Fernando Suarez

Taal Basilica 2005

Father Fernando Suarez (born 1967) is a Filipino Catholic priest who has allegedly performed faith healing in the Philippines and all over the world.

Education

Suarez was born on February 12, 1967 at Barrio Butong, Taal, Batangas, Philippines to a driver father and a seamstress mother. Being the eldest of 4 children (2 sisters and 1 brother), he graduated in public schools. At age 12 he earned a living by leasing inflatable boats at a beach to support his studies. Suarez earned a chemical engineering degree at the Adamson University, Manila.

Priesthood

In 1997, Suarez applied to many Orders until found and joined the newly formed Companions of the Cross. Suarez was ordained a Catholic priest in 2002 at age 35. From 2002 to July 2003, Suarez served as the associate pastor of St. Timothy's parish in North York, Ontario. In 2011, Suarez left the Companions of the Cross and joined the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines under the leadership of Bishop-Prelate Antonio Palang. Bishop Palang assigned Fr. Suarez in a very impoverished community of Elin (pronounced as Eling), located at the tip of Mindoro island, which is also the desire of the priest. The small parish is home to mariginalized people of the faith that Fr. Suarez sees as his reason for the ministry he promotes.

Suarez has traveled throughout the world, soliciting and selling "healing" for his ministry. He created his Mary Mother of the Poor-Healing Ministry or Mary Mother of the Poor Foundation (MMP), chaired by Manolo Lopez of Meralco. He is supported through donations from many countries.

On December 10, 2007, the Junior Chamber International Philippines presented Suarez with an award for his religious service

Mary Mother of the Poor

This foundation is a non-profit organization of Catholic religious and lay persons that was started informally by Father Suarez in 1996. He saved his own stipend to begin putting his vision of helping the poor children into reality. Since then, the foundation has been growing and with the help of patrons and volunteers, the MMP has been growing and able to help numerous amount of those in need. They are registered in Canada and are dedicated to help relieve poverty, coordinate health and social services, advance and teach Catholic tenets and help the youth develop their talents.

Building Projects

In 2004, MMP built and financed a classroom for students having class under a tree or some exposed space. They also built houses for two families that were affected by a typhoon.

In 2005, MMP constructed and financed a two-story home for ten families that were living under a roof supported by four bamboo pillars. They also extended a high school that was affected by landslide and was in need of a library and extra rooms.

In 2006, MMP built a mission house to provide housing for seminarians and visiting priests. The Mary Mother of the Poor Village was also constructed to build homes for thousands of families.

The projects of the Mary Mother of the Poor are continuously working on helping provide shelter for those in need.

Livelihood and Economic Projects

To further help the poor help themselves, MMP provide livelihood opportunities for them. This includes fish farming, handicrafts, and even a small power plant. They also provided seminars aimed to teach people how to cook with more nutritious foods as well as creating products to generate money. This was held in Caloocan City

Scholarship and Youth Evangelization

They are currently sponsoring one hundred twenty-three scholars (ranging from elementary to college) and six seminarians. Scholarships are offered in full term up to graduation, provided that the students stay in good academic standing. MMP also provides daycare.

MMP also provides spiritual support to the students and includes Mass, praise, dramatization and spiritual outreach.

Feeding Program

MMP is currently feeding more than 3000 malnourished children from five different schools: Pulot Apaya, Pulot Itaas, De La Paz Itaas, Ilihan and Pagkilatan. They provide lunch five days a week and is conducted by volunteer teachers and parents and is mostly financed through donations.

Oratory of the Blessed Virgin Mary at MonteMaria

Suarez has announced he will attempt to build a shrine to the Blessed Virgin at Montemaria, in Batangas City. It will consist of a rosary garden, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic, Adoration, Divine Mercy, Infant Jesus, Saint Joseph and Saint Mary chapels, Scala Sancta, a columbarium, retreat houses, campsites, lodging houses, conference center, international center for the poor, and a replica of the House of the Virgin Mary. On January 7, 2007 the ground was broken at the site, accompanied by a tall statue of Mary. The statue itself will be thirty-three stories high, which is even taller than the Statue of Liberty upon completion. The entire project is being finalized and scheduled to begin in 2008. Contractors believe it could be done in two to four years. The statue is to be hand-made by sculptor Ed Castrillo, the Philippines’ most prolific builder of public monuments (who celebrated his 40th year as a professional artist in 2006).

The world's tallest Marian statue would stand 110 meters, with 92.9 meters (or 204 feet) of that would consist of the statue of Mary. In his 2 hectare studio in Molino, Cavite, Castrillo said, the head, feet and hands are in cut-and-welded brass medium, while the body would be in stainless steel. The metal medium sculpture differed from Liberty, which is in soft concrete.

Healing ministry

Father Suarez claims he discovered his gift of healing at the age of 16. He saw a crippled woman and upon feeling sorry for her, he sat and prayed with her. During this, he literally started to feel bones growing in her legs, and due to shock, he ran away. To this date, no one has found this woman. He tried to keep this a secret for as long as he could, and agreed to pray with the sick as long as they didn't tell anyone about him for a fee or a donation. However, upon being ordained a priest, it became more evident to him that the gift of healing was not only meant for him, but to be shared with other people as well. Since then he has been traveling around the world celebrating healing Mass and praying with the sick.

On January 11, 2008, Manila Cardinal Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales officiated the sacrifice of the Mass which started the 3-day, 40-hour vigil at Fr. Suarez' Batangas City Montemaria mega-shrine. Hundreds of devotees and the sick gathered.

Suarez, 44, announced his return to and resumption of healing in the Philippines on May, 2008.

Suarez, on July 21, 2008, healed Filpinos in the 7 hours healing Mass at the Saint Joseph Community in Brussels, Belgium.

Fr. Suarez had his radio program "Healing Grace with Fr. Fernando Suarez" aired over Radyo Veritas every Sunday night.

Controversy

On January 25, 2008, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines CBCP public affairs head and Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Jr. stated that "while they are happy for Suarez, they will remain "watchful" of his healing Masses and activities."

On January 26, 2008, 2 died and 7 were rushed (due to exhaustion) to James Gordon Hospital, Olongapo City while waiting for Fr. Suarez' healing Mass. Juanito Eleazar, 69, died of heart attack amid more than 15,000 patients having lined-up.

At Mexico, Pampanga, 39-year-old colon cancer-stricken Alberto Tapnio died while in wheelchair (and thereafter blessed by Fr. Suarez during a healing Mass). Tapnio was DOA (dead on arrival) at a hospital but was revived by electric shocks. Upon notice of the resurrection, the crowd of 20,000 people started clapping, praying and shouting, but Alberto died 4 hours later.

External links

• Fernando Suarez' website
• Mary Mother of the Poor official site