Born on September 3, 1893 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he attend St. Joseph’s Parochial School, Mt. Oliver, Pennsylvania. He attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and then entered the Passionist novitiate. He took his vows on May 4, 1914. He was ordained a priest in West Hoboken, New Jersey on June 14, 1919.
The greater portion of his Passionist ministry was spent in the Passionist mission to Hunan, China. Father Ubinger went to Hunan in October 1922. He was Vicar General of the Yuanling, Hunan diocese from 1937 to 1951. Father Ubinger was hard of hearing and often needed a hearing aid but was amazingly fluent in the Chinese language. He was especially helpful in the refugee work that the Passionists operated during the turbulent years in China. He was arrested and imprisoned by the Communists on June 30, 1951 and was in solitary confinement for approximately 22 months before he was expelled on April 26, 1953. The Communists declared his crime to be an American spy. Once back in the United States he resided in Pittsburgh and was an important member of the community apostolate there.