Father Ronald A. Bagienski, who served as pastor of Holy Apostles, SS. Peter & Paul Parish in Buffalo for 20 years, suffered a fatal heart attack April 9, 2019, while on a cruise in Lima, Peru.

Born Oct. 29, 1943, in Buffalo to Stanley and Stella (Lewandowski) Bagienski, Father Bagienski attended Our Lady Help of Christians School in Cheektowaga and the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary in Buffalo for high school and college. He earned a master's degree in Divinity in 1968 from St. John Vianney Seminary, East Aurora.

He was ordained May 24, 1969, at St. Joseph New Cathedral, Buffalo, by Bishop Bernard McLaughlin, auxiliary bishop of the diocese at the time.

Father Bagienski's assignments included serving as parochial vicar at St. Augustine Parish in Depew, SS. Peter & Paul Parish also in Depew, St. Florian's in Buffalo, and Infant of Prague in Cheektowaga. He served as pastor of Holy Apostles, SS. Peter & Paul Parish from 1987-2007. He also served as administrator of Transfiguration Parish in Buffalo from 1990-'93.

In 2007, he went on medical leave. He briefly served as administrator of St. Augustine Parish in Depew in 2009, before taking another medical leave. In 2012, he was again named pastor of St. John Kanty, a position he held until October 2013, when he retired. He then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Father Bagienski was a member of the Association of Priests for Polish Affairs and the Knights of Columbus Father Justin Council.

A funeral Mass was celebrated by Bishop Edward M. Grosz on April 24 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent Chapel.