 1932.

His first assignment was to St. Bonaventure College, where he served as postmaster and taught science. After one year, Fr. Benjamin when to St. Anthony Friary, Butler, N.J., to teach science and philosophy to the clerics. He also cared for the missions of Ringwood and Greenwood Lake, N.J.

In 1937, he was among the first friars assigned as faculty to Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y. Fr. Benjamin remained there until 1987. He taught nearly every subject at the college and served as head of the mathematics department. In 1933, he started his “family prayer card apostolate” and by 1983, he had sent more than three million copies in more than one dozen languages.

He died on Jan. 31, 1988 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Warwick, N.Y. Fr. Benjamin was 82 years old, a professed friar and a priest for 58 years.

Each of us should be called a lesser brother, a Friar Minor. Each one of us should wash the feet of the others.”

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Benjamin Kuhn, OFM

Benjamin Kuhn

1905 – 1988

Fr. Benjamin Kuhn, OFM, was born Sept. 30, 1905 in Olean, N.Y. He attended St. Bonaventure College, Allegany, N.Y., with the intention of going to medical school at the University of Michigan. He entered the novitiate at St. Bonaventure Friary, Paterson, N.J., in 1928, professing temporary vows in 1929. He made his solemn profession and was ordained in 1932.

His first assignment was to St. Bonaventure College, where he served as postmaster and taught science. After one year, Fr. Benjamin when to St. Anthony Friary, Butler, N.J., to teach science and philosophy to the clerics. He also cared for the missions of Ringwood and Greenwood Lake, N.J.

In 1937, he was among the first friars assigned as faculty to Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y. Fr. Benjamin remained there until 1987. He taught nearly every subject at the college and served as head of the mathematics department. In 1933, he started his “family prayer card apostolate” and by 1983, he had sent more than three million copies in more than one dozen languages.

He died on Jan. 31, 1988 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Warwick, N.Y. Fr. Benjamin was 82 years old, a professed friar and a priest for 58 years.