William Ducey was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 3, 1897, to parents Michael Henry Ducey and Agnes E. McMullen. William Ducey was ordained to the priesthood in 1921, and professed in the Benedictine Order in 1929. As a Benedictine, he was affiliated with the St. Anselm’s Priory in Washington D.C. and Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana. In 1937, he was elected to the advisory board of the American Catholic Historical Association. He later became active in the National Liturgical Conference, and edited and wrote several publications relating to the Liturgical Movement. Ducey died on September 11, 1970 at St. Benedict's Abbey outside Kenosha, Wisconsin.