Articles

Healing Hands
BY DOMENIC D. NICASSIO
The Catholic Register (Toronto)

Fr. Fernando Suarez has an unusual vocation. His full-time ministry involves praying over sick people in Toronto and any diocese of the world that invites him.

Suarez's ministry developed because of an unusual gift. When Suarez prays with people, they are sometimes healed instantly.

"It's not me, I don't know anything about how it happens. Up till now I don't know how people get healed, but I know it's God," he told The Catholic Register.

The 38-year-old priest is a member of the Companions of the Cross. Suarez grew up in the Philippines, where he worked as a chemical engineer. He joined a contemplative order of monks, but when his superior noticed his unusual gift, Suarez was encouraged to join an active order. In 1985 he immigrated to Canada, and he was ordained a priest in 2002.

Suarez traces his gift to an incident that took place at age 16. Inspired to pray over a lady who couldn't walk, he asked if she wanted prayer, and made the sign of the cross on her knees. To his astonishment, she then walked.

It's a phenomenon that has repeated itself during his time of formation and during his ministry as a priest.

Suarez kept this confidential for 19 years but four years ago his community allowed him to make this gift public.

"My spiritual director told me this gift is not for me, that I must share it with others," he said. "I never take ownership, if they get healed, they need to praise the Lord."

When asked how he responds to people who don't believe in supernatural healing, Suarez said, "I'm not compelling people to believe in miracles, it just happens."

Suarez said he is not looking for publicity and that he is booked for a year-and-a-half. "I will only go if I have an invitation and approval of the bishop," he said. The summer of 2005 saw visits to cities in Slovakia, Hungary and Austria, along with missions in Milan, Dominica, Hong Kong and Macao.

Fr. Peter Coughlin is a priest in the Hamilton diocese who wrote a doctoral thesis on the theology of healing, and was a delegate at the 2001 Vatican symposium on healing promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He told The Catholic Register that healing ministries like that of Suarez should be seen as a continuation of the healing ministry of Christ.

"If we look at Scripture, at least two-thirds of the Gospels deal with healings that take place, and at the end of Matthew, it says these signs will accompany believers," he said.

This type of ministry is not about usurping the role of medicine.

"Only God heals, doctors treat, and they usually only treat symptoms," Coughlin said. "We certainly would never say to people to stop taking medication."

He said there is no way to understand how healing occurs because it's a mystery. "How it happens? If He created the universe and all eternity, then certainly He can handle things like that. It's no different from believing in the incarnation, or in the virgin birth," he said. At the same time Coughlin said it is common for those who experience physical healing to seek verification from a doctor.

During his recent travels, Suarez was accompanied by Fr. Jeff Shannon, director of vocations with the Companions of the Cross. Shannon said people need to know that by stepping forward for healing they are spiritually healed.

"That is a theological truth. A lot of times healing is not seen, but with his (Suarez's) ministry it tends to be seen more frequently," he said.

Shannon said there is a strong biblical basis for the gift. He said the gift of healing is for the good of the church in the same way that some have a teaching or prophetic role.

In regard to Suarez, "the effectiveness of his gift is that healing happens so quickly, sometimes instantly, sometimes a short time after."

When asked how this might be viewed by skeptics, Shannon said "we have to look at the fruit, and the fruit is there because healings are happening. Then you look at the fact he (Suarez) doesn't promote himself. For the skeptics its just a matter of the facts, the quantity and the number who have been healed," he said.