Seminarian Spotlight: Benj Klare’s Pastoral Internship Year
10.21.24
Benjamin Klare (left) and Fr. Bernie Weldishofer outside St. Columbkille in Wilmington, Ohio
A good priest friend once told me the most helpful experience for his priestly life was the year he spent on internship. Experiencing my internship this past year at St. Columbkille, St. Augustine, and Holy Name Chapel certainly strengthened my conviction that God is asking me to be His priest.
As a little background, I am originally from St. Ignatius Parish in Montfort Heights, a suburb west of Cincinnati, and attended St. Xavier High School. St. Ignatius is one of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese and is part of the “west side” Catholic culture that has developed over generations.
By comparison, St. Columbkille in Wilmington, Holy Name Chapel in Blanchester and St. Augustine in Waynesville are the only Catholic churches in their rural areas. To say parish life here was different would be an understatement. As such, my year there provided opportunities to grow and minister to people in ways outside my comfort zone.
It wasn’t even a full month into my internship when I had a profound encounter. One morning, a woman, seeming troubled and in need, walked into the parish office at St. Columbkille. The secretary and I asked her some questions and found out she was raised Catholic, but had not been to Mass in more than 30 years.
We learned that she had taken daily walks past the church for several years. She described herself as a spiritual person, but realized she could not console herself after losing both her husband and son. She knew she wanted to go inside the church, but could not do so alone. I invited her to come with me.

Klare volunteering at St. Augustine’s Cabbage Roll booth during the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival
As we walked to the church, I reassured her, saying, “I’ll go first.” Entering the church together, she began to look around. Very quickly, she pointed up to the front left of the church at the statue of Mary. “I know her.”
The woman told me her parents named her Mary after the Blessed Virgin, saying she always felt close to her as a result. I invited her to ask our Blessed Mother’s intercession anew, as she too had lost her husband and son. Together, we lit a candle at the statue of Mary, praying in silence. We then left the church and went our separate ways.
Upon re-entering the parish office, the secretary remarked, “Wow, I can see that God has called you to be a priest!” Reflecting on this has only increased my eagerness to serve Jesus’ flock as His priest.
My time at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM) helped me prepare for many of the joys and challenges I faced. Amidst the ups and downs of my time on internship, I have repeatedly asked God, “Lord, are You still calling me to the priesthood?” The response I have received in prayer has been an emphatic, “Yes.” I strongly desire to serve the people of God as a priest, and my time on internship has only rekindled in me the love of Christ, His people, and the priesthood.
My brother seminarians and I continue to rely on the prayers and support from devoted Catholics like you to help us pursue our God-given vocation. Your contribution is critical to forming us into the spiritual fathers the Church and world desperately need.
In Christ,
Benjamin Klare
III Theology