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Days after his ordination to the permanent diaconate for the diocese, Deacon Jose Miguel Suarez Aular reflected on the future of his ministry.
“I look forward to being able to have the blessing of serving Christ and his Gospel within the Church for the building of the kingdom of God and the salvation of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “This is a path that I desire with all my heart and I hope that with the grace of the Holy Spirit I will be able to fulfill God’s will with the help of Mother Mary and St. Joseph.”
Deacon Suarez was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the diocese with 14 other men by Bishop James F. Checchio at Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, May 14. The class of deacons is the first entirely composed of Spanish-speaking candidates.
Deacon Suarez was a member of St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park, until about a year ago, when he joined Parish of the Visitation, New Brunswick.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, he attended general school there before coming to the United States to study marketing at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing.
His career then blossomed into many management and administration positions, such as a LATAM Marketing specialist and a Antia’s Dairy Farm supply manager, among others.
Deacon Suarez and his “beloved wife,” Adriana, of 25 years, are parfents of daughters, Maria-Victoria, 18, and Maria-Lucia, 11.
When asked how they reacted to his decision to become a deacon, Deacon Suarez said, “My family supported me from the beginning because for some time we were all participating in activities and ministries within the Church and the decision to be a deacon was a joy for all of us.”
The journey was not easy, however. As with many graduate studies, Deacon Suarez pointed out, the studies for the diaconate required many resources such as time, money and a lot of effort.
“But above all,” he stated, “it required the grace of God in our lives to be able to endure with joy the ups and downs that involve the coexistence between studies, family and work.”
One of the driving inspirations for pursuing a vocation to the diaconate, he said, is that it is “the sum of a life surrounded by wonderful people of God as priests, deacons, family and friends” given to him by the Lord.
As for what advice he would give to a man considering a vocation to the diaconate, Deacon Suarez described his own journey.
“A long time ago I felt the call, but it was not my moment,” he said, noting that he had to wait for “the moment that God proposes,” as opposed to the first moment the option presented itself.
He had to “go through several tests together with my family in order to mature the call and have perseverance in prayer and service.”
For anyone considering the call, he said, “Being in the presence of the Lord, that call will definitely take shape and color until the time comes to formalize the call to the diaconate. Continue forward in union with your loved ones and your parish and believe that God’s timing is perfect.”
