Note: Archbishop William E. Lori will ordain six men to the priesthood June 22 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. The following is a profile of one of those future priests. New profiles of the other new priests will be added to the Catholic Review site daily from June 16 to June 21. Click here to read them.
The idea of an itinerant preacher, traveling through the mountains on horseback to deliver the Good News of the Gospel, may seem like a cinematic ideal; but for Deacon Lenin Andres Suarez, it was the way he spent most of his seminary holidays in the Andes Mountains of Colombia.
“There was a missionary desire in me. I really like to go out, and bring the Gospel to other people, especially to those who are in need,” Deacon Suarez said. “Those moments were so wonderful, and you could see how grateful those people were when we came to them.”
Deacon Suarez, 28, grew up in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, in a large family. As a young boy, he recalls the inspiring witness of a newly ordained priest who had been assigned to his home parish. The new priest initiated several building projects that included the beautification of Deacon Suarez’ home church, along with an adoration chapel. That example of priestly zeal offered an irresistible witness, and Deacon Suarez found himself seeking the Lord in the new adoration chapel, and attendance at daily Mass.
Those experiences fostered a love for God and the church, and Deacon Suarez began to build on that foundation. He enrolled in Seminario Nacional Cristo Sacerdote in Colombia, where he majored in philosophy. As a seminarian, he discovered an abiding love for the liturgies, which he cultivated in the mission field, as well as in seminary.
It was that same missionary zeal that led him to the United States. He met a priest from New Jersey, who spoke of the need for bilingual priests to minister to the English- and Spanish-speaking communities in American parishes.
“It was like an arrow into my mind,” Deacon Suarez recounted. “I had to go where there was a need, so I left everything behind to follow Jesus and serve the church.”
As a result, he came to New Jersey to complete his formation, but once there he realized that there was an even greater need in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. So he transferred to St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park, where he now serves as head sacristan and works for the liturgy department as head chair.
“I love praying the liturgies,” Deacon Suarez said, “because I know that I am praying while I am looking toward God.”
During his diaconate year, Deacon Suarez has been serving the community of St. Joseph, Fullerton, where he has been inspired by the diverse, yet devout qualities of the parishioners. “These people are always offering their time to the Lord, just to serve our community,” he said. “Their desire to serve is truly beautiful. Father Jesse Bolger always reminds me that the concept of ‘Catholicity,’ is truly represented at St. Joseph’s.”
As he looks forward to his vocation as a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Deacon Suarez recalled the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux: “The idea of a merciful God is so comforting, because mercy is love, and God is love. We often forget the fact that we have a merciful God who knows us, and knows our sins, but in spite of those sins, he still loves us, and calls us to follow him.”
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