4 minute read
Ed Suarez Reflects on Faith and Service A Lifetime of Discipleship
One could say that Ed Suarez’s upbringing was one of learning to live in discipleship with Christ and giving of oneself to help those in need. Today, Ed continues to live in that discipleship, and he has strived to instill in his children this same desire to do Christ’s work.
Ed has served on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg for more than 20 years. As a member, he works with the other board members to give direction to the agency regarding its different programs and how funding is to be allocated.
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Ed’s work with Catholic Charities is one way he lives fully in stewardship, offering his time, talents and treasure to help the agency assisting those in need.
“Serving means helping others, doing God’s, Christ’s work, assisting those who need assistance,” Ed says. “It means supporting those in our community and society who can’t fend for themselves. It’s something I try to instill in my three daughters, and I feel we have done that, to have them do the same.”
Ed first learned about living a life of helping others through his parents, who had escaped from Castro’s Cuba and lost everything when they fled. His father-in-law had the same experience. But after they became established, they began helping others through their own time, talents and treasures. This life was demonstrated to Ed during his childhood, as well as for his wife, Mercedes, when she was growing up.
“They instilled it in us, and we have instilled it in our kids,” Ed says. “We wanted our kids to be the same way, to live like that.”
Ed was brought on board at Catholic Charities by Sheila Lopez, who was Chief Operating Officer with the agency until her retirement. While at Catholic Charities, she was one of the individuals who helped establish Pinellas Hope, the homeless shelter. She was a client of Ed’s in the early part of his legal career and they became close friends.
“Then she ‘adopted’ me and my family as her family,” Ed says. “To this day, she’s 80, she refers to me as her son and my family as her children, and when you go to her office at St. Vincent de Paul in St. Petersburg, there are photos of my family. My mother, my mother-in-law, and she are friends. We all celebrate Mother’s Day together, the three moms. Sheila was the one who asked me to join the board and I’ve been on the board ever since.”
Margaret Rogers, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg, says Ed serves the agency in stewardship in two ways. The first is his giving freely of his time through not only serving on the board, but also by conducting human resources training and helping wherever he is asked.
“He’s also a good steward by spreading a good word for Catholic Charities,” she says. “He tells others about us and refers people to us. He’s a great advocate for our mission and we love having him on the board. And he’s funny! He puts in a lot of time and he doesn’t miss the opportunity to make sure we’re okay even when he’s on the road. He always takes the time to check on us. He’s appreciated. I know if I do need something, I can call on him.”
Margaret cites one example that occurred during last year’s hurricane season. She found that Pinellas Hope urgently needed tents, but she couldn’t have any delivered in order to shelter the homeless at that time. She mentioned it to Ed.
“He got us tents shipped, and his wife and his mother did the same,” Margaret says. “He had a colleague who also got tents. He took it upon himself to do this.”
Engaging in a life of stewardship may appear daunting, but Ed offers some straightforward advice.
“Don’t be afraid,” Ed says. “It may sound strange — so many people have great intentions but are afraid to act, get involved, or they are afraid if they do, they won’t fit in, or be smart enough or capable enough. A lot of times I’d see our Men’s Club gathering to build something and I was afraid to join because I wouldn’t know how to do things. It is a different type of work for me. I never had that skill. I backed away. I was afraid. And a friend encouraged me, ‘We’ll teach you!’ and ‘There are other things you can do.’
“There’s always something for you to do,” he adds. “Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to be a financial person to get involved in, say, the Finance Committee. Just get involved. Be a part and you’ll grow into it. Let your heart lead you.”
Parents also can pass their lives of stewardship on to their children.
“Teach your kids by example to help those who need help,” Ed says. “Pay it forward.”
